Syracuse Native selected as Navy Training’s 2017 Sailor of the Year

by Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. – A 2001 Henninger High School graduate and Syracuse, New York, native was selected as the 2017 Sailor of the Year (SOY) for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) at a ceremony onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola at the National Naval Aviation Museum Dec. 14.      

Electrician’s Mate Petty Officer 1st Class Avanese Taylor is a departmental leading petty officer (LPO) at Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) Engineering Learning Site (LS), Norfolk.  She leads 25 instructors in the enforcement of training standards for over 1,200 students annually and for the training, implementation, and instruction delivery of five courses related to surface ship operations.

Taylor will continue on to compete as NETC’s representative in the Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education domain’s top Sailor competition.

NETC Commander Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad congratulated the six finalists for their roles in shaping the Navy's future force and for their contributions to the training and education mission.

"You represent the best of the very best throughout the domain," said Cozad. "Each one of you here today has a common theme: a hard work ethic, a drive to be a better leader, and teamwork. Each and every one of you is a competitor, and that competitive edge is the thing that makes our Navy better than the other navies today."

Taylor has been in the Navy for 11 years and is qualified as a Master Training Specialist, which is a designation for demonstrating highly effective teaching skills and a comprehensive understanding of schoolhouse management, as well as for taking a leadership role in mentoring, instructing and evaluating instructors and curriculum. 

She said she recognizes the opportunities for growth she has at a training command and appreciates how it is shaping her into a stronger leader and Sailor.

“I was fortunate to be able to cross-train throughout the entire engineering platform,” said Taylor.  “I was able to expand my knowledge in my electrical rating while increasing my overall level of knowledge as an engineer.  When I return to the fleet, I will be a well-rounded Sailor who can train other junior Sailors on the engineering basics and inspire Sailors to accomplish their academic goals.”

Out of approximately 5,600 enlisted staff within NETC, Taylor was one of six Sailors selected to compete for the title of NETC SOY. The SOY recognition ceremony concluded a week of activities in Pensacola honoring the nominated candidates. 

“Seeing the professionalism and dedication of all these outstanding Sailor of the Year finalists only validates the phrase ‘Fleet Readiness Starts Here,’” said NETC Force Master Chief Karim Cole during the ceremony.  “I am confident that we have the right people in place to train, guide and get our Sailors ready to man the fleet.”

Taylor has earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Clark Atlanta University, a master’s degree in professional counseling from Liberty University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in general psychology from Capella University. 

“Based off my love for higher education and ambition to educate myself and others, I aspire to be a chief and naval officer to ensure that I can continue to motivate and inspire Sailors in every way that I can,” said Taylor.  “Sailors are the driving force of the Navy. If we empower our Sailors, then in return we will have a smarter and more powerful Navy.”

The NETC SOY program recognize Sailors throughout the NETC domain who exhibit attributes such as sustained superior performance, leadership, mentorship, knowledge and teaching of military history and heritage, self-improvement, command and community involvement, and exemplary military bearing.

NETC is the largest shore command in the Navy and is comprised of more than 12,000 military and staff personnel at more than 230 subordinate activities and detachments in the United States and at remote sites overseas. NETC provides training and education to more than 31,000 students on any given day.

- - Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

For additional information on the Naval Education and Training Command, visit the NETC website: https://www.netc.navy.mil or http://www.navy.mil/local/cnet/.   

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