By Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs
NORFOLK, VA – Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) officer Cmdr. Crystine Good recently assumed duties as the Public Works Department (PWD), Public Works Officer (PWO), onboard Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), Portsmouth, Virginia.
Good, a Vienna, Virginia native and Portsmouth, Virginia resident, is in her 24th year of serving in the U.S. Navy. She joined the Navy as an enlisted electrician’s mate in 1997, but later became a commissioned CEC officer in 2003.
“I am so excited to be a leader in the Navy right now, particularly working at a shipyard that was built in 1767,” said Good. “From the highest levels of the Navy, there are not only discussions on pushing out legacy practices, but actions backing them up. As an enterprise, we have some of the brightest people working for NAVFAC who all want to make a difference each day they come to work. Being able to help navigate this while (being) at the shipyard is very rewarding.”
Good added that discussions of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) and the standup of the Program Management Office, along with the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction, has set up a very dynamic and collaborative work environment.
“One that you can feel all the way up the NAVFAC chain of command, as well as the NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) chain of command,” said Good. “I am very fortunate to have a deputy who has been around for a while and is such an outstanding leader.”
Good said some of the current and future challenges facing PWD Portsmouth are funding and people thinking SIOP’s money stream will be a “catch-all” to get things funded at the shipyard.
“In reality, SIOP has a clear definition,” said Good. “We cannot rely on those funds to take the place of standard project planning or facility sustainment.”
Good is one of two new PWOs at Navy shipyards in the Mid-Atlantic region – the other being Cmdr. Elizabeth Durika at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
“Cmdr. Durika and I met in Croatia on a midshipmen cruise for the first time, but actually grew up just a few miles down the road from each other,” Good said, referring to them both being from neighboring towns in northern Virginia. “Now we’re in the same command, both working as PWOs at Navy shipyards on the east coast!”
In speaking about her future Navy career, Good added that she would love to one day serve her country overseas or in an environment that is outdoor-friendly, and match up her families desires with the needs of the Navy.
“I want my family to experience different cultures and to appreciate nature,”added Good. “Luckily for me, there are a lot of opportunities in the Navy to do that!”
NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic provides facilities engineering, public works, and environmental products and services across an area of responsibility that spans from South Carolina to Maine, and as far west as Indiana. As an integral member of the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic team, NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic provides leadership through the Regional Engineer organization to ensure the region’s facilities and infrastructure are managed efficiently and effectively.