Employee of the Month

The City Council has implemented a new program each month to recognize an employee who is nominated by co-workers for outstanding achievement or performance.

Tim Smock

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July, 2010

There are many inspiring stories of staff and citizens in their everyday work.  What’s amazing is that we don’t hear these stories, or at least we don’t hear these stories from our staff.  But once in a while a citizen comes forward and relates an event involving one of our own.  

This is a story as told by Nancy Doherty.  Citizen Extraordinaire.  Nancy is so impressed by the level-headedness of one of our employees she just had to share this story.  I was so impressed with the story, I just had to nominate him for recognition.  

Last winter during one of our icy days, and while Nancy’s husband was not well, Nancy announced to her husband she would brave the icy weather conditions and set their garbage out for pickup.  She managed to get the garbage out just in time, but returning to her home, she slipped and fell, sliding underneath the sanitation truck. 

Our sanitation truck driver, Tim Smock, knew he had seen Nancy walk towards the truck, but did not see her go beyond.  So he got out of the truck, left the warmth of the cab, braved the icy roads himself and when he didn’t see Nancy, called her name.  When she answered, he asked where she was and she told him she was underneath the truck. 

Nancy said that Tim then reached under the truck, pulled Nancy out from underneath the truck and then going the second mile, walked her up the incline of her home to see she was safely inside. 

Nancy said she is so grateful for Tim’s awareness of her while on his busy route; a route that was sure to take longer than normal due to road conditions.  Nancy believes that if Tim had moved the truck, she was sure she would have been crushed. 

Tim, Nancy thanks you with all of her heart and told me, “He’s a true hero!”       

It seems we only hear the bad news, or the negative spin.  Thank you Tim for this inspiring experience.      

 

 

Jon Roberts

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June, 2010
 
On behalf of the City Council, it is my pleasure to award the June City of Milton-Freewater Employee of the Month award to Police Officer Jon Roberts.
 
Jon has been with the City since December of 2004 and in that 6 years has proven himself to be extremely valuable to our law enforcement department.
 
Recently Jon has been assigned as a mentor and field training officer for our newest Police Officer, Shane Phillips. Jon has demonstrated that he is a reliable, dependable and knowledgeable training officer with an excellent outlook and superior attitude towards the job, his co-workers and the extra responsibility of training. Chief Boedigheimer has observed Jon’s interaction with Officer Phillips to be positive, informative and valuable.
 
Jon’s arrest and citation stats are generally among the highest in the department, which demonstrates his solid work ethic and high motivation.
 
Congratulations Jon and thank you for your excellent contributions toward public safety in our community.

Jon Roberts

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Month: 
June, 2010

 

Jon has been with the City since December of 2004 and in that 6 years has proven himself to be extremely valuable to our law enforcement department.

Recently Jon has been assigned as a mentor and field training officer for our newest Police Officer, Shane Phillips. Jon has demonstrated that he is a reliable, dependable and knowledgeable training officer with an excellent outlook and superior attitude towards the job, his co-workers and the extra responsibility of training. Chief Boedigheimer has observed Jon’s interaction with Officer Phillips to be positive, informative and valuable.

Jon’s arrest and citation stats are generally among the highest in the department, which demonstrates his solid work ethic and high motivation.

Congratulations Jon and thank you for your excellent contributions toward public safety in our community.

 

 

 

 

Marta Lomeli

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March, 2010
Marta has been a city employee since June of 2002, when she began working for us as a dispatcher in the Police Department.  She quickly proved herself to be invaluable to that department, where police officers, crime victims and citizens alike came to value her calm demeanor and quick response to emergency situations. She was then “stolen” by another department and moved upstairs to work in our Finance Department where she is equally valued as a member of that team. She was promoted to be our Municipal Court Clerk in June of 2008. Even though she does not have the friendliest of customers in this role for the City, Marta handles everyone with calm courtesy and respect. She spoils her co-workers with the most delicious homemade goodies on a regular basis and contributes greatly to the laughter and wit in that department. Congratulations Marta for this honor, which is well deserved!

Jim Olsen

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February, 2010

Jim has been keeping the city’s fleet and the school district’s buses running since August of 1990. Jim is the senior mechanic in our busy shop and has proven himself to be absolutely vital to the operations of our city.

 
Jim goes the extra mile for his teammates, the city’s citizens and the school district as a regular course of his day.
He burns the midnight oil studying complicated problems that other mechanics might try to solve by just replacing parts until the equipment runs. Jim’s diagnositical talents are nothing short of phenomenal. He gladly helps out with all mechanical challenges from the smallest engine on a lawn mower in the parks department to the huge garbage compactor at the landfill.
 
He and our other mechanic Bryon are always extremely busy, yet they always get their work done on time and in the least expensive manner possible.
 
