Do you remember the year Steve Jobs launched the Macintosh personal computer? How about when the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, had his hair catch on fire during the making of the Pepsi commercial?
That year was 1984, before many of our current military and civilian employees were even born. It was the year Space Shuttle Discovery made its maiden voyage to space and Ronald Reagan became our nation’s 40th president. A young Edward H. White High School graduate named Brenda Davis began her government service at the Civilian Personnel Department aboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
“Maybe you call it following in family footsteps,” Davis said jokingly. “My grandmother retired as a government service employee in 1980, after 35 years of service.”
Davis was initially hired as a General Schedule (GS) 2 clerk assigned to the base’s Human Resources Office. Throughout her 40-year career, she worked at five different commands aboard NAS Jacksonville, including the Human Resources Office Jacksonville, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Commander Navy Region Southeast, and ultimately Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast in 2013.
“Growing up, I had aspirations of being a marine biologist,” Davis said. “But in 1984, when the opportunity arose to become a government service employee, I took it.”
Fast forward to 2013: Davis became a member of the NAVFAC Southeast team. She played a key role in establishing the NAVFAC Southeast command HR office, which was previously operated by the region commander. During her tenure at NAVFAC Southeast, Davis has seen many co-workers come and go, including two HR directors. Through hard work and dedication, in 2022, Davis assumed the role of Supervisory HR Specialist, guiding and mentoring a staff of 10 HR specialists and an HR assistant.
“I have known Brenda for almost 20 years; her reputation as a knowledgeable human resources professional is recognized throughout the Navy’s human resources community,” said Terrence Williams, NAVFAC Southeast HR Director. “We have been incredibly fortunate to have had her on the NAVFAC team at the pinnacle of her career. It is a sad day for her customers and the human resources team as we watch her walk out the door for the final time.”
NAVFAC Southeast’s HR team is responsible for recruiting employees for all GS and Wage Grade positions throughout the command’s area of responsibility, spanning Navy installations from Charleston, South Carolina, to Corpus Christi, Texas, and extending southward to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Davis has been the HR team’s principal classifier for the past 11 years, advising management on staffing and classification matters, including qualification reviews, reasonable accommodation processes, desk audits, available incentives, pay settings, and active job offers.
“I love doing what I do,” said Davis. “Even after 40 years, I’m still learning new things almost every day. One lesson I’ve learned over the years is that change is inevitable.” She added that what she would miss most after retirement is the people. “We have a great team that is mission-driven and dedicated to the people, the job, and the mission.”
After four decades of service, Brenda Davis has seen or heard it all. A Jacksonville, Florida, native whose hobbies include listening to country music, saltwater fishing, and playing softball will be in her office for the last time on Sept. 30. Her advice for new NAVFAC Southeast employees is to “keep an open mind and learn as much as you can from your co-workers and managers.”
When asked about her plans after retirement, Davis said, “I plan on doing some traveling, more saltwater fishing, and gardening. I plan on taking it easy for the remainder of my time on this earth with my life partner, Jim Mooney, and my children and grandchildren.”