Forest Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, September 11, 2003

CONGRATULATIONS EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

The following employees were awarded Employee of the Month for August during a ceremony on Monday, September 8.

The Commissioner’s Employee of the Month is Hesham A. Elshamy of Capital Projects. Hesham is a Resident Engineer on the Staten Island Capital Team and has been with Parks & Recreation since September 30, 1990. Hesham transferred from Brooklyn in 1997. An Engineering graduate of Alexandria University in Egypt, Hesham uses his superior technical skills to oversee construction contractors: ensuring quality work, solving problems, and keeping projects on time, all while maintaining a sense of humor. He has worked on some major Parks initiatives for Staten Island. These include the $2 million Oakwood Beach Shoreline Protection, a ¾ mile project which entailed building a series of bulkheads and berms to prevent flooding of nearby homes, and the $6 million project to brace and stabilize a sinking Cromwell Recreation Center. An avid fisherman himself, Hesham is currently working on the $6 million Midland Beach Pier. Calm, cool and attentive to detail, Hesham was nominated by Borough Commissioner Tom Paulo and Deputy Commissioner Freitag.

Shirley E. Kindler-Penzi is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month. Shirley began with Parks on October 15, 1997 and is the Deputy Team Leader for the Queens Team. Promoted this summer, Shirley was previously a Construction Project Manager at Capital Projects. Since coming to the Queens Team, she has worked hard to make the new team organization successful and to monitor borough projects closely. Shirley has also spearheaded the successful transition of computer systems to Auto CAD, while developing a new system for reviewing the quality of consultant fee proposals which has facilitated the consultant selection process. As a Construction Project Manager specializing in design, Shirley completed various synthetic and natural turf athletic fields, such as the $4.41 million Flushing Meadow soccer fields, the $1 million Raymond O’Connor Field, and the $1.58 million Victory Field. Efficient and thorough, Shirley was nominated by Assistant Commissioner Nancy Barthold.

Kerrianne Biele is Management’s Employee of the Month. Kerrianne is an Analyst in the Budget Unit and has been with Parks & Recreation since January 8, 2001. One of Kerrianne’s major responsibilities is tracking our $63 million Revenue Budget. She helps monitor how well we are keeping to our ambitious revenue targets, and coordinates reporting on revenue to the Comptroller and OMB. Recently, Kerrianne played a key role in the successful transition to a new fee structure at our 29 Recreation Centers citywide. She helped reconcile membership revenue and fiduciary accounts totaling $22 million, while training staff at the Recreation Centers on the new financial guidelines. A dedicated and responsible member of Budget, Kerrianne also volunteers as a co-curator at the Merchant House Museum. Kerrianne was nominated by Chief Fiscal Officer David Stark and Revenue Supervisor Audrey Nagle

Jose Lebron is an Operations Employee of the Month. Jose began with Parks & Recreation on October 5, 1987 and works as a Maintenance Worker in Brooklyn District 3. He performs various types of repairs to equipment at properties such as Saratoga Square and Fulton Park. Jose is adept at making the best use of the materials and resources available to him. He can fabricate materials if needed to complete a job, which relieves the demand on Shops personnel. Jose has strong attendance and driving records, and helped the district achieve 98% ratings for structural features in FY03. Respected for both his skill and enthusiasm, Jose was nominated by Supervisor Carl Snipe.

Joseph Drago is an Operations Employee of the Month. Joe is a CPW in Queens and began with Parks & Recreation on March 12, 2001. Joe started as a seasonal in District 5, which includes Juniper Valley Park, Highland Park, and Pinocchio Playground. He joined Parks on a full-time basis in 2002. Currently, Joe is a step-up APSW. His varied days include operating 16 yard packers, mowing lawns, working with mobile cleaning crews, repairing small equipment, and addressing PIP ratings concerns. District 5 achieved a 90% cleanliness rating in FY03. Joe is a flexible and can-do new Parkie who has gone the extra mile in Queens. Joe was nominated by PRM Cheryl Reiter.

Michael Popo is Public Programs’ Employee of the Month. Michael is a Recreation Specialist at St. John’s Recreation Center and has been with Parks & Recreation since May 24, 2002. Michael spearheads the Crown Heights Live computer center at St. John’s Recreation Center. This innovative program offers teenagers the opportunity to learn website development as well as digital video production. Working together in their local neighborhoods, these young men and women do interviews, explore important issues, and gain useful technical skills. Michael and Crown Heights Live are so popular that teenagers often do not want to leave when the Center shuts after 10pm at night. Through the computer center, Michael has involved himself in many aspects of St. John’s as well as the neighborhood. For his positive impact on the youth of Brooklyn, Michael was nominated by Center Manager Karen Gripper and Deputy Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
It is a wise father that knows his own child.
The Merchant of Venice, II, ii, 83
William Shakespeare
(1564-1616)

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