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Honoring the Friends of the Library 2024 Employee Award Winners

2024 Friends of the Library Employee Awards recipients

Seven Miami-Dade County Public Library employees were recently honored as recipients of the inaugural Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library Employee Recognition Awards. The Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library launched this awards program in 2024 to recognize the valuable and important work of Miami-Dade Public Library employees. These awards honor exceptional achievement in innovation, teamwork, leadership, service and impact. Two of the awards are in memory of two outstanding Library employees, Eleanor Guldbeck and Julio Castro. Forty-six nominations were received for employees across five categories. Below are the 2024 Friends of the Library Employee Awards recipients.

Eleanor Guldbeck Impact Award Winners: Cynthia Saavedra, youth services specialist at the Kendale Lakes Branch Library and David Hildenbrand, adult services librarian at the Naranja Branch Library. This award is given in honor of the late Eleanor Guldbeck and recognizes employees whose dedication to their work extends throughout the library system and into the community the library serves.

Julio Castro Innovation Award Winner: Shiham Colegial-Lorenzo, construction manager 3. In honor of Julio Castro and his contributions to the Library, this award recognizes an employee who leads the creation, development and implementation of an innovative program, activity or service that has the potential to benefit library patrons, library services and operations, and the community at large. 

Leadership Award Winner: Milena Gonzalez, branch manager at the Naranja Branch Library. This award recognizes an employee in a leadership or supervisory position whose dedication to the mission of the Library serves as an example to their team. 

Service Award Winners: Adriana "Anna" Blake, collection development manager and Daymi Roman, social worker 2. The Service Award recognizes employees who have demonstrated exceptional service to the Library community, including library patrons and employees alike. 

Teamwork Award Winner: Qiana Robinson, library services specialist in customer care. This award recognizes an individual or team who has demonstrated effective and successful collaborative work within or across departments that enhances the mission of the Library.

To learn more about the award recipients and their incredible contributions to the Miami-Dade Public Library System and the residents of Miami-Dade County, click here to read the full article.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. Keep thriving!

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The People and Internal Operations Department ensures efficient County operations and fosters a thriving workforce by integrating internal services and human resources management. The department provides facility, construction, fleet, and risk management, along with ADA compliance, real estate, security, and parking services.

It supports workforce development through performance management, employee training, diversity programs, and collective bargaining, while addressing workplace policies, payroll, and workforce metrics. Additionally, the department resolves discrimination cases through investigation and mediation. Serving County departments, employees, and the community, it is committed to operational excellence and an equitable workplace.