Governor Kaine Lauds State Workforce at Awards Event
RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine honored state employees selected for outstanding service to the Commonwealth during an awards ceremony held at the Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters in Richmond on Thursday. Seven individuals or teams of state employees were honored during the ceremony.
The Governor noted that over 200 nominations were received for the Governor’s Awards, a program in its sixth year. “This year’s recipients rose to the top in what proved to be a very competitive selection process,” Governor Kaine said. “These award recipients truly are the best of the best.”
The recipients of the Governor’s Awards are:
- Diane Asbury, Department of Social Services, Agency Star
- William Hart Gillette, Department of Corrections, Career Achievement
- Virginia Employment Commission Team, Community Service and Volunteerism
- Carol Bishop, Virginia Tech, Customer Service
- Herb Firestone, Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, Innovation
- Meredith Stewart Dresser Memorial Bridge Team, Virginia Department of Transportation, Teamwork
- Langston L.T. Williams, Virginia Department of Transportation, Workplace Safety and Health.
Below are the individual citations:
Diane Asbury, Agency Star
Department of Social Services
Diane Asbury’s Early Intervention Project has been so successful that child support enforcement agencies from around the nation are now using it as a model. This is part of what makes Diane a star: proven results, impressive collections on behalf of Virginia’s children and extensive programmatic knowledge, which she willingly shares.
As District Manager of the Lynchburg District Office of the Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE), Diane provides services to parents and children in more than 17,000 support cases throughout 10 cities and counties. Diane’s particular innovation has been the implementation of the Early Intervention Project, whereby non-custodial parents recently ordered to pay child support receive a broad array of services from their case worker.
The program’s goal is to ensure understanding, compliance and arrearage prevention. Diane personally meets with non-custodial parents to ensure that each one fully understands their obligation. She doesn’t stop at what parents must do. She helps them explore what they might do to provide a better life from themselves and their families, offering resources and information on opportunities for self-improvement, especially to the unemployed or underemployed.
Under Diane’s leadership, the Lynchburg division alone collected more than $24 million last year, showing a 4.7% increase from the year before. Virginia continues to be one of the most cost effective states in the nation when it comes to child support, collecting $6.52 for every dollar spent on the program.
She is a dedicated public servant with more than 15 years of child support enforcement experience. The Commonwealth’s children are better off because of her efforts.
William Hart Gillette, Career Achievement
Department of Corrections
William Hart Gillette, the Farm Director for the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), is a visionary who has taken the agency’s agribusiness efforts from good to great during his career.
William is also the agency’s “out-of-the-box” specialist when it comes to taking care of business in the most efficient and cost effective ways.
William saw the cost benefit of selling live animals on the open market and using the revenue to buy back less expensive cuts and trimmings that our meat plants could process into uniform, portion-controlled products.
When vegetable and fruit production far exceeded what could be used during the growing season, William implemented the flash freeze process creating jobs for inmates who could not work outside the secure perimeter and providing frozen product for DOC kitchens year round.
William has not limited his influence as an innovator to VADOC’s agribusiness concerns. During his 20 plus year membership in the National Association of Institutional Agribusiness, which includes serving on the board of directors and serving as Vice President and President, William has shared his vision for the operation of correctional agribusiness.
William Hart is recommended for the Career Achievement Award without reservation for his vision, his innovative thinking, his proactive approach to getting the biggest bang for the buck, and his proven ability to provide excellent product and meaningful work for offenders.
Virginia Employment Commission Team, Tidewater
Community Service and Volunteerism
In December 2005, the City of Norfolk presented a successful National Project Homeless Connect at the Norfolk Scope Area. The Virginia Employment Commission played an integral role in the planning and execution of the event. Several hundred homeless individuals received an array of services. Due to the continuing need, the city held another program in August 2006 and the VEC did a great job in carrying the torch for citizens in this locality.
The goal of the event was to connect persons in need with the services available in the community that could help them begin the path towards self-sufficiency. This was an incredible feat considering homeless individuals are limited in their ability to commute and communicate with service providers who worked tirelessly to get the word out. Even so, the homeless arrived by the masses. A total of 602 individuals received much needed services. This was accomplished in part by the tireless efforts of the Eastern Regional VEC staff members listed above.
Team Captain Melvin “Kurt” Clemons spearheaded the effort for the agency. Kurt attended countless meetings to coordinate the planning of the event. He summoned over 450 volunteers who provided services to an appreciative homeless population. He communicated closely with each participating partner and ensured resources were available and plentiful.
He remains passionate about the plight of homeless individuals in this local area and has a supportive team of Workforce Services Representatives that included Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists (DVOPs) and Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVERs).
The VEC Project Homeless Connect team did a phenomenal job. Each day an individual is without shelter, a basic need goes unmet. By working together as a team to give back to the community, they worked towards a common goal of being true service providers.
