Hero Park

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, August 6, 2003

CONGRATULATIONS JULY EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

The following individuals were awarded Employee of the Month for July at a breakfast held on Monday, August 4.

The Commissioner’s Employee of the Month is Thomas A. Paulo, Borough Commissioner of Staten Island. Before joining Parks, Tom was a Senior Planner with City Planning, an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, and practiced law. He has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from SUNY Forestry, and an AB and JD from NYU. Tom Paulo began with Parks & Recreation on December 10, 1984 as the Administrator of the Greenbelt. Since 1993, he has served as the Borough Commissioner for his hometown borough, overseeing a staff of 500 and over 8,000 acres of parkland. His leadership has been felt across the board. Staten Island has maintained the highest overall ratings of any borough. Tom has helped spearhead and navigate a number of high profile and complex development projects. He is administering a parks system that is growing in acreage and in usage dramatically. An enormous wealth of experience, skill and dedication to New York City’s green spaces, Tom is a rare treasure and we are lucky to have him.

Vijittri Marbumrung is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month. Vijittri is a Resident Engineer in the Requirements Contracts Unit and has been with Parks & Recreation since January 11, 1999. Vijittri started out inspecting construction projects for Queens and the Bronx. Currently, she oversees construction sites in Manhattan such as the foundation and base for the $50,000 Nobel Monument at Columbus Avenue and 80^th Street. This project was commissioned by the Swedish government and will list all of the Nobel Prize winners from the United States on an obelisk structure. Vijittri’s completed projects include major Greenstreets such as Donnellan Square and Dorrence Brook, renovation of the 110^th Street Playground in Riverside Park, and the Colonel Young Baseball Fields in Harlem. A native of Thailand, Vijittri is a conscientious employee who applies herself every day. For her achievements, she was nominated by Director of Requirements Contracts, Michael Hubartt.

Mark Feinstein is Management’s Employee of the Month. Mark is the Assistant Director of Revenue and has been with Parks & Recreation since October 11, 1988. As Assistant Director, Mark is responsible for the supervision of Revenue’s project managers, concession inspectors, and administrative personnel. He monitors the outlay of over $60 million in capital expenditures at over 50 Parks facilities. A key part of the revenue team, he has helped Parks expand revenue from $14.2 million in FY ’88 to over $60 million in the last two fiscal years, an increase of more than 333%. Mark ensures that the staff is well-trained, projects are issued on time, and capital improvements are completed. Due to his dedication and outstanding performance, Mark was nominated by Revenue Director Ron Lieberman and Comptroller David Stark.

Pablo E. Oliver is an Operations Employee of the Month. Pablo Oliver began with Parks & Recreation on May 14, 2001 and works as an automotive service worker at 5-Boro. Pablo helps repair the thousands of pieces of horticultural equipment that are critical to our field operations. Pablo helps quickly turn around weedwackers, chain saws, lawn mowers, water tanks and leaf blowers. Pablo also readies and repairs all pool pumps for our outdoor pools. A former taxicab driver, Pablo has done extensive driving of Parks vehicles in two years without an accident. A very diligent, productive, and focused new employee, Pablo is an important addition to our mechanical team. He was nominated by SOME George McLoughlin and SPMO Frank Garcia.

Jennie Boone-Douglas is an Operations Employee of the Month. Jennie is a CPW in Staten Island District 1 and began with Parks & Recreation on May 11, 2002. As a Work Experience Program Crew Chief, Jennie is responsible for the staff of CSAs and WEPs that maintains Silver Lake Park and Hero Park. Her mobile crew is responsible for cutting grass, weed whacking, painting, and general cleanup. Jennie learned how to use and take care of motorized equipment quickly after joining Parks. She is knowledgeable and well-liked. Jennie’s hard work helped her district achieve a 98% cleanliness rating and 97% overall rating in 2002. Jennie was nominated by Parks and Recreation Manager Michael Schmiedel.

Vernetta Diggs is Public Programs’ Employee of the Month. Vernetta is the Center Manager at Sunset Recreation Center and has been with Parks since July 1, 1981. When Vernetta took over at Sunset in 1999, center inspection ratings were unacceptable, usage and membership were low, and programming was suspended for three months of each year. Vernetta has reached out to all members of the community by hiring multilingual staff; visiting schools, civic groups and faith-based organizations; and hosting open houses. Vernetta also revamped the staffing to keep Sunset running all year. Under Vernetta’s leadership, Health Plus HMO contributes generous funding, and programming has grown from a sports-only orientation to a full range of programs for children, teens, and adults such as cheerleading, an after-school program attended by over 200 children every day, dance workshops, computer classes, arts & crafts, Karate, and boxing. A major contributor and stalwart of recreation at Parks, Vernetta was nominated by Chief of Brooklyn Recreation Michael Dockett.

"Living well is the best revenge."

(1593-1633)