Greenbelt, MD – February 2026
In January 2026, multiple GAMA-1 team members were honored during the annual awards celebration hosted by the NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).
These recognitions reflect far more than individual accomplishment. They represent the collaboration, urgency, accountability, and mission focus required to support one of the nation’s most critical environmental intelligence enterprises — delivering the satellite data, cloud infrastructure, and operational systems that power weather forecasting, climate monitoring, disaster response, and national resilience.
Living the NESDIS Core Principles
The NESDIS “You Got Caught” Awards spotlight individuals who consistently demonstrate the organization’s guiding principles in action.
Principle 2 – Teamwork
The following GAMA-1 professionals were recognized for exemplifying collaboration across complex, high-visibility programs:
James Perodin
Luis Hurtado
Ewa Zambrano
Gian Dilawari
Kanguetchi Ehoue
Vijay Palanivelu
Justin Polchlopek
Amir Dhillon
Stephanie Gibby
King Lee
Their collective impact reinforces a simple truth: mission success at NESDIS is built on integrated teams working seamlessly across operations, engineering, cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise IT.
Principle 4 – Urgency
Andy Molina was honored for demonstrating decisive action and responsiveness in support of mission-critical operations.
Principle 5 – Urgency
Tim Fisher received recognition for delivering with speed and focus when it mattered most.
Principle 6 – Keep Commitments
Truc Tran was recognized for reliability and follow-through — a cornerstone of trusted partnership within NESDIS programs.
In environments where satellite data drives time-sensitive decisions affecting lives, property, and economic stability, urgency and accountability are not optional. They are essential.
OCS Outstanding Awards – FY25 Q4
During February 4, 2026, All Hands meeting, several GAMA-1 professionals were recognized for exceptional contributions supporting the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS).
William Nsoesie received a Certificate of Appreciation as part of the OCS IT Support Contractors Outstanding Team of the Quarter.
The SDAS Scrum Master Team was also recognized for performance excellence, including:
Stephanie Gibby
Frankee Dawkins
Abul Azad
Bryant Boateng
Chad DeLyser
Kathleen Warham
Their leadership strengthens agile execution and program visibility across evolving technical environments.
Spotlight on Excellence: Syieda Penn
Among this year’s honorees, Syieda Penn received multiple awards recognizing her extraordinary leadership and impact.
FY25 Q4 – “Right the Ship” Award
Ms. Penn successfully delivered a comprehensive structure for the new Program Management Office (PMO) within OCS. This initiative required extensive cross-organizational interviews and collaboration to ensure the structure reflected the diverse needs of stakeholders across the enterprise.
The resulting PMO framework is already serving as a foundational element to enhance project execution, governance, and strategic alignment — positioning OCS for sustained operational maturity.
FY25 Q3 – Outstanding Team Member of the Quarter
Ms. Penn also led the successful execution of the NCCF Requirements Workshop held at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland.
Over a focused 2½-day period, 98 requirements were adjudicated with participation from both in-person and virtual stakeholders. The outputs from this workshop established the first formal set of system-level requirements to be placed under configuration management — a critical milestone in maturing the NESDIS Common Cloud Framework (NCCF) into a fully institutionalized program capability.
Her work directly supports the long-term evolution of cloud infrastructure underpinning NOAA’s environmental data mission.
Individual Commendations from Senior Leadership
Beyond formal awards, several GAMA-1 professionals received direct commendations from senior NOAA and NESDIS leadership:
- Matthew Hanson – VIP Email of Appreciation from CAPT Christian B. Rathke and recognition from Chief of Staff Kendra Bullock
- Reggie Hackett – Email of Appreciation from Chief of Staff Kendra Bullock
- Truc Tran – Certificate of Appreciation, OCS IT Support Contractors
- Marvin Cruz – Email of Appreciation from NWS Director Noel Keene
- Victorien Singhe – Email of Appreciation from NCCF Chief Architect Pura Perez
These acknowledgments reinforce the measurable value our team delivers daily — from operational reliability and governance maturity to enterprise modernization and forward-leaning cloud architecture.
Advancing the Environmental Intelligence Mission
Supporting NESDIS means ensuring that satellite data, environmental intelligence, and critical IT systems are secure, resilient, and mission-ready at all times.
The 2026 awards celebration highlighted what we see across our programs every day: GAMA-1 professionals are trusted partners in advancing NOAA’s environmental data mission.
We congratulate each award recipient and thank them for their dedication to teamwork, urgency, accountability, and excellence. Their contributions strengthen not only the programs they support, but the broader national capability to monitor, predict, and respond to environmental events that impact communities across the globe.
Mission-focused. Results-driven. Proud to serve.
For more information about GAMA-1 Technologies and our capabilities, please visit www.gama1tech.com.
About GAMA-1 Technologies – Mission-Ready for Government Transformation
GAMA-1 Technologies is mission-driven, empowering federal agencies to deliver smarter services through secure cloud modernization, AI-driven automation, and adaptive cybersecurity and compliance. We specialize in enabling decision support mission critical data to benefit humanity, leveraging innovation to streamline government and accelerate outcomes that matter.
With deep roots in environmental observation infrastructure and data modernization, we help agencies like NOAA, NASA, and others transform legacy systems, unify mission data, and embrace digital-first operations. Our solutions are engineered for public good, driving efficiency, reducing costs, and amplifying mission success.
Contact:
Stan Coachman, Contracts Manager – 301-982-4262, [email protected]
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