Carol Bishop, Career Achievement
Virginia Tech
(Accepting on her behalf is Scott A. Reed, Associate Director of University Unions)
Carol Bishop, Assistant Director for Operations Services in Squires Student Center for University Unions, oversees the complex operations services in Squires Student Center, which focus directly on offering premier customer service for the university community through information services, event set-up, meeting room equipment, and general building operations management.
Through this work, Ms. Bishop is not only dedicated to her role in customer service quality but she also constantly performs additional duties that are not part of her job description, including building security, leadership development, and chairing the departmental recognition committee.
Numerous former student employee alumni have returned to thank her for her mentorship in service quality. Guests often comment on the warm welcome and exceptional treatment they receive from Carol and her staff.
Her customer service duties include writing customer relations policies, frequent problem solving, building a strong customer service mentality in her full-time and student staff, evacuating the building to assure customer safety, and, most importantly, serving as an example of elite customer service for student, staff, and customers.
Her work in customer service has been consistently superior for years capped off with numerous accolades from student employee alumni, parents, and recognition by her peers in 2005 for one of the University Unions and Student Activities Core Value awards.
Herb Firestone, Innovation
Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services
Visitors to the Southwestern VA Mental Health Institute Power Plant frequently remark on the cleanliness and maintenance of the plant equipment.
As they become more familiar with the plant operation via review of records, they are amazed by the efficiency of the plant and material condition of equipment, which has been in continued use for 30+ years.
The success of the SWVMHI Power Plant is dependent upon the dedication and teamwork of our Boiler Operators; however, much credit for this success is resultant from the dedication, perseverance, and hard work of the Power Plant Supervisor, Mr. Herb Firestone.
Mr. Firestone is diligent to ensure all equipment/systems are operating per design daily and is quick to determine excessive use of feed water chemicals, fuel and immediately notifies his supervisor and/or Physical Plant Services personnel to assist in determining the problem and corrective action.
These efforts save the facility several thousand dollars annually in reduced demand for water and chemicals/fuel to supply additional make-up water which would be lost were it not for Mr. Firestone’s efforts.
Mr. Firestone brainstormed and determined that the former Laundry and Carpentry Shop Buildings could be heated much of the cold season with low pressure steam, which was being exhausted to the atmosphere. By expending approximately $400 in materials and minimal labor, Mr. Firestone was able to modify piping servicing these buildings, which enables the facility to heat these buildings with throw away steam.
This modification saves the facility $10 - $12,000 annually. His 35+ years of dedicated service has helped ensure the safe and efficient operation of the Power Plant in producing steam in support of a comfortable environment of care, the facility mission and his numerous contributions.
Judith Stewart Dresser Memorial Bridge Team
Richmond District Office
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Judith Stewart Dresser Memorial Bridge on Route 5 over the Chickahominy River is a major transportation artery between Charles City and James City counties. Unfortunately, the 68-year-old swing span bridge was rapidly deteriorating and had to be completely shut down on several occasions in 2004, forcing motorists to use a 63-mile detour.
A new bridge had to be built and fast. The preliminary engineering team quickly went into action, designing and developing a project that includes a 2,500-foot-long, fixed-span structure to rise 52 feet above the river with one-half mile of approaches.
Projects of this magnitude typically take three or more years to develop before advertisement, but this all-VDOT team completed development in 18 months and achieved a project award in November 2006. In addition, the total cost for preliminary design and right of way was 5 percent of the $42 million for construction, instead of the typical 12 percent or more.
Had this project been developed over three or more years, inflation would have increased the total construction cost to $47.3 million. This team saved taxpayers approximately $5.3 million and two additional years of having to wait for a new bridge to be built.
The team approach used on this project, called the concurrent engineering process, proved that projects can be developed faster when necessary. It also proved that having a dedicated project manager can increase efficiency. Overall, the results were win- win for the department and Virginia’s citizens.
Langston L.T. Williams
Workplace Safety and Health
Virginia Department of Transportation
Vision and a career devoted to safety and equipment maintenance are attributes Langston L.T. Williams infuses into his job on a daily basis.
In November 2005, a Staunton District New Holland tractor caught fire while stored. The incident unleashed a chain of actions that not only brought information and awareness about possible future fires with this model tractor to all VDOT equipment managers, it also spawned a national alert campaign.
Once investigators determined that the fire was not arson, further investigation revealed that an electrical cable had rubbed against a steering hose and short-circuited. L.T. immediately checked all similar tractors in the district for the defect and made other VDOT districts aware of the potential fire hazard.
He worked with New Holland factory representatives for several months giving them input and insight into the problem. Due in large part to his efforts and persistence, a safety campaign was initiated worldwide for all new Holland TL80 tractors resulting in enhanced safety industry wide beyond VDOT. New Holland sent a Safety Notice to all owners of the TL80A worldwide.
In addition, L.T. was successful in convincing New Holland that the burned tractor should be replaced at no cost to VDOT. In June 2006, a new tractor valued at $36,255 was delivered at no cost. L.T.’s proactive actions likely prevented other fires, which could have resulted in property loss and possibly injury or even loss of human life.
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