Jan Team MCCS in read right order-8 - MCCS 29 Community Services

By Katie Elwell
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Harry Sherman
Former Budget Officer, Finance Division
If the MCCS Finance Division had a yearbook, Harry Sherman would
surely have been voted “Division Cut-Up.” The September Mid-Level
Employee of the Month and former MCCS budget officer lives by the
mantra that the workplace is meant to be enjoyed.
“I believe in having fun and enjoying the work while making it
enjoyable for others,” Harry said. “When people get to laugh; when
people get to socialize at work and yet still accomplish their work,
people look forward to coming to work.”
Having fun has never meant that the work didn’t get done. Harry’s
work ethic during his 30 years in the Marine Corps, six years with
MCCS Barstow and another seven years with MCCS Twentynine Palms
would exhaust most average employees just thinking about it. While in
Barstow, Harry filled the billets of business operations officer, Semper
Fit officer, Food & Hospitality director and acting chief financial officer
for accounting and budget, all at the same time. When he left to come to
Twentynine Palms, four people were hired to replace him. As the MCCS
budget officer, Harry’s job went far beyond budgeting and signing
purchase orders. “The CFO and myself, we’d get into the programs and
activities,” he explained adding, “Trying to help out the programs in
turn helps out the Marines and their families, which accomplishes our
mission.” Harry works to accomplish that same mission through his
new position as the deputy comptroller for the Robert E. Bush Naval
Hospital.
There’s much more to Harry than work though. When he’s not sifting
through financial facts and figures, Harry is inseparable from his RV.
In fact, each work week he and his wife drive their faithful 40-footer to
Twentynine Palms from their house in Hemet and park it at the MCCS
Twilight Dunes RV Park. Whenever they have a few weeks of vacation
saved up, Harry and his wife load up the RV, often packing in one or
more of their three grandchildren, and set off for a new adventure. The
Grand Canyon, California coast, Yellowstone…one visit is never enough.
“The benefit of having your RV is you can stop anytime you want;
your motel is right there with you.” He added, “If you have two weeks,
you can fly into someplace, you can see it, but you don’t really get to feel
it, you don’t get to live it.”
After retirement, the Shermans are looking forward to calling their RV
“home,” heading up the Alaskan Highway for a few months and then
spending their time savoring the sights of our beautiful United States.
Their dream retirement is still a few years down the road though.
Until then, Harry is looking forward to keeping his new coworkers at
the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital cracking up as he works to keep
quality of life programming available for Twentynine Palms’ military
community.
Clyde Valentine
Audit Clerk, 7 Day Store
Clyde Valentine, September’s Frontline Employee of the Month, has
been working with MCCS for over 24 years. Throughout that time,
this dedicated employee has been working behind the scenes to create a
deeper cohesion in the departments he has worked with and to provide
more valuable services to MCCS patrons.
Q. Please share a brief history as an MCCS employee.
A. I first began working for the Main Exchange in 1986 in security. I
moved to the MCX warehouse as a materials handler, where I set up the
home delivery service for large appliances and furniture. This service to
customers continues to this date. I injured my back and transferred to
accounting. They had records and files saved in eight different areas.
I was able to set up a data system consolidating records to three locations,
enabling record retrieval faster and easier. Two years later, I moved
to a Civil Service position at the MCCS Intramural Sports office before
becoming the AFGE Union president for seven years. Upon leaving the
union after seven years, I currently work at Outdoor Adventures.
Q. What is the most rewarding aspect of being an MCCS employee?
A. Taking pride and satisfaction as one of many in MCCS who assist in
supporting our Marines, Sailors and their families by providing a wide
scope of quality products and numerous services for them.
Q. Is there any aspect of your job you are extremely passionate about?
Why?
A. It is an enjoying thing to reap the rewards when going above and
beyond when doing your own work and assisting others. I have created
tracking data bases for several sections of MCCS. Not only at Outdoor
Adventures, but I have helped the Golf Course with one and just
recently done one for Fields and Grounds.
Q. What are your favorite things to do in the local area?
A. I have been shooting pool in the area for 24 years, starting local
leagues and participating in local and out of state tournaments. Driving
through the National Park and taking my 18-year-old Pekingnese for
rides. She’s gotten spoiled sitting on my wife’s lap on a raised cushion
to look out the window.
Q. What do you do when not working for MCCS?
A. I’m setting up a home business now; this is taking a lot of my time.
Q. Do you have a word of advice for fellow employees wanting to excel?
A. Do the best you can at whatever you do.
B. Respect yourself, your coworkers and management.
C. Smile, laugh out loud…you’ll live longer.
“A”…I do this every day. “B”…I try to do this every day. “C”…I don’t do this
enough but I think it’s a winning combination.