MOUNT VERNON — The City of Mount Vernon celebrated its employees on Wednesday with an employee recognition luncheon.
Mayor Matt Starr said the luncheon’s importance is to develop a positive and compassionate culture, loyalty, and a sense of teamwork.
Five employees received Employee of the Year awards. These individuals are nominated and voted on by their respective departments:
•Judicial Employee of the Year: Ellie Cline
•City Hall Employee of the Year: Patty McCann
•Emergency Services Employee of the Year: Qade Lewis
•Public Utilities Employee of the Year: Josh Beltz
•Public Works Employee of the Year: John Alberts
Longevity awards
“Longevity awards are more than just time. They mark an anniversary that you all make to come to work at the City of Mount Vernon,” Starr told the employees.
Eric Rutter, fire department, is the longest-tenured employee, having served 32 years with the city. The most recent addition, Lacey Fritz, municipal court, joined the team one month ago.
There are 186 employees in between.
Milestone Award winners are:
•Five Year Service Award: Caleb Haught, Paige Sims, James Coffey, Joshua Beougher, Kelly Latham, Jack Boyd, Randy Pursel, Brandon May, Jenifer Roddy, David Stuller, Kevin McGarvey, Karen Pritchard
• Ten Year Service Award: Derek Looker, Michael Crawford
•Fifteen Year Service Award: David Hall, P. Robert Broeren
•Twenty-Five Year Service Award: Lee Henthorn, Terry Postle, Bret Bennett, Thomas Evans
Fun awards
The “fun” awards acknowledge employees whose characteristics support and make work easier for fellow employees.
‘Rockstar Rookie’ of the Year: Ben Beever
“While [Ben] is not a member of my department, he must be recognized. The service he provides is exceptional. He is always readily available to solve issues. When a technical issue occurs within the court, most often it is extremely time-sensitive, and I no longer have to worry about when or if the issue will be resolved. This creates such peace of mind. He has been a game-changer and the entire court is grateful for him.”
‘Best Mentor’ (Always leading by example): Chad Elser
“Chad devotes a lot of his time training our new employees and making sure that they feel welcomed into the department. Chad’s leadership traits are excellent and he brings out the best in everyone he touches.”
‘Old Faithful’ (Consistently dependable, always volunteering and/or taking on new initiatives): Terry Postle
“He’s a hard working guy and will do whatever is asked and never complains.”
‘Chief Fun Officer’ (CFO) (Always bringing the fun, sun, and smiles): Jay Laymon
“He is hardworking and fun.”
‘Social Butterfly’ (Excels at networking and building a positive culture): Lindsay Hoar
“Keeps us organized and is always bettering the department.”
‘Risk Mitigation Maestro’ (Excels at identifying and reducing risks): Joshua Lester
“Always on it first hand, passionate about safety. Good on-site demeanor and great and managing his crew.”
‘Master of Disaster’ (Handles emergencies and crises with exceptional safety measures): Coty Shellenbarger
“Coty is a born leader and excels in Incident Command. Coty always puts the safety of his crew first. Coty is also a member of our PD SWAT Team.”
‘A Heart For Serving Others’: Nick Myrda
“Nick Myrda has a heart for saving others. He has shown his commitment to others by accepting new roles in peer support and community outreach, a willingness to help develop programs benefiting co-workers and community members alike, and who is always willing to help others.”
‘Powerhouse Performer’: Jamie Miller
“Goes above and beyond. Dedication and excellent customer service.”
Recognition luncheon keynote speaker
Joe DeLoss, founder of Hot Chicken Takeover, gave the keynote address.
Hot Chicken Takeover is known for its fair-chance employment approach. HTC provides job opportunities for formerly incarcerated people re-entering the workforce and others who have difficulty finding work.
DeLoss, a self-described 2021 transplant, said of