The Naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi recently awarded the title of Senior-Grade Civilian of the Quarter to Slidell resident Catherine Carson.

Carson, a Chesapeake, Va., native, has been employed with NAVOCEANO since 1998 as an oceanographer.

She started at NAVOCEANO first in oceanographic satellite analysis, then transferred to coastal wave modeling.

Carson

In 2006, she was named head of the Operation Department's Data Ingest Branch.

"Cathy performs beyond my expectations," said Jerry Gathof, Current Operations Division director. "She has met challenges head on, resolved issues to the benefit of the organization and has improved morale within her branch."

As the branch supervisor, Carson is responsible for the real-time collection and archival of oceanographic survey data.

During the quarter for which she was awarded, Carson developed an innovative standardized procedure that increased the efficiency and timeliness of legacy data transfer methods.

"Over the past year and a half, Cathy has completely reinvigorated the Data Ingest program at NAVOCEANO," said Gathof.

Carson attended Indian River High School in Chesapeake, Va., and received a bachelor's degree in biology from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va.

Prior to arriving at NAVOCEANO, she worked as a paralegal with the Department of Justice's U.S. Attorney's Office in Norfolk, Va.

Carson, her husband, Jeff Stadalis, and their children, Brian, Katelyn, Cole and Quade, live in Slidell, where she is an enthusiastic soccer mom and avid sailor.

NAVOCEANO employs approximately 1,100 civilian, contract and military personnel and is responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements within the Department of Defense.

For more information about NAVOCEANO, visit www.navo.navy.mil.