AFMC executive director meets with union officials at Tinker

  • Published
  • By Darren D. Heusel
  • Tinker Air Force Base Public Affairs
The executive director for Air Force Materiel Command will be among a host of other movers and shakers from across the command to visit Tinker Air Force Base Aug. 8-10 to enhance ongoing relations with union officials as part of an AFMC Partnership Council summit.
   Joining Barbara Westgate from AFMC will be Leif Peterson, Personnel director; Jon "Scott" Blanch, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 214; Charlie Tripis, AFGE 214 vice president; Randy Shaw, secretariat; Monica Ritze, alternate secretariat; David Taylor; and Brig. Gen. (Dr.) William Germann, AFMC Surgeon General.
   Also joining the group will be Ogden Air Logistics Center Executive Director Dan Cazel from Utah; Tom Clark, AFGE Local 2221 president; Tom Scott, AFGE Local 987 president; and Terry Ayres, AFGE Local 1406 president.
   The group will seek to build on the relationship with union officials and continue the momentum established recently at Tinker with the signing of a new Voluntary Protection Program mentorship agreement for advancing worker safety and health on the job.
   "Safety is not something we take lightly," Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Commander Maj. Gen. Loren M. Reno said in a VPP signing ceremony June 18 at Tinker. "VPP is helping us improve our workplace by providing us a set of tools to help us do our job better.
   "This is extremely important because our warfighters depend on us to stay safe on and off the job," the general added.
   The agreement was signed by Gen. Reno, AFGE 916 President James Schmidt, International Association of Oklahoma Fire Fighters F-211 President Todd Lambert and Yukon Xerox Corporation plant manager Michael Le.
   As executive director, Mrs. Westgate, a member of the Senior Executive Service, advises AFMC Commander Gen. Bruce Carlson on labor union relations and development of the civilian work force, which at 70 percent of AFMC's total force, is the highest among the Air Force's nine major commands.
   She also advises the commander in managing all aspects of the command's mission of delivering war-winning capabilities, aircraft and weapon systems on time and on cost to America's warfighters.
   Mrs. Westgate entered government service with the Air Force in 1973 and has served in numerous logistics, financial and acquisition program management positions.
   Prior to assuming her present position, Mrs. Westgate served as Plans and Programs director at Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
   Mrs. Westgate last visited Tinker on March 3, 2006 to unveil a new civilian orientation course that focuses on professional development. The last AFMC Partnership Council was held Nov. 2-3 at Eglin AFB, Fla.