Two women with two different paths leading to careers in the Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) Employee Support Cell (ESC). Meet Wendy Carter and Teresa Conklin, the Admin Support Specialist duo.
Wendy Carter wore many hats prior to joining the USACE team in 2008 for the Administrative Personnel Processing Office (APPO). Growing up in Middleburg, Va., right out of high school, she got a job with the Navy Department annex in Arlington. After six months of a crazy commute, a neighbor offered her an opportunity to become a personal assistant to the editor of Chronicle of the Horse. She enjoyed the position, but after the birth of her daughter she decided to take a year off.
When she was ready to return to the workforce, she received an opportunity to work for the Loudoun General District Court as a court clerk. After seven years in Loudoun County an opportunity opened at the Fairfax General District Court in the arraignment section. In time she became the evidence clerk with the Fairfax Circuit Court where she maintained over 25,000 pieces of physical evidence that included money, photos, weapons, and other assorted crime scene pieces of evidence. She loved the job, “because every day working in the court system brought something new and different.”
By the time her daughter was ready to go to college, Wendy worried about expenses. She thought it was a good time to pivot to the private sector. She impressed her potential new boss when she showed up to the interview in an ice storm driving from her home in Paris, Va. to the office in McLean, Va. Wendy was hired to be an Executive Assistant with the National Accounts division for PMI Mortgage Company. The company was based out of San Francisco, and she was able to travel and be an ambassador for their products. Her work included supporting several Vice Presidents, General Managers, and Directors of the company.
The 2008 market crash caused the company to downsize her office and she was offered a severance package. Wendy was too young to retire, and she knew that it was too volatile to remain in the industry. After commuting east of Loudoun County for 35 years she decided to look for employment closer to home.
She got a call from Don Davis from the Transatlantic Middle East Center APPO office in Winchester, Va. Don was looking for employees to work in the deployment office during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Wendy had a feeling that she found another good fit in a position that would provide a unique experience. She liked the idea of working in a position where she could, “help take care of people.”
She spent 14 years in the APPO until it was downsized due to the ending of the war. Around the same time the Covid pandemic happened. Wendy, along with most employees, began to telework.
It was another time of uncertainty, and she wasn’t sure if there would be a reduction-in-force, or if she would be required to transfer to USACE HQ and have another commute into Washington D.C. Wendy attributes her father for creating her strong work ethic to get her through life’s difficulties. She said, “My father taught me the importance of going to work and doing the best job I can with little complaining.” These words of wisdom kept Wendy positive during these unknown times. Good news came in April 2022 when the ESC was created, and she was reassigned to that office.
Wendy was excited about this new opportunity to once again, “help and care for people during their periods of transition working for TAM.” ESC is responsible for permanent change of station (PSC) orders. They help people move to and from the Middle East and Winchester, Va. According to Wendy this work is, “complex and sophisticated.” They also help onboard and offboard employees. One of the biggest learning curves for Wendy was being responsible for the CAC office.
By August 2022, Teresa Conklin started in the ESC. As Wendy was learning on the job, she also helped train Teresa. Wendy explains, “It has been a pleasure training and working with Teresa as my teammate in the ESC. Our position is complex, and we wear many different hats, we deal with a lot of diversity, which I very much enjoy. I couldn’t accomplish all the things I need to do without Teresa’s support. Multi-tasking is a must in our environment and one of our major strengths. Our Chief, Marybeth Murray, also plays a big role in our successes, we are all like sisters, depending on each other’s intellect/talents to get the job done. I couldn’t ask for a better group of women to work with.”
After 13 years as the Payroll Administrator at Hood College in Frederick, Md., Teresa Conklin was ready for a new challenge. After decades of working in the private sector she wondered if she should go back to federal service to ensure her retirement benefits. From 1981 - 1987 she was a Data transcriber and a Peripheral Equipment Operator at Letterkenny Army Depot. “Back when the computer room, was one big secure room, that only a few were allowed into!”
Once she made the decision to return to federal service, she hit some road bumps with another federal opportunity, and was excited when she saw this position open at TAM. Teresa acknowledges that coming back to the federal government was a smart move. “There are a lot of great benefits working for the government.” She teleworks twice a week, which helps with her commute from Maryland. She was able to tap back into the old retirement system from her previous time with the government, and she is excited that she will be able to continue her federal health insurance once she retires.
Her work at TAM includes PCS orders, for incoming and outgoing personnel. She works with a variety of team members in the Resource Management office. Since the ESC team onboards all new employees, this includes working with the Civilian Personnel Advisor Center. There are always some variances with processing each PCS order, since many orders are for employees coming or going CONUS/OCONUS.
“The work keeps me on my toes,” Teresa discussed, “after 13 years doing the same job, I knew every nuance, now the challenge is being ok that I don’t know everything…Yet!” Starting this position while there were still a lot of Covid restrictions has also added other unique challenges. The job requires a lot of flexibility and patience. The customer service aspect is one of the best parts of her job, and Teresa states, “It’s always a pleasure helping ensure our teammates have a successful relocation.”
The customer support aspect also includes working in the CAC office; “where I get to know many new faces and existing employees here in the building, that I would not normally have an opportunity to work with”.