Our Agency held two employee recognition events in the last month to honor employees who have made special contributions to Virginia State Parks.
We do two recognition events to enable staff from across the state to attend one of the events.
The highest recognition is Employee of the Year and we honor six employees from across the state for this honor.
Here are the winners:
David Summers, Law Enforcement Manager Dave was responsible for coordinating a complete re-write of the Agency’s General Orders which govern the conservation officers, policies and procedures. He also coordinate an on line test to assure all officers were trained on the General Orders.
Sue Smith, Reservation Center Assistant Manager
If you have ever had a customer service issue with our reservation center, you may remember talking to Sue since she has a lovely British accent. No – we are not sending our calls off shore! Sue’s exceptional customer service skills and her work to keep service delivery standards high with half of the staff (due to budget cuts) made her deserving of this award.
Bryan Anderson, Director of Logistics and Training
Last year at this time Bryan was called upon to go out to our Logistics Center and Sign Shop to provide continuity of operation since our two key staff were close to retirement. Little did we know that he only had a year since both Goldie and Joyce were slated for a retirement deal as a result of the budget crisis. Bryan had to learn in a year more than 75 years worth of institutional knowledge on top of his normal division training responsibilities.
Tim Shrader, Park Manager, Belle Isle State Park Tim was selected for this award for his efforts in the community and his compassionate concern for his staff. Our parks are a vital part of their surrounding community and staff often make significant contributions to local organizations.
Mark Hufeisen, Park Manager, New River Trail State Park Mark has been battling cancer for two years and his fight resulted in the partial and then full loss of his leg. In spite of the physical challenges and pain, Mark continues working and is always positive. He inspires all of us.
Jim Kelly, District VIIManager If you read my post on Jim’s retirement party, you will understand that his 35 years with Virginia State Parks has significantly shaped our operation and, in particular, Hungry Mother State Park. We felt this award in some small way recognized his lifetime achievement.