Posted on: 10/16/2023
Golden anniversaries are an impressive milestone, especially in the workplace. Ms. Constance “Connie” Stokesbury, Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) Administrative Assistant, has dedicated the past 50 years to being a federal employee. And if you ask her, she has no intent on slowing down.
“October 18, 1973, I started by first job as Clerk Typist working for Air Force Material Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,” said Ms. Stokesbury. “I chose the Federal Service because I had a nun who taught me Secretarial Office Training in high school. She told us if we had not planned on going to college, that a good paying secretarial job would be with the civil service. For those interested, she steered us in the right direction and even signed us up for the next Civil Service Examination.”
Ms. Stokesbury credits her long career to her stellar work ethic and to her father. “My work ethic was ingrained in me by my father who worked at the National Cash Register Company for 45 years.”
Ms. Stokesbury has been part of the DSCU team since March 1981. Even though the name of the organization has changed, in 1981 it was called the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management (DISAM); Constance has been a constant.
When asked what job has been the most interesting, Ms. Stokesbury said, “of course, my current job at DSCU is the most fulfilling and interesting. It has been a joy to encounter numerous civilian and military personnel and international students throughout the years who were learning about Foreign Military Sales.”
The Dayton, Ohio, native’s current duties include being the principal Administrative Assistant for the Dean of the School of Security Cooperation Studies and the Chief of the Operation Support Division. She also supports all the faculty and staff at DSCU’s Dayton campus by performing various administrative duties, such as, the approval authority for the Defense Travel System, Super Timekeeper, and coordinator for Government Travel Cards.
Ms. Stokesbury’s outstanding work has been recognized at many echelons throughout her 50 years. She was the recipient of numerous Sustained Superior Performance Awards, the DSCU Dragon Slayer Award, and a DSCA Team Award. Most recently, she was awarded “The DSCU President’s Award for Excellence.”
Ms. Stokesbury’s family, especially her niece whom she raised, join her DSCU family in thanking her for her dedication, kindness, and amazing work ethic.
DSCU is one of five directorates reporting to the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). DSCU’s mission is to advance the knowledge and practice of Security Cooperation through the education, training, and development of the U.S. Security Cooperation workforce and through the education, training and institutional capacity building of partner nations; and to produce research, analysis, and lessons learned that expand the intellectual foundations of Security Cooperation.