DEPARTMENT: Human Resources
FILE TYPE: Regular Action
TITLE
title
Employee Recognition Day And Recognition Of HEROES And IDEA Leadership Awards Recipients
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Recognize employees for their length of service to Dakota County, finalists for the HEROES Collaboration Award and announce the winners for the new IDEA Leadership Award - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access Leadership Awards.
SUMMARY
The Dakota County Board of Commissioners annually designates a day as Employee Recognition Day when long-service employees and finalists for the HEROES Collaboration Award and winners of the IDEA Leadership Award are recognized.
1. Years of Service Recognition publicly recognizes employees with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 years of continuous service to Dakota County. In 2025, 104 employees (with 20+ years of service) will be recognized at the County Board meeting on February 18 and invited to attend the May 20 celebration at Thompson County Park to be recognized for their service to Dakota County as identified in the proposed resolution. In addition, 101 employees celebrating 10 and 15 years of service will receive a token of appreciation from the County Board.
2. The HEROES (Honoring Effective Responsive Outstanding Efficient Service) Awards recognize the collaborative efforts of employee groups at Dakota County in 2024. The awards acknowledge groups who pursue our Mission of “Efficient, Effective, Responsive government” utilizing innovative and creative ways to approach the work we do to serve and connect with our customers and the public. Awards will be presented to employees to recognize them in their role in one of three final nominations for the HEROES Collaboration Award.
3. The IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access) Leadership Awards. The purpose of the awards is to recognize the outstanding efforts of staff at the County who are working to make Dakota County a more inclusive, diverse, accessible and equitable organization. There are two award categories - individual and group.
4. Employee Recognition Day is designated as February 18, 2025.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Staff recommends approval.
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EXPLANATION OF FISCAL/FTE IMPACTS
Any expenses are included in the 2025 Adopted budget.
☐ None ☒ Current budget ☐ Other
☐ Amendment Requested ☐ New FTE(s) requested
RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners annually designates a day as Employee Recognition Day when long-service employees, finalists for the HEROES Collaboration Award and winners of the IDEA Leadership Awards are recognized; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County recognizes employees for 10 or more years of continuous service; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County recognizes outstanding collaborations through the HEROES (Honoring Effective Responsive Outstanding Efficient Service) Awards to recognize employee groups who demonstrate the County's mission of "Efficient, Effective, Responsive government" to implement innovative and creative methods for serving customers and the public; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County recognizes the outstanding efforts of staff at the County who are working to make Dakota County a more inclusive, diverse, accessible and equitable organization through the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access) Leadership Awards.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby recognizes the following employees for their years of service:
50 Years of Service
Brian Christensen
40 Years of Service
Joan Allery
Larry Huneke
Janice Larson
35 Years of Service
Ruth Burns
Kurt Chatfield
Daniel Endres
Kristin Grainer-Illies
David Magnuson
Teresa Mitchell
Patricia Molitor
Shannon Sailer
Kevin Schlangen
Lisa West
30 Years of Service
James Barton
Colleen Fodness
Kathryn Frenz
Douglas Gross
Dustin Hinrichs
Stacy Hughes
Janet Isaacson
Curt Peterson
Elmore Roundtree
Jodi Ulrich
Michael Vieburg
Darla Wallraff
25 Years of Service
Rachel Bailey
Sandra Baranick
Jill Besong
Lisa Bothun
Scott Allen Burkhart
Barbara Castaneda
Dan Cater
Amy Causton
Cory Chenevert
Mark Cherne
Timothy Cheyne
Natalie Christensen
Rhonda Lee Doheny
Cajetan Egbujor
Vicki Englin
James Gabriel
Nicole Godfredson
Jennifer Grausnick
Angella Hanson
Patrick Hupp
Kathryn Keena
Karen Kollasch
Melissa Larson
Barbara Lee
Opal Lightsey
Tanya Liska
Gerald Livingston
Todd Lusk
Tonya Mcgregor
Erin Mcloone
Ryan Miller
Paula Mueske
Chance Munger
Jonathon Napper
Brenda Ann O'Connell
Christopher P'Simer
Sean Qualy
Stacy Ann Reilly
Theresa Roberts
Wanda Rodriguez
Tracy Sadowski
Pamela Sanford
Michelle Schneider
Tamara Smith
Nicole Steffel
Lisa Thomas
Rochelle Thompson
Sandra Tupy Schiprett
Jason Urbach
Donna Welter
Judith Wohnoutka
20 Years of Service
Nicole Baars
Elizabeth Bisciglia
Kevin Britt
Betsy Dantoft
Mahuya Das
Lawrence Dickens
Jennifer Dockter
Susan Erickson
Damion Giles
Gregory Holmes
Cami Huettl
Kevin Kelley
Emmy Kruger
Denise Levasseur
Mitzi Mabry
Rachel Mickus
