Philadelphia, March 9, 2026: The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers—announced that DeVal Lifecycle Support CEO Sam Thevanayagam has been recognized as a 2026 STEP Ahead Awards Champion, and Parts Life, Inc. Vice President of Business Development Jeannie Whitfield has been recognized as an Honoree.
Sam Thevanayagam, CEO of Parts Life, Inc. and DeVal Lifecycle Support, is a defense and aviation sustainment leader whose career reflects a commitment to innovation, workforce development, and community impact. Born in Sri Lanka, he came to the United States in his early twenties and later founded Parts Life in 2007, identifying an opportunity to support the sustainment of aerospace and defense systems. In 2017, he acquired DeVal Lifecycle Support, a 70-year-old HUBZone manufacturer in Philadelphia, preserving its workforce and driving more than 400 percent growth while creating high-skilled manufacturing jobs. Through initiatives such as the Community Transformation workforce framework and the Help U Buy program, Sam has invested directly in employees by supporting training, healthcare access, and homeownership opportunities. His leadership philosophy of creativity before capital encourages employees to innovate and solve problems while advancing the mission of supporting the warfighter and the U.S. taxpayer.
Jeannie Whitfield, Vice President of Business Development at Parts Life, Inc., has played a key role in the company’s growth since joining as one of its earliest employees more than a decade ago. Over 12 years, she helped build the company’s business intelligence function from the ground up and supported the expansion of the Parts Life family of companies to more than 180 employees. Her work strengthened customer engagement across the Department of Defense and supported the transition from small business 8(a) sole-source opportunities to larger competitive contracts, including early successes with the U.S. Navy. Whitfield also aligned business development strategies across Parts Life, DeVal Lifecycle Support, and LC, integrating capture, contracting, and account management into a unified enterprise approach. Alongside her professional leadership, she remains active in the community through initiatives such as the annual holiday support project she founded for Catholic Social Services Visitation Homes in Philadelphia, while also serving on the Women in Defense Liberty Chapter board and the Lakehurst Small Business Roundtable board.
Jeannie and Sam will be honored at the annual STEP Ahead Awards Gala in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2026.
The STEP Ahead Awards are a key component of the MI’s STEP Ahead initiative, a leading program dedicated to supporting the manufacturing workforce through leadership development and recognition.
The STEP Ahead Awards shine a spotlight on the people powering manufacturing success, those whose leadership, expertise, and commitment to others are building stronger workplaces and communities. As manufacturers work to attract, retain and advance talent in a rapidly evolving industry, programs like STEP Ahead play a critical role in elevating role models and demonstrating what leadership in manufacturing looks like today.
“Manufacturing’s future depends on leaders who develop talent, strengthen teams and drive results by building strong workplace cultures,” said Lexi Champion, National Director of STEP Ahead. “The STEP Ahead Awards recognize and celebrate those making that impact every day in their workplaces and communities, and whose leadership helps the next generation see a place for themselves in manufacturing.”
These prestigious annual awards recognize employees who have excelled in their careers and showcase leadership across all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.
ABOUT PARTS LIFE, INC. AND DEVAL LIFECYCLE SUPPORT
Parts Life, Inc. is a certified AS9100D engineering service provider, manufacturer, and alternate source supplier for DMSMS and obsolete replacement components on military systems and subsystems. Our value-added reverse engineering processes address missing or incomplete technical data needed prior to manufacturing. Services, such as R.O.P.E.® (Rapid Obsolescence Planning and Execution) and 5R® (Reverse Engineering, Remanufacturing, Recertify, Repair, Replicate) deliver manufacturable technical data with source approval to manufacture replacement parts. In our Prototype Integration Facility, parts and components are manufactured and tested for form, fit, and function to ensure each piece meets and surpasses OEM requirements.
DeVal Lifecycle Support, a Parts Life, Inc. Company, is a full service build to print mechanical manufacturer of armament and ground support equipment, sub-assemblies, and major parts and components for military systems and sub-systems for over 70 years. As a small business certified HUBZone contractor for the Department of Defense, DeVal LCS is a full-service original equipment manufacturer with extensive high precision machining capabilities used to support our prime and government customers. Products include munitions trailers adapters & add-ons, drawbars, cargo loaders, weapon transport adapters, bomb hoist, dollies, self-propelled weapons loaders, testing and tool sets, and more. Our electronic, electric, and electrical manufacturing capabilities include wiring harnesses and electronic test sets. DeVal operates under regimented performance guidelines constituted by ISO9001:2015 and AS9100D Certified Quality Management Systems Programs.
ABOUT THE MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE
The Manufacturing Institute works to build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce for today and tomorrow to create a workforce prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. This is done through implementing groundbreaking initiatives, convening industry leaders, conducting innovative research and promoting public policy that supports the sector as it meets the opportunity of modern manufacturing. Through this work, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry.
For more information, please visit: https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/
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