Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast Commanding Officer Capt. Miguel Dieguez announced his selections for the inaugural NAVFAC Southeast Project Manager and Architect of the Year awards, Nov. 10.
NAVFAC Southeast’s Project Manager of the Year was awarded to Michael Davis, project management supervisor, and Lt. Cmdr. Pete DeIuliis, Gulf Coast assistant operations officer, was selected as the Architect of the Year.
“I congratulate Mr. Davis and Lt. Cmdr. Deluliis on receiving this inaugural award,” said Dieguez. “NAVFAC implemented these two new programs allowing us to recognize our best and brightest employees in these disciplines, they both have demonstrated exceptional talent and achievements.”
Davis joined NAVFAC Southeast 13 years ago and now serves as the command’s Project Management Supervisor.
“I am humbled by this incredible honor,” said Davis. “When I consider the professional expertise and dedication of the project management community in our command it makes it very special.”
Davis led a team of five professional engineers and provided active engagement in the development and execution of South Atlantic projects, delivering engineering and project management services to five Public Works Departments (PWDs) and one Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (ROICC) office.
Davis stated, “It is very rewarding for me to collaborate with team members across all business lines within our command while managing a project from cradle to grave.”
Davis superbly managed a $112 million construction project, overcoming significant challenges and combining existing modernization plans with tornado-recovery scope in time to execute same-year funds to sustain refit operations of East Coast TRIDENT Ballistic Missile and Guided Missile Submarine (SSBN and SSGN) fleet.
He accelerated design and construction of two military construction projects (MILCONs) and a restoration-modernization project, totaling $220 million, for Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southeast’s F135 power module repair facility and engine test cell.
In addition to his project management duties, Davis filled a critical vacancy as the South Atlantic Deputy Assistant Operations Officer.
“I have always strived for excellence in each and every project and have taken pride in the teamwork it takes to deliver a quality end product,” said Davis. “I am very thankful to the people I work with and extremely grateful for the dedicated project management team of South Atlantic."
Deluliis received the Architect of the Year award and is one of the few architects in both the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) and NAVFAC enterprise that consists mostly of different engineering disciplines.
“I’m very fortunate to be part of this great organization and honored to have been selected as the first Architect of the Year,” said Deluliis. “It’s easy to feel overlooked or underappreciated as an architect in such an engineering heavy environment but NAVFAC has always done their best to demonstrate commitment to architects and this award is the next step in that process.”
Deluliis became the first CEC architect to graduate from the Virginia Tech Innovation campus located in Alexandria, Virginia, with a degree in Architecture, Urban Design. Since graduation, he developed a formal partnership between the CEC and Virginia Tech that has been utilized by multiple CEC architects.
Deluliis held the position of Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division (FEAD) director at PWD Mayport in the midst of a generational buildup to construct facilities for the East Coast Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fleet. He directly led a team of over 40 construction and contracting professionals completing $260 million in work in place (WIP) and leading all of NAVFAC Southeast in 2020 with $120 million in WIP.
One of his most challenging projects was overseeing the Integrated Navigation Seamanship and Shiphandling Trainer (iNSST) project at Naval Station Mayport.
“This project was extremely important to the Navy and crucial to getting our sailors properly trained following the fatal collisions involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS McCain,” said Deluliis. “The schedule was extremely aggressive and there were unforeseen conditions right out of the gate, but the team there in Mayport did an amazing job to get this one completed.”
The iNSST is a computerized bridge simulator that enables bridge teams to practice realistic navigation and ship handling skills in a virtual environment.
Deluliis currently serves as the Gulf Coast Assistant Operations Officer at NAVFAC Southeast, where he recently led a team tasked with awarding over $400 million in Hurricane Sally disaster relief projects for Pensacola, Florida.
Davis and Deluliis will next represent NAVFAC Southeast in the NAVFAC enterprise-wide competition for Project Manager and Architect of the Year.