Jennifer Munson
Ha-Vi Nguyen
Nanette Ottoson
David Senn
Jacob Siebenaler
David Thao
Chad Thielen
Lisa Watters
Matthew Wayne
Gabrielle Wilson
Marguedy Worden
15 Years of Service
Michelle Bollinger
Susannah Fisher
Katherine Heald
Daniel Hoover
Autumn Hubbell
Krystal Johnson
Katelyn Johnstone
Joseph Morneau
Stacie Paquette
Jonathan Reiners
Jeni Reynolds
Amalia Roberts
Dustin Roeller
Jennifer Salmon
Xee Thao
Hoang Ton
Anthony Welin
10 Years of Service
Lisa Ahuja
Peter Aldahl
Linda Vang Andersen
Mikaela Anderson
Randall Arntzen
Darold Ashton
Melissa Bailey
Mary Bambenek
Pamela Bechik
Patrick Blay
Crystal Carrillo
Thomas Carruth
Jill Cegla
Colleen Collette
Amanda Conroy
Shannon Coyne
Jeffrey Dohmen
Julie Dorn
Christina Drewitz
Annelise Edsten
Hannah Ellis
Paul Endres
Danielle Fouche
Cynthia Gebhard
Saadia Gentle
Allison Graner
Michael Hamm
Joel Hendrickson
Allyson High
Blake Hogan
Sara Jackson
Amanda Johnson
Meagan Keefe
Annette Kempe
Samantha Kendall
Blake Kiernan
Jeremy David Kobielush
Lee Krogseng
Michelle Lanning
Lillian Leatham
Andrew Leko
Samantha Levine
Brian Lor
Elizabeth Lundmark
Joseph Mac
John Majerus
Danny Martinez
Margaret James Meehan
James O’Meara
Lucie O’Neill
Stephanie Opstad
Rose Palubicki
Erin Paredes
Christopher Pope
Kimberly Renville
Tonya Resick
Julie Riveness
Mark Ryan
Kelli Ryman Moore
Emily Sames
Michelle Renee Schmidt
Rebecca Schoeneck
Mary Beth Schubert
Lisa Selby
Blair Snyder
Adedamola Sobande
Steven Steingruebl
Gail Stewart
Margaret Stone
Jolene Swan
Cody Swanson
Amy Syfko
Lisa Theisen
Sarah Thomas
Lori Tolzman
Timothy Trumpy
Eric Uddin
Alison Vandercook
Elyse Vaughan
Nicole Vojta Henk
Alicia Vopava
Joseph Walton
Sean Wasmund
Garrett Zaffke
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby recognizes the following employees and presents them with HEROES Awards for outstanding collaboration achievements in their service to Dakota County in 2024:
Interactive Voice Response
Nadir Abdi
Ahtasham Alvi
Christopher Sapp
Daren Nyquist
Hoang Ton
Matthew Tuggle
Nathan Franzen
Nimmo Diriye
Olivia Klinkner
Amber Higgins
Mark Jacobs
Thomas Schneider
Elizabeth Watson
Kathryn Mutchler
Michael Hamm
Aamie Calloway
Amber Giesen
Amy Shillings
Anthony Chao
Beth Bisciglia
Bria Iliff
Chris McLean
Christa Hendrickson
Christy Trutnau
Chrystal Hovaldt
Elizabeth Yang
Hope Boos
Jessa Becker
Kathleen Walls
Kendra Wendt
Lynn Carr
Mackenzie Rickard
Royce Phung-Vuong
Sam Kvilhaug
Samantha Levine
Sheng Thor
Stacia Hamilton
Tiffinie Miller
Tristan Skoglund
Abdul Abdulrahman
Jara Scott
Paul Hanten
Eviction Prevention & Homelessness
Teri Lazaretti - Social Services
Rebecca Bowers - Social Services
Madeline Kastler - Social Service
Kelley Esch - Social Services
Amanda Conroy - Social Services
James Albrecht - Social Services
Rob Monson - Social Services
Alicia Swenson - Social Services
Kou Chang - Social Services
Rachel Ojo - Social Services
Wendy Thomas - Social Services
Krystle Holliday - Social Services
Carrie Hamilton - Employment and Economic Assistance
Judge Tracy Perzel - Dakota County Courts
Judge David Knutson - Dakota County Courts
Anna Winzenburg - Dakota County Courts
Library Self-Service Hours
Margaret Stone - Library
Aimee Schreiber - Library
Alvin Yeo - Library
Andrew Cook - Library
Angella Hanson - Library
Barb Svoboda - Library
DJ Schuette - Library
Heather Stephenson - Library
Hillary Rausch - Library
Jennifer Reichert Simpson - Library
Michael Lopez - Library
Michelle Carter - Library
Natalie Fiscus - Library
Sandy Buchanan - Library
Shawn Foster-Huot - Library
Branch Managers - Library
Circulation Supervisors - Library
All library staff
Teresa Mitchell - PS&R Administration
Tom Novak - PS&R Administration
Dave Brynestad - Communications
Tad Dunham- Communications
Troy Mallat- Communications
Lucie O’Neill - Attorney
Adam Montain - Facilities Management
Bart Pritchett- Facilities Management
Michael Lexvold - Facilities Management
Randy Hanson - Facilities Management
Sarah Martin - Facilities Management
David Senn - Information Technology
Dave Milland- Information Technology
Jeff Sprenger- Information Technology
Matt Schneider- Information Technology
Ming Xu- Information Technology
Mike Agen- Information Technology
Jenny Groskopf - Risk and Homeland Security
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby recognizes the following employees and presents them with IDEA Leadership Awards for working to make Dakota County a more inclusive, diverse, accessible and equitable organization in 2024:
Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA) Leadership Awards
IDEA Leadership Award - Individual
Elmore Roundtree
IDEA Honorary Leadership Award - Individual
Terra Shuman - In memory of her
IDEA Leadership Award - Team/Group
Mental Health Matters Employee Resource Group
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PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION
24-115; 2/27/24
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment: None.
BOARD GOALS
☐ A Great Place to Live ☐ A Healthy Environment
☐ A Successful Place for Business and Jobs ☒ Excellence in Public Service
CONTACT
Department Head: Andy Benish
Author: Andy Benish