2009 Women of Color Special Recognition Honorees
Donna M. Robinson
sesses the readiness of the battalion’s more than 750 Midship-
men. The training program was so effective, other battalions
Senior Enlisted Leader,
25th Company
have taken it onboard.
United States Naval Academy
As the person in charge of training for the Chief’s Mess—
senior-enlisted community, Robinson established the fi rst-
Chief Sonar Technician
ever Senior Enlisted Training Symposium, providing execu-
Donna Robinson is the
tive-level training and insight to more than 150 senior enlisted
senior enlisted leader of
personnel from the Naval Academy and surrounding com-
the 25th Company, 5th
mands. The training stressed the importance of diversity and
Battalion on the comman-
leadership and how it affects and impacts Sailors and Marines.
dant of Midshipman’s staff
Robinson has since developed two more highly successful se-
at Annapolis. Robinson is
nior-enlisted training symposia and increased attendance and
responsible for the moral,
awareness of mess training at the Naval Academy.
mental, and physical
As the National Society of Black Engineers enlisted representa-
development of 150
tive, Chief Robinson assisted in the preparation, set up and
Midshipmen into com-
execution of the fi rst-ever “A Walk for Education,” going
missioned offi cers of either the
door-to-door providing high-school and college literature on
US Navy or Marine Corps. Her leadership helped her com-
educational opportunities to lower-income communities in
pany rise from 10th to 2nd place out of 30 companies in the
the Annapolis area.
Brigade.
Chief Robinson was selected as the 2008 Senior Enlisted of the
Her foresight was instrumental in the development and imple-
Year from 43 top chief petty offi cers.
mentation of 5th Battalion’s Platoon in the Spotlight program,
which highlights noteworthy groups of Midshipmen and as-
Gynelle C.
Through efforts with NASA Glenn’s high-performance comput-
Steele
ing and communications, Steele helped develop an inclusive
Program Manager,
K-12 program that brought the Internet to underserved
Small Business Innova- schools. She also helped design the information infrastructure
tion Research/Small
for the Mobile Aeronautics Education Laboratory and the
Business Technology
Transfer Program
“Classroom of the Future” training provided at Glenn in part-
NASA Glenn Research nership with the City of Cleveland. The vision was to bring the
Center
Internet to neighborhood centers and libraries in underserved
BSc – electrical engi-
areas.
neering, Ohio State
University
Now Steele uses the same creativity and tenacity in developing
MBA – Cleveland State
University
programs to assist small, high-tech, innovative businesses with
federal research and development efforts.
She recognized early on that in order to move NASA’s research
Gynelle Steele
up the technology readiness scale, it would be necessary for
brings unique
fi rms—working to commercialize products developed through
experience facilitat-
alliances with NASA under Small Business Innovation Research
ing the transfer of
(SBIR) grants—to sell their technology to either the military or
NASA technology
commercial aeronautics companies. As a result, she developed
to private industry. During her eight years with the technology
a pilot program to assist such fi rms in market research and
transfer offi ce, Steele worked directly with mission directorates
help in preparing marketing materials to enable them to sell
in aligning their needs with technologies in other governmen-
their outputs from the SBIR program to entities that could
tal and commercial opportunities. Prior to working with the
further develop them.
technology transfer program, she spent several years in the
telecommunications branch, defi ning and developing initia-
In 2009, Steele’s concept won NASA’s approval to extend
tives that allow NASA engineers to better serve and interact
her pilot program throughout the SBIR community. Steele is
with the community, including helping to develop critical
the recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal for
community-service initiatives.
outstanding contributions to NASA’s small-business goals and
educational research.
52 WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2009
www.womenofcolor.net
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76