Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways

The Daily Plant : Tuesday, July 22, 2003

CONGRATULATIONS EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

The following individuals were awarded Employee of the Month on Friday, July 18, 2003.

The Commissioner’s Employee of the Month for June is Javier A. Rodriguez. Javier is the Chief Lifeguard at Rockaway Beach and has been with Parks & Recreation since June 21, 1979. In his 24 years, Javier has helped safeguard the millions of New Yorkers who use and enjoy our beaches each summer. As a Chief Lifeguard, Javier trains and evaluates new lifeguards including a number of lifeguards who have come to New York from overseas. Most importantly, he keeps daily watch over the beach, making sure that patrons behave cautiously in the water and respond quickly, with his lifeguard teams, to life threatening situations. City beaches are among New York City’s most important recreational assets, and Javier, along with all our lifeguards, keep them safe and fun. For his efforts, Javier was nominated by Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanagh.

Vicki Ann Lombardi is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month for June. Vicki is a Construction Project Manager for the Staten Island Team and has been with Parks & Recreation since July 19, 1999. Vicki oversees a number of complex projects such as the $1.8 million Juniper Valley Park ballfield renovations and the Cunningham Park Ponderosa soccer fields. Both projects involved active and vocal community involvement. Vicki has also been instrumental in improving the city’s golf courses. She coordinated $8 million of work in Staten Island and $12 million in the Bronx to provide added irrigation, rebuild golf tees, reconstruct paths, and upgrade course facilities. Vicki juggles many tasks at once, works well with the borough offices, and ensures that contractors are doing what is expected of them. For her effective service, Vicki was nominated by Deputy Commissioner Amy Freitag.

Michael G. Michajlo is Management’s Employee of the Month for June. Michael has been with Parks & Recreation since September, 6, 2000 and was recently appointed Senior Inspector at Operations and Management Planning. As an inspector, Michael has performed 2,295 site inspections at Parks properties throughout the five boroughs. Michael’s trained eye assesses the cleanliness, structural and horticultural conditions of our parks, and alerts borough management to immediate safety hazards. He also tests out our drinking fountains and comfort stations to ensure we are providing needed amenities to the public. Michael has played a key role in the continued success of our Parks Inspection Program (PIP) and will now take the lead in supervising the inspection team. A wealth of knowledge about Parks & Recreation, Michael was nominated by OMP Director Laura Sullivan and Assistant Director Ben Delisle.

Marlon St. Hill is an Operations Employee of the Month for June. Marlon is a CPW in Riverside Park in Manhattan and has been with Parks & Recreation since May 22, 2001. Marlon performs a variety of duties for Riverside Park including turf work, horticulture, tree pruning and removal, and storm damage clean-up. Marlon can use a chipper, chainsaw, and other pieces of heavy equipment, and he updates the small equipment inventory for the district. Marlon has assisted with major projects relating to the park including the rebuilding of the sand volleyball court at 105^th Street, clean-up of the Amtrak Tunnel entrance at West 72^nd Street, and emergency pruning during the spring rains. His efforts helped District 14 achieve 99% cleanliness ratings in 2002. For his flexibility and diligence, Marlon was nominated by Riverside Park Administrator KC Sahl and Parks & Recreation Manager Jibrail Nor.

Shalini Rao is Public Programs’ Employee of the Month for June. Shalini is a Clerical Associate with the Urban Park Rangers and has been with Parks & Recreation since June 19, 2001. Shalini handles all of the administrative tasks for the Rangers and coordinates major special events. Recently Shalini worked with the Mayor’s Alliance of NYC’s Animals to put on a pet adoption event and organized an Arsenal Book Reading with the Chairman of Battery Park City, James Gill. Shalini also oversees the safe transport of animals to the State Department of Environmental Conservation medical examiner. A role model at Urban Park Service, Shalini is responsible and reliable with everything she works on. Shalini was nominated by UPR Director Sara Hobel and Deputy Director Matt Symons.

John M. Leon is an Operations Employee of the Month for May. John is an Associate Park Service Worker in Queens District 6 and has been with Parks & Recreation since April 15, 1985. As the mobile crew Supervisor for the district, John and his team are responsible for keeping over 30 properties, including World’s Fair Playground, Real Good Park, and MacDonald Park in top condition. The district achieved a 92% cleanliness rating thanks to John’s efforts. This summer, he has been named a pool supervisor. John is knowledgeable and dependable and takes close care of his equipment. John is also accident free. For his hard work, John was nominated by Supervisor of Parks Maintenance and Operations John Dwyer.

Marivel Gonzalez, Executive Assistant to Deputy Commissioner Kavanagh and her husband, Alex Gonzalez are the proud new parents of Jonathan Alexander. Jason was born on Thursday, July 17 and weighs 7 lbs. 5 oz. Mother and baby are both doing well.

"The universe is not hostile, nor yet is it friendly. It is simply indifferent."

(1879-1964)

Know Before You Go

Paerdegat Basin Park