Miami-Dade County is only as strong and effective as its employees. Once a year, we proudly honor those whose actions go above and beyond their job duties through our Employee of the Year Awards Ceremony. Employees who make outstanding contributions to their departments are nominated for best customer service, logistical support, public safety and volunteerism.
The Awards Ceremony, held earlier this week, recognizes "la crème de la crème," which says a lot when you consider we've got more than 30,000 employees. The honorees have distinguished themselves among their peers and set an example for all of us. To learn more about this year's nominees and to watch the ceremony, click here.
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From left to right: Susanna Marti-Perez;
Firefighter Hilda Wood;County Manager, George Burgess;
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson,
District 8; Miami-Dade County, Mayor Carlos Alvarez;
Marisol Aguiar; Gary Milano and Amador Barzaga
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On behalf of myself, County Manager George Burgess and the Board of County Commissioners, congratulations to the 2008 Employee of the Year recipients:
Customer Service Award,
Amador Barzaga
Amador works as a Mechanical Inspector for the Building Department. He was instrumental in saving many lives. During a routine inspection, he discovered a carbon monoxide leak in a shopping plaza and took swift action to correct it saving dozens of people from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Logistical Support Award,
Marisol Aguiar (tied)
Marisol is Special Projects Administrator for the Housing Finance Authority. She took the initiative to design a wait list for both Rehab and Window Shutters programs. She also created, implemented and managed the Beautification Program under the Office of Capital Improvement. Marisol is proactive in finding ways to better serve our residents.
Logistical Support Award, Susanna Marti-Perez (tied)
Susanna serves as Section Supervisor for the Human Resources Department. She assembled and led a team of 41 employees from across the County to conduct the layoff and pipeline assistance process for County employees. Under a stringent timeframe and stressful conditions, she developed a strong, committed, and motivated team who took personal pride in each employees ultimate placement. The result -- more than 500 employees were reassigned to new positions.
Public Safety Award, Hilda Wood
Hilda is a Paramedic Firefighter for Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue. She spends countless off-duty hours training canines in search skills and raising the standard for canine search response capabilities. She currently is the only handler in the FEMA USAR program to certify and handle three FEMA advanced search dogs at the same time. Some of her canine partners' accomplishments include assisting victims in two building explosions; finding a missing firefighter; locating remains in a devastating structure fire; responding to a building collapse; and a search for survivors at a collapsed parking garage.
Bacallao Volunteerism Award, Gary Milano
Gary is an Environmental Resources Project Supervisor at the Department of Environmental Resources Management. He volunteered hundreds of hours, encouraging community groups and the public to be involved in the protection and restoration of our sensitive and unique coastal environment. His active volunteer schedule also includes The Barnacle State Historic Park, the Board at Friends of Cape Florida State Park, Eagle Scouts, and Shake-a-Leg.
Photos of all nominees can be found online at: http://intra.miamidade.gov/mayor/Employee_of_the_Year-2008/index.htm
Each of these award recipients as well as the nominees has my sincerest appreciation and admiration. Their dedication to excellence and commitment to Miami-Dade County is exemplary.
Keep up the great work!
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