SHIPYARD Code 2310 Administrative Assistant Kim Harris STORY AND PHOTOS BY ANNA TAYLOR • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST
Kim Harris has one child of her own at home, but more than 100 at work. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Reactor Engineering Division (Code 2310) administrative assistant says she treats everyone in her department like family. “They can be brand new to the shipyard or they can be a 20-year veteran engineer, I treat them all like they’re my kids,” she said. “Being a mom helps me a lot dealing with things that happen here, and they call me their den mother. We have good professional working relationships, but we also have a family comradery, we know we can count on each other. I don’t have patience for people who don’t do what they’re supposed to do.” Division Head Michael Kwiatkowski would agree. “She holds everyone to a higher standard. She doesn’t accept excuses or silliness, she holds our family accountable, including herself. We’re really lucky to have Kim.” When asked how she would describe herself, Harris looked to her colleagues for help. 26 • SERVICE TO THE FLEET • DECEMBER 2018
“They know more about me than I do,” she laughed. Erica Jones, a Code 2310 nuclear engineer, was quick to weigh in. “She’s such a generous person, and in this day and age not a lot of people give off that aura of being loving and sweet no matter what kind of day they’re having,” she said. “If our code was a human body, Kim would be the heart.She's persistent, helpful, kind, considerate, understanding, knowledgeable and an amazing person both inside and out. I've been here for almost three years and ever since my first day in this code, I’ve felt nothing but warmth and love from her.” Harris, who’s affectionately known as the office "sugar mama" because of the bottomless bowl of candy she keeps on her desk, said she’s always had a passion for helping others, and that’s what motivates her every day. “When I took this position, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I’ve come to learn how to help people in almost any way, even if I don’t know the answer, I’ll point them in the right direction,” she said. “We recently hired a bunch of newer folks, and I’ve got the opportunity to sort of mentor them and introduce them to how we do things in this department. I really just love the people.” Before joining her Code 2310 family at NNSY, Harris worked at a supermarket for six years. “I decided to go back to school because I was tired of making minimum wage,” she said. “I got my Associates Degree at Tidewater Community College, and it helped me get hired at the shipyard.” She initially planned to work in the medical field as an office assistant, but the opportunity to work at NNSY was one she couldn’t pass up. “You could call it a family tradition,” she said. “My dad, grandfather and great-grandfather worked here. My pastor used to work here. It was one of those things where people kept telling me I needed to get in the shipyard. I tried for a few years and never got in until after I got my degree. I’ve been here almost eight years now.” Harris’ supervisor, Stephanie Walz, called Kim an invaluable