Four DeCA East employees rise to store director ranks

By Rick Brink, DeCA East public affairs officer

NOTE: To see photographs of the four new DeCA East store directors, visit our Flickr page.

FORT LEE, Va. Manuel Othon, LaVida Nethercutt, Samuel Somerville and Willard Whitworth joined the ranks of store directors last month as a result of recent Defense Commissary Agency career assignments program selections.

"These are great selections for the agency's continued success," said Rogers E. Campbell, DeCA East director. "Becoming a store director is a big step; and these new directors are not only willing to take the job, they — more importantly — have proven track records that show they're more than ready to take on all the challenges their new jobs bring them."

Othon took the reins of the Little Rock Air Force Base Commissary, Ark., after serving two years as store administrator at the Sheppard Air Force Base Commissary, Texas. His commissary career began in 1981 at Munich, Germany; and he has fulfilled progressive career assignments at commissaries in Texas, Oklahoma, Delaware and Germany. The previous store director, Kimberly Houston, is the DeCA Zone 26 manager.

Somerville became store director of Naval Air Station Meridian Commissary, Miss., after serving as store administrator of the Fort Polk Commissary, La. A 30-year Army veteran, Somerville began his commissary career in 2006 at the Fort Bragg South Commissary, N.C. The previous store director, Danny Danielson, is the Cairo Commissary, Egypt, store director.

Nethercutt became store director of the Columbus Air Force Base Commissary, Miss., after serving two years as the store administrator. A child of a well-traveled military family, she began her commissary career in 1978 as a cashier at the Columbus Commissary and has fulfilled progressive career assignments at the store, complemented by some retail experience. The previous store director, Marty Roberts, is the Keesler Air Force Base Commissary, Miss., store director.

Whitworth became store director of the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Commissary, N.C., after serving 10 years as the store administrator. He began his commissary career in 1990 as an intern at Seymour Johnson and has worked in commissaries in Germany. The previous store director, Jerry Hamilton, is the Fort Bragg North Commissary, N.C., store director.