Meet Joseph Spruill – Navy veteran, program management analyst, and Precise Systems’ Employee Spotlight for October 2024.

Joseph is part of our Software Product Development team, supporting the NAVAIR program manager for the Acquisition Management System (AMS). In his role as a program management analyst, he acts as an advisor/coach helping senior acquisition leaders leverage AMS and its visualizations to achieve better program management results. He came to Precise after having recently retired from full-time government service, but not quite ready to completely retire. He had heard that the AMS customer was looking for someone with his skillsets, and he felt he could contribute well to the team. Joseph describes this opportunity to meet both needs as something that was “in the stars!”

Prior to joining Precise, and even before his government service, Joseph served in the United States Navy for 24 years. His path to the Navy began in his family, where his grandfather served in the Army during World War II, and his served in both the Air Force and National Guard. And, having lived on the coast of North Carolina and driving boats since he was 7 years old, Joseph always had a deep affinity for the water. So, when his congressman gave him the chance to attend the United States Naval Academy, he jumped on it.

Fast forward to today, Joseph is an active member and advocate for the veteran community. He is involved with the U.S. Navy Memorial Board and the Navy-Marine Corps Retiree Council. Speaking about his involvement, he says, “Having spent 24 years of my life in the Navy, it’s not just a job but a way of life, and I found it difficult to just ‘walk away’. The Navy Memorial and the Retiree Council allowed me to both keep in touch, as well as give back to the organization I had served more than half of my adult life.”

The Navy Memorial honors, recognizes, and celebrates those who serve our country in maritime organizations, including the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines. Joseph’s work there included being an “ambassador” for the Navy and interacting with the public. On the Retiree Council, he has the privilege to chair the Health Affairs committee, where he and his fellow members work with other veterans’ organizations like the American Legion and MOAA to monitor the performance of our healthcare entitlements and provide recommendations to fix it when it appears to be broken. He explains that retirees can be some of the most valuable recruiters for the Navy, so it is critical that the Secretary of the Navy remains aware of issues like access to healthcare and retiree compensation negatively affecting retirees.

Joseph is thankful to continue giving back to the Navy community, both in his veteran involvement and through his work on our Precise Team. He finds that he still continues to grow, personally and professionally, every day by supporting our AMS customer. He has been able to collaborate with a wide range of skillsets, talents, motivations, and priorities, and the diversity has positively challenged his assumptions, as well as helped him be more open to other ideas and ways to approach different issues.

For any veterans about to enter the civilian sector, Joseph would provide this advice:

• Find a mentor or a coach to help with your transition. This is a great way to share ideas and get feedback before making hard and fast commitments
• Make sure your resume aligns with the civilian sector job you are seeking. Take pride in your military service, but don’t assume that all hiring managers will understand military jargon.

Thank you, Joseph, for your dedicated service to our country, veterans, and Precise mission. We are beyond grateful to have you as part of our Team each and every day!