Fort Greene Park

The Daily Plant : Friday, June 20, 2003

CONGRATULATIONS MAY EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

The Commissioner’s Employee of the Month is John J. Natoli. John is the Chief Engineer at Capital Projects and has been with Parks & Recreation since March 14, 1988. As Chief Engineer, John oversees a large variety of construction and repair projects throughout the agency. During Memorial Day weekend, there was a major collapse at Hamilton Playground in Manhattan. John left his home and Memorial Day guests to respond to the crisis. The entire edge of the playground was undermined, and the handball wall had fallen over. Using his technical knowledge and experience with handling emergencies and dealing with various private contractors, John was able to immediately begin repair work at the damaged site. Thanks to his troubleshooting and follow through, the project is well on its way, and the playground will soon be safe for children to play on once again. For his long-time service and recent quick action, John was nominated by Deputy Commissioner Amy Freitag.

Emmanuel Thingue is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month. Emmanuel is a Landscape Designer for the Brooklyn Team and has been with Parks & Recreation since October 1, 1990. Emmanuel has created designs for numerous high-profile projects such as the $3 million Brooklyn Bridge Park Phase II project, and an innovative design for the bandshell that covers the Orchard Beach pavilion. The bandshell is shaped like a sailing ship, and the stage is highly popular with concert performers and patrons. He is currently preparing a proposal for the South Oxford Street little league ballfields, and is assisting in the Lower Manhattan development plans. Emmanuel stays even-handed while adhering to very tight timetables. He is respected by his colleagues for his professionalism and ability to take charge. Emmanuel was nominated by Brooklyn Team Leader David Martin.

Alerson Jaquez is Management’s Employee of the Month. Alerson is an Investigator at the Advocate’s Office and has been with Parks & Recreation since September 24, 2001. Alerson performs confidential investigations concerning employee misconduct and incompetence. During investigations, Alerson interviews witnesses and subjects, prepares reports, analyzes agency documents and procedures, testifies at hearings, and performs surveillance. Alerson is organized and completes superior case files which are models for other investigators. He is always curious, which helps him stay persistent even on difficult cases. For example, Alerson tracked down the missing Betty Kohn Wollman portrait well after others had abandoned it for lost. Alerson was nominated by Parks Advocate Erica Siegel.

Philbert L. Parson is an Operations Employee of the Month. Philbert is a City Park Worker in Brooklyn, District 2 and has been with Parks & Recreation since July 12, 1993. Phil is involved in the upkeep of thirteen different sites, which includes Palmetto Playground, Fort Greene Park and Walt Whitman Park. In addition to maintaining parks, Philbert operates a mini-packer, assists the district maintenance worker with bench repairs and graffiti removal, and helps clean parks outside his district as well. The extra work he puts in is reflected in the 98% acceptable rating achieved by District 2 for cleanliness. For his hard work and service to Brooklyn, Phil was nominated by Supervisor Parks Maintenance and Operations Natalie P. Sewell.

Jessica L. Cherry is Public Programs’ Employee of the Month. Jessica is the Sports Coordinator for Queens and has been with Parks & Recreation since February 6, 2001. Jessica manages the borough’s sports programs, which include the Millennium Basketball Tournament, Learn to Play Soccer, Indoor Soccer League, Flag Football League, Youth Baseball and Softball, and the Derek Jeter baseball clinic. Jessica spearheaded Queens’ first adult paddleball tournament, acts as a Weekend Manager, and helps with the special events office. Jessica uses her computer skills to produce professional event fliers and program brochures, and capably handles many projects at the same time. For her energy and commitment to Queens youth, Jessica was nominated by Chief of Recreation Laura Gili.

"The rain it raineth everyday."

(1564-1616)