23 March 2017

2017 Q1 Wave the Flag Recipient Nicole Lackemeyer

Congratulations to Nicole Lackemer, Geneva’s 2017 1st Quarter Wave the Flag Recipient! Nicole Lackemeyer, a Research Scientist at U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), was nominated by Colonel Brian D. Moore.

An excerpt from her nomination states:

“Since 2013, Nicole has volunteered to be the suite supervisor for one of the three USAMRIID Biosafety Level (BSL)-4 containment suites, which deal with the day-in-and-day-out duties to ensure the suites are run efficiently and effectively. Nicole ensured all suite regulations were followed and coordinated with the Biocontainment Manager, as well as monthly internal inspections and annual external inspections (from agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Office of the Director of Army Safety (ODASAF), and the Department of the Army’s Inspector General). Nicole’s leadership, communication skills and commitment to the mission has enabled the BSL-4 suite to run without incident for the past year and successfully pass all inspections.

Other responsibilities that Nicole has performed over the past year include, but are not limited to, the coordination of biological safety cabinet (hood) certification, suite orientation of new personnel, coordinating and communicating airlock decons, changing filters, submitting suite work orders, and serving on the Institute’s Biosafety working group to ensure the BSL-4 user community is represented in implementation of safety policy and guidelines.

Most recently, Nicole coordinated the “takedown” and decontamination of the BSL-4 laboratory – the Clin Lab Sub, a high-level biocontainment laboratory. Her leadership and proactive style of communication ensured all equipment was properly decontaminated through the airlocks and stored in temporary storage and prepared the entire suite for complete decontamination.

Nicole’s unselfish contribution to the seamless operation of the Clinical Laboratory BSL-4 biocontainment suite and the meticulous attention to detail she demonstrated during the decontamination of the Clin Lab Sub, illustrates her dedication and commitment to the mission of USAMRIID and her willingness to ensure operations within the biocontainment suite are carried out in a professional and accountable manner. Nicole is a tremendous asset to the USAMRIID and is highly respected by her peers and superiors alike.”

The Geneva Foundation’s Wave the Flag Award is a peer-to-peer recognition program that seeks to acknowledge employee excellence. Employees are nominated based on demonstration of Geneva’s core values and mission of promoting and supporting the advancement of military medicine. The Award is given quarterly throughout the year.