Jim Spears
Jim Spears is the Operations Manager for the Division of Mail Management Services (DMMS). In this role Jim supervises the daily operations while working with the customer service team and supporting the contractors under DMMS.
Jim is originally from the Boston area. He attended the University of Massachusetts for undergrad and attended the University of Baltimore for his Master's.
Before coming to the NIH and working with ORS Jim initially worked at the US Postal Service. While there he was pivotal in adjusting the Pennsylvania State income tax system for their mailing services. This as an adjustment that helped to save millions of dollars and is a protocol that is still in practice today 25 years later.
Jim is motivated by the fact that working in DMMS is a different experience every day. The daily experience of hitting that milestone of completing all the tasks gives him the satisfaction of knowing that the work of his team positively affects so many people within the NIH.
"It always feels good at the end of the day when that latest challenge to come up is set aside and finished."
Outside of work Jim enjoys hiking with his friends outdoors. For Jim the tranquility and peacefulness of being outdoors is very euphoric. He also enjoys the beach and looks forward to soon retiring. He's really enjoyed his time with ORS and is happy to have been a part of such an important team.
Cortney Lee
Cortney Lee is a pivotal member of the Division of Personnel Security & Access Control (DPSAC) team where she serves as the Branch Chief. She manages the adjudication of background investigations for the NIH community which consists of employees, contractors, and affiliates. Cortney and her team work to ensure that applicants and employees are properly vetted and processed in the most efficient and accurate way possible. She's been a part of the NIH family since 2008 and enjoys working with her colleagues.
One of the projects she's most proud of is managing the heavy backload of cases that needed to be adjudicated as she transitioned into her new position. At the time her team was swamped with over 1500 cases that needed to be processed. It was vital and crucial for the number of cases to be brought down to a manageable level.
A plan of action was implemented, and her hard-working team has been able to successfully cut that figure down by more than half. Serving in this role has been one of the highlights of her very decorated career. It is her family that motivates her each day as she takes on new challenges.
“What motivates me every day is my family. When I get up every day, I think about how going to work is going to benefit my family."
Cortney Lee is originally from Lanham, Maryland. She attended Bowie State University where she received her bachelor's degree in criminal justice and went on to earn her master's degree in criminal justice management with the University of Maryland. When she has a moment of free time outside of work, she loves to hang with friends and family, as well as shopping, sightseeing, and doing something adventurous. She also a fan of music and really enjoys a lot of R&B & Soul music from the 1990s.
Kweku Pesseh
Kweku Pesseh is a Master Patrol Officer with the Division of Police (DP). He's originally from Washington, DC and attended Towson University & The University of Maryland. He spends a lot of his duty serving as an Explosive Canine Handler. He and his team work to ensure that the NIH campus, staff, visitors, and facilities are safe before, during, and after all daily operations.
He works extensively with "Nova", his canine partner of four years. At five years old, Nova is a very energetic and assertive Belgian Malinois. Together Kweku and Nova search vehicles, assist with clearing and managing checkpoints as well as performing additional duties around the campus. Kweku initially joined the NIH after transferring from the Pentagon ten years ago.
Kweku's favorite assignment has been participating in Take Your Child to Work Day. His fondest memory of the event was always participating in the fitness test for the children when he was a member of the Special Response Team.
Kweku was also awarded with the prestige of being named Officer of the Year. It is his 11 and 14 year old that motivate him every day. He really enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying his hobbies.