Jim’s physical working environment is one of the least comfortable that there is. For example, which one of us would want to crawl inside the garbage truck on a hot summer day to fix the compactor when the truck is full of stinky garbage? Yet, Jim does this and more without a single complaint!
 
Thank you Jim, and congratulations!

Teresa Dutcher

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January, 2010

Teresa began with the city just a little over 9 years ago but in that period of time she has taken on a wide variety of responsibilities and ever increasing work load.

She began as an executive secretary, was promoted to Administrative Assistant, then most recently, to Human Resource Officer in 2007.
She has truly dedicated herself to each and every one of her tasks, never shirking a single one, and giving her all to everyone and everything.
Not only does she do an excellent job with her human resource duties, she excels in her role as public transportation coordinator. She has landed several thousands of dollars each year in matching transportation grants---the very latest of which we will see next month in the form of a brand new wheel-chair accessible van, which was purchased entirely through grants she wrote.
Teresa genuinely cares about her community, her co-workers and her work. She recently went the extra mile and did battle with an insurance company on behalf of one of our employees who was still recovering from major surgery and was too weak to pursue the situation on her own.
She volunteers 1000’s of hours of her own time to assist her church family, and this Christmas she headed up a drive for a needy local family and made a huge difference in that family’s well being.
 
Please join us in congratulating TERESA DUTCHER as our January 2010 EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH!

Richard Jolly

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Month: 
December, 2009

 

Richard is a 17 year veteran with our Electric Line crew. During this long tenure, he has proven himself to be a dependable, capable, talented member of the City’s team. His crew mates have come to depend upon his quiet strength and positive outlook on work and life. No matter how tough the job, or how daunting the task at hand, Richard never backs off, never gets discouraged, and always has a smile on his face. He is kind and compassionate for not only his co-workers, but his community.
He has been very active to help support his community and donates 1000’s of hours to community causes that he feels passionate about.
Recently, Richard has been charged with additional duties within his home department---he has been very valuable to the Electric Department in helping orchestrate and give input on the City’s automated meter reading project. His opinions are very helpful and his co-workers are very appreciative of his team attitude and spirit.
 
Congratulations Richard and keep up all the great work!
 

Bryan DeBeaumont

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November, 2009

Bryan DeBeaumont

 
Bryan started working for the city 20 years ago in September in an entry level position in Public Works. He has since worked his way up the ladder, making himself more indispensable and valued as he went.
 
Bryan currently supervises our Solid Waste, Sewer Treatment and Farm facilities, keeping track of three different crews and a multi-faceted operation which is crucial to the City and its citizens. Bryan’s job grows more in responsibility and complexity each year. He deals with the Dept of Environmental Quality, Water Resource Department and several other State agencies in making sure our complicated permit conditions are always complied with---for the sewer plant, the land fill, and the farm ponds. This is no small feat!
 
Bryan has also been a key volunteer on the firefighter crew since 1993, and serves on our City Safety Committee as well.
 
No matter how full his plate or stressful the day is, Bryan never loses his sense of humor and easy-going, calm demeanor. He has a good word to say about everyone, and his crew loves working for him.
 
On behalf of the City Council, as well as the City Manager and your co-workers, CONGRATULATIONS BRYAN and thank you for all you do for the City!
 

Pat Didion

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October, 2009

Pat Didion is the employee of the month for October.    Pat is an 18 year veteran with our City Electric Department, but that is far from the only hat Pat has worn over his almost 2 decade career with the city. In that time, Pat has taken on extra duties such as conservation, employee safety, building inspections, energy efficiency audits, and generally everybody’s “GO TO GUY” in the 4th quarter! Pat even tackles the one of the most dreaded tasks at the City---painting the transformers in the heat of the summer in the stifling hot paint booth at Public Works! 

Pat responds to every single one of his added duties with a smile on his face and an encouraging word on his lips. His co-workers at City Hall have come to depend upon him and he has never let us down. Pat’s latest accomplishment was working on a grant to bring in $154,000 for lighting and an HVAC system for City Hall and windows and other improvements at Public Works and the Herb Saager Fire Station.

Thank you Pat, and congratulations!!

Tatia Oliver

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Month: 
September, 2009

The September employee of the month is Tatia Oliver.  Tatia is the Accounts Payable Clerk in our Finance Dept. and has worked for the city for just over 6 years. 

In that time, Tatia has proven herself to be dependable, accurate, energetic and extremely loyal to the city. She has a very keen idea for details and does a fantastic job monitoring our purchasing rules and regulations. She also backs up the front counter and helps out her co-workers every chance she gets. Not only was she nominated by co-workers for this award, but the City Manager received a phone call from one of our long-time utility customers to compliment Tatia on her “above and beyond the call of duty” customer service skills. 

Congratulations Tatia, and thank you on behalf of the entire City Council for your hard work and dedicated service to the City.