AFLCMC personnel garner AFCEA recognition

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HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Two Air Force Life Cycle Management Center civilian personnel here were award recipients during the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association International Conference held earlier this month in San Diego.

Sarah Loerzel, an Air Force engineer in the PALACE Acquire program, received the New England-Upstate New York Region’s Distinguished Young AFCEAN Award. Matthew Deutsch, a program manager in the Strategic Services Division, received the Emerging Leadership Award.

Loerzel received the award in recognition of her contributions to AFCEA’s Lexington-Concord Chapter.

“In her role as Young AFCEAN vice president of membership, Loerzel spearheaded the chapter’s effort in recruiting young engineers for Hanscom Air Force Base,” said Pat Dagle, AFCEA Lexington-Concord Chapter president. “She has also personally inspired attendance at chapter events, including the Run for STEM 5K, membership luncheons and the annual gala.”

Dagle also lauded her personal involvement in several community projects, such as judging at high school science fairs, assisting in Hanscom’s ScienceShare program, helping scholarship participants and serving as a proctor/grader at a MathCounts Competition.

“Sarah Loerzel is truly a model Young AFCEAN who has distinguished herself personally and professionally,” he said.

Deutsch also received his award for contributions to AFCEA’s Lexington-Concord Chapter.

“He is commended for initiating a sponsorship program that allowed the chapter to raise additional funds and positively impact science, technology, engineering and math-related activities and programs in Massachusetts,” said Dagle. “In addition, his leadership and personal participation in the Young AFCEAN recruiting program has resulted in more than a dozen new members.”

The chapter’s president added that Deutsch spearheaded the chapter’s Rocket Box program, which provides seventh- and eighth-grade science classes with the necessary resources to hold a week of rocketry at their schools. The program also added a hands-on engineering component that has had a positive impact for hundreds of students. Because of its success, AFCEA International officials highlighted the Rocket Box program during the annual AFCEA conference.

“His total involvement, dedication and can do attitude earned him the recognition associated with this award,” Dagle said.