Customer
Service Excellence
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Mark Sebesta
Police
When his motorcycle crashed, Lee Scham was knocked unconsciousness. Officer Mark Sebesta suggested Scham go to the hospital, but he refused. So Sebesta followed Scham to a friend’s auto body shop.
“He told me in a firm but caring voice, ‘You are not going to drive on the freeway.’ I appreciated that,” Scham wrote.
After escorting Scham to the friend’s shop, Sebesta told the friend he was concerned about Scham going home alone after sustaining a head injury. Sebesta suggested the friend observe Scham for an hour.
“Throughout the experience, Officer Sebesta was concerned and offered gentle but firm guidance,” Scham wrote. “His efforts were greatly appreciated in my time of need, and he was a tremendous comfort to me. His conduct gives me a positive feeling toward all members of the department.
“Please tell him nothing is broken or torn and I’ll make a full recovery. Good thing I landed on my head. Otherwise, I might have gotten hurt.”
Pamela Pearson
Library
Pamela Pearson’s demeanor and her help with the computer were greatly appreciated, wrote Julia Marinova.
“She’s very polite to me and all the other visitors,” Marinova wrote. “I’m completely satisfied. Thank you.”
Donna Hill-Wiley
Planning & Development
Donna Hill-Wiley went above and beyond the call of duty to help the Acres Homes Community Development Corp. market its Dyerwood subdivision, wrote Brenda Lakey, executive director.
“She helped us create a marketing brochure that we are proud to display, and she helped us create an organization Web page,” Lakey wrote.
“The city should be proud of her and the outstanding support she provides to the community.”
Jerry Caraway, Clarence Lenton
Solid Waste Management
When J. Ali walked out her front door on the way to work, she was greeted by a garbage-covered yard. It hadn’t been like when she’d looked out the window two hours earlier, she wrote.
“I know accidents will happen, but my can was not overloaded,” Ali wrote. “This was carelessness.”
As Ali drove up her street, she saw a garbage truck. She asked Jerry Caraway and Clarence Lenton if they’d picked up the trash at her house. They asked if they could follow her back to her house to check out the situation.
At the house, they discovered a side loader had made the mess, which wasn’t what they were driving, Ali wrote. Then they picked up all the garbage in her yard.
“They were not angry or dismissive at all,” Ali wrote. “They had not done this, and it was not their job to clean it up, but they did it quickly and apologized for their coworker’s behavior.
“As a property owner, I am angry when I feel that I am not getting what my tax dollar is paying for. Lenton and Caraway are perfect examples of how well my tax dollar is spent.”
JoAnn Valverde
Police
JoAnn Valverde took control of the situation when an elderly woman suffered severe gastrointestinal distress at Temple Beth Israel during Yom Kippur services, wrote Marise Mikulis.
After the woman told her she didn’t need an ambulance, Valverde, who was on duty at the synagogue, went into the stall to help the woman. Then, she cleaned her.
“Officer Valverdi didn’t hesitate for one second,” Mikulis wrote. “She didn’t search for someone to delegate the unpleasant work to. No task was below or beyond her. She became a nurse to an elder who had sunk into a tragically horrible and humiliating situation.
“The excellence that JoAnn Valverde demonstrated was an honor to her profession and your organization. This performance is not something that can be trained. It is core to one’s values.