By De Anne C. Adams-Jefferson

By the time this article goes to publication, Hispanic Employment Program Manager, José E. Benítez, will no longer be an employee of the Technical Center. José accepted a promotional position as a Senior Contract Specialist at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office in Washington, DC. He leaves behind a long and accomplished career with the FAA.

José started his FAA employment in 1983 at the Technical Center as a Contract Specialist for the Acquisition Materiel Division. His contracting talents grew over the years, as he became one of the key Contract Specialists at the Technical Center. He was selected as Manager for the Contracts Pre-Award Section in 1999 and continued to perform these duties through 2002. The pinnacle of his FAA career was his appointment as the Acting Manager for the OT&A Acquisition Group in February 2002, and he performed those duties through July 2003. With 23 years as a Contract Specialist, he was both highly valued and revered throughout the FAA.

His good work also extended beyond his responsibilities as a Contract Specialist. This was evident through his volunteer activities. He joined the National Hispanic Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NHCFAE) in 1984. He became an EEO Counselor in 1986, and performed this duty through February 2007. While in this role, he successfully worked many diverse EEO cases for both the Technical Center and the Eastern Region. He also acted in a collateral duty assignment for the Office of Civil Rights as Hispanic Employment Program Manager from 1987 through 1989, and again from 2004 through 2007. Similarly, he performed the duties of Grievance Examiner, another collateral duty assignment, from 1990 through 1992. Also, in 1992, he was selected as the Chairperson for the Technical Center’s America’s Quincentennial Committee.

José was appointed as the Administrative Officer for the newly formed National Hispanic Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NHCFAE) Technical Center Chapter in 1990 and served in that capacity until 1992, when he was elected as the NHCFAE’s Regional Chapter Director. He served in that capacity through 1997. In addition, during José’s tenure as Technical Center Chapter Director, the chapter hosted the NHCFAE’s National Training Conference held in Atlantic City in August 1996. The Technical Center Chapter was awarded the Chapter of the Year Award in 1997. Additionally, he was appointed as the NHCFAE National Director of Education in 1997 and served through 2000. José stayed involved in volunteer activities throughout his FAA career and helped countless Hispanics and others in many ways.

The members of the NHCFAE Technical Center Chapter would like to thank José for his dedication and hard work over the years. He will be missed by all of us.