Sharon Shaw Wins 2015 BDPA Epsilon Award for Community Service

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. Nominations are accepted across five categories and they are evaluated by a team of National BDPA members. One of the categories is Career Achievement. This honor is reserved for people who have significant demonstration, by meaningful results, strong partnership and collaboration with entities in the communities they reside.

BDPA is pleased to announce that Sharon Shaw has won the 2015 Epsilon Award for Community Service. She was a protocol officer for the Navy Information Dominance Forces. Her nomination was submitted by Lt. Duane Motley, commander, US Naval Forces. He wrote,

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"Ms. Shaw’s impressive managerial capability, positive leadership, and exception attitude propel her as a role model for military, civilian, and youths and capture the true spirit of community service. She is a superb leader who sets the standards that inspire and motivate peers and subordinates to excel.

Since 2000, she has unselfishly led NCTAMS LANT’s award winning (local and federal level) Drug Education For Youth (DEFY) mentoring program that promotes stability by providing 9-12 year olds the life skills necessary to deter at-risk behaviors associated with substance abuse, gangs, and other negative influences. DEFY develops youth through drug education, leadership, character development, positive role model mentoring, and community outreach to enhance quality of life for military personnel and their families. Each year 90+ youth participants and 120 mentors, guest speakers, and community leaders spent over 5,250 hours mentoring the kids. Organized volunteers to participate in three community relations events to promote DEFY.

Additionally, she is the Interim First Vice President and Second Vice President of the Newport News-Hampton Chapter of the Continental Societies, an organization dedicated to creating environments that empower children to have access to quality and appropriate opportunities to reach their optimal potential. Ms. Shaw and the Continentals spent over 3,000 raising funds for scholarships (10 $1000 scholarships); supported the Program for Educating Exception Preschoolers providing monthly donations of diapers, underwear, socks and soap powder to local children; donated 11 boxes of diapers, underwear, and socks; partnered with the Newport News Police Department and Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board to provide book bags and school supplies to 2,000 children; partnered with the Ridley Circle After School Program to implement an after-school program, provide school supplies and backpacks, and formed a reading circle; and organized a Career Pathways initiative for the Newport News Public School system to expose students to grade-appropriate career development experiences.

Sharon personally adopted a homeless family of six. She assisted them in search for a home and took it upon herself to become a mentor to the 9, 10, and 13 year old children."

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BDPA is very proud to honor the works of Sharon Shaw! We are glad that she won this 2015 Epsilon Award!