City of Heath names Employee of the Year, honors staff

(HEATH-December 19, 2012) The City of Heath recently honored employees for an outstanding performance in 2012, including Utility Supervisor Larry Dunham, who was named Employee of the Year.

“Larry has demonstrated exemplary service to the City and citizens since joining us in 2007,” said City Manager Ed Thatcher. “He is always willing to go the extra mile and sacrifice his own personal time to keep our utilities operating without disruption.”

In a small department that has experienced some staffing challenges this year, Larry has really stepped up to share the workload and keep operations running smoothly, according to Thatcher.

“Incidents involving utility operations rarely honor the 40-hour work week schedule,” said Thatcher. “In fact, main breaks, sewer stoppages, sewer overflows and power outages seem to most often occur late at night, on the weekend, when it’s cold and stormy, and when there is the least amount of help available. But Larry is always there.”

“Even with the burden of recent personal losses, Larry has continued to provide his same quality of service to the City. His dedication is to be commended,” said Thatcher.

Also recognized for going beyond the boundaries of his job was Building Official Scott Qualls, who was named 2012 Public Works Department Employee of the Year.

“Our residential building permits increased 55% this year, and all building permits were up by 149%,” said Randel Dobbs, Public Works director and city engineer. “Scott single-handedly responded to this dramatic increase, preventing us from having to bring in additional help.”

In addition to keeping up with the increased work load, Scott maintained exceptional customer service. “While people may not always like what he has to tell them about their project, we greatly respect that Scott is honest, fair and consistent in his work.”

The Department of Public Safety’s 2012 Employee of the Year was Officer Jim Simmons, who has been on staff with the DPS since 2007.

“Jim came to us with a strong background in both fire and police service, which is valuable since our officers are triple certified as fire fighters, police officers and EMTs,” said Chief Terry Garrett, director of the DPS Department. “His knowledge has been valuable in shaping our training and inspection programs.”

Officer Simmons, who also operates the North Texas Fire Academy with his father, is recognized for his skill in resolving issues and maintaining good community relations through caring, attentive customer service.

Rick McDowell was honored as the 2012 Finance/Administration Department Employee of the Year. In the past year, he served as both the Municipal Court Clerk and assisted the Public Works Department as a Code Enforcement Officer.

“Rick helped us combine these positions to reduce the City’s overall budget for salaries in the past fiscal year,” said Laurie Mays, director of Finance. “His work ethic and positive attitude ensured a successful transition.”

Working with people who have court fines or a code enforcement issue also demands good customer service, and Rick handles each individual situation carefully and with sensitivity to achieve a positive outcome,” said Mays.

In addition to the employee awards, numerous City employees were recognized for their tenure of service:

15 Years
Kim Dobbs, Director of Community & Economic Development
John Langstaff, Public Works Operations Manager
Terry “TK” Kneedler, Public Safety Sergeant

10 Years
Matt Mayo, Public Safety Officer

5 Years
Larry Dunham, Public Works Utility Supervisor
Francisco Gonzalez, Public Works Maintenance Worker
Laurie Mays, Director of Finance
Randy Patton, Public Works Maintenance Supervisor
Jim Simmons, Public Safety Officer

“I appreciate our entire staff,” said Thatcher. “What stands out across the board is a commitment to coming to work, doing the job, even when it’s not easy, and treating the citizens we serve with professionalism, compassion and care.”

Submitted by Suzanne Brooke, Media/Community Relations Manager, City of Heath.

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