At the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, Community Services Case Worker Geraldine Bernedo, Deputy City Attorney Frank Johnson, and the Tornado Response and Retool Gaithersburg Teams were recognized with Employee Recognition Awards for the second quarter of calendar year 2024.
Made up of peers from each department, Gaithersburg’s Employee Recognition Committee (ERC) reviews nominations for individuals and teams on a quarterly basis. Each individual and team has been nominated by their peers based on criteria reflecting the City’s five values under the strategic plan – accountability, caring, excellence, integrity, and teamwork, or “ACE IT.” These winners are then eligible for the annual Employee and Team of the Year Awards.
The Employee Recognition program guidelines provide that an individual and team may receive an award for each quarter. However, from ta large pool of nominations, two team and two employee nominations received the most support and reflected the same wide range of services the City provides, which the 16 nominations also reflected. Based on this, the Committee decided to award both co-winners as a more accurate reflection of the range of outstanding public service our City employees provide.
Community Services Case Worker Geraldine Bernedo was named Employee of the Second Quarter for her commitment, kindness, and professionalism in serving as the front line of support for City residents in need. She provides services directly while also coordinating overall services from other county and nonprofit providers to connect residents who are in need. Geraldine is also committed to providing resources and information to residents to help them create financial stability, such as through vocational services and financial planning. Additionally, she coordinates with other service providers through the Case Managers Group, which she helped to create to better ensure residents receive consistent support and information.
Deputy City Attorney Frank Johnson was named Employee of the Second Quarter for his ongoing efforts to provide behind the scenes support, consistently and as quickly as possible, to those offering direct services. The same level of results from the City Attorney’s Office continued with the help of Assistant City Attorney Erick Perla despite changes for three out of five staff members, including a staff departure, staff on extended leave and the retirement of the previous City Attorney. During this time in April, Frank completed the second edition of the statewide Municipal Infractions Manual, as well as a revised City edition, and began a weekly City Attorney 101 training program, open to all but focused on the processes and laws affecting municipalities.
The first co-winner of the 2024 Second Quarter Employee Recognition Team Award reflects another unprecedented step. The Tornado Response Team, comprised of the entire Department of Public Works, received two nominations for their unified emergency responses in the wake of the June 5 tornadoes, ensuring the City could operate, even by the morning after. In a coordinated, seamless fashion, Public Works Department staff were clearing roads, parks, and other public areas throughout the City by the next morning, working together as a broad and interactive team to coordinate having equipment and personnel in the right place at the right time throughout the City – all at the same time, in many cases. This effort continued for days after and could be accomplished only because of the collective efforts of all Public Works employees, from workers to team leaders, working interchangeably to help wherever needed and demonstrating outstanding teamwork and community service in a time of crisis.
The Retool Gaithersburg Team, comprised of Rob Robinson and Gregory Mann of the Planning and Code Administration, was named co-winner of the 2024 Second Quarter Employee Recognition Team Award. The team took on the huge task of updating the City’s Zoning Code, consisting of Chapter 24 of the City Code. Their efforts started about two years ago, with their review of all provisions of the Zoning Code then in effect, which had not been comprehensively updated since 1965. They worked together to identify needed changes to ensure the laws better support the City’s comprehensive plan and long-term vision for a vibrant and innovative community, by creating a more workable zoning code to function in the 21st Century. Their efforts included highlighting the need for the update, coordinating with the consultant to complete a draft, organizing outreach meetings, and participating in public hearings to ensure public input was offered, considered, and included. All of these efforts led to the creation of a draft new Zoning Ordinance, which this body ultimately enacted about six weeks ago. They did this all while keeping up with other priorities, such as Lakeforest Mall, among others.
For more information about the Employee Recognition Awards please contact the Office of the City Manager. Courtesy City of Gaithersburg