Central Park

The Daily Plant : Tuesday, March 11, 2003

CONGRATULATIONS FEBRUARY EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

The following individuals were awarded Employee of the Month for February on Thursday, March 6, 2003.

Laura Gili is the Commissioner’s Employee of the Month. Laura has been with Parks since May 15, 1984. She started her career with the Urban Park Rangers with whom she worked for six years. She joined Queens recreation in 1990 and has been Chief of Recreation for nearly ten years. As such, she supervises 51 staff who together manage 6 major recreation centers, 6 satellite centers, ballfields, special events, and programs such as playschool and afterschoool. Laura has spearheaded a number of exciting recent initiatives such as the Outdoor Adventure Program in Alley Pond Park, and the Girls Sports Experience at Springfield Park. Laura is also spearheading facility improvements and fitness equipment upgrades at all the centers, and has helped keep Lost Battalion Hall our most highly rated center. Greatly committed to youth and sports, Laura has been a long time leader in bringing fun and fitness to Queens. A terrific part of the Parks family, she was nominated by Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey and Borough Commissioner Murphy.

Shridat Nehall is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month. Shridat is a Construction Project Manager Intern and has been with Parks since May 22, 2001. He works as a resident engineer in the Requirement Contracts Unit where he monitors playground construction projects. He is currently supervising 3 Queens contracts totaling over $4 million. Sites which he is helping to restore include East Elmhurst Playground, Hallets Cove Playground, Castlewood Playground, and Utopia Malls. Recently, Shridat also helped to successfully monitor one of Parks’ largest requirement programs at William T. Glenn Playground. A skilled and effective new project manager, Shridat is a strong addition to our capital team. He was nominated by Michael Hubartt.

Michelle L. Van Broekhoven is Management’s Employee of the Month. Michelle is a GIS, Geographic Information Systems, site administrator at MIS and has been with Parks since May 31, 2000. Michelle is leading the way to develop our new Parks Intranet mapping capabilities. She has used our new ArcIMS server, which provides a web link for all GIS data, and visual-basic to create exciting new projects. These include maps for the citywide Daffodil Project and for our extensive Greenstreets program. Michelle also was called to duty after 9/11 to help prepare and reproduce maps at the OEM Emergency Mapping Center. GIS opens countless new customer service and analytical opportunities for Parks and Michelle is helping us navigate this new horizon. Skilled, smart and organized, she was nominated by Director of MIS Martin Brenner.

Christopher L. Carroll is an Operations Employee of the Month. Christopher is a CPW and has been with Parks since September 25, 1995. As a skate guard at Kate Wollman Rink, Chris is responsible for enforcing all of the rules and regulations on the ice to ensure a fun and safe environment for all patrons. Chris assists with the maintenance of the building, small equipment, and the front desk and is the main zamboni driver for the Kate Wollman Rink. This winter, Chris has constantly varied his hours to keep the rink open despite the various snowstorms. During the warmer months, Chris works on the turf crew in Prospect Park, helping to keep our lawns in tip top condition. A strong and reliable contributor in Brooklyn, Chris was nominated by SPMO Karen Leriche.

Luis A. Quirindongo is an Operations Employee of the Month. Luis is a CPW and has been with Parks since October 28, 1999. Luis maintains the grounds at the high profile and newly restored City Hall Park. Luis is a "take charge" guy who accepts and completes any assignment without complaint. He has helped maintain the park in tip top condition, passing every inspection in the last year. During the recent snowstorm on President’s Day, Luis spent 16 hours shoveling snow at the park on his scheduled day off. He reported to work again the next day at 5 a.m., to shovel for another 14 hours. For his dedication and hard work in this key assignment, Luis was nominated by Manhattan Chief of Operations Nam Yoon.

Wanda Mojica is Public Programs’ Employee of the Month. Wanda is a Recreation Specialist and has been with Parks since June 1, 1997. Wanda’s involvement at Parks started when she was 14 years old as a volunteer with the Summer Youth Program at St. Mary’s Recreation Center. Wanda moved up from summer seasonal in the Bronx to Recreation Specialist, and now full-time Coordinator of the very successful Jackie Robinson Turn 2 After-school Program. Adopted by Derek Jeter, Turn 2 serves over 100 youth with art, drama, dance and literacy classes. Wanda has brought imagination and energy to the program and has made this a model for City recreation. In addition, Wanda does extensive community outreach, often on her own time, to neighborhood organizations, parents, and schools. For bringing her many talents to public programs, Wanda was nominated by Deputy Commissioner Jeffrey.

"I am an invisible man…I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone,

fiber and liquids—and I might even be said to possess a mind.

I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me."

(March 11, 1914-1994)

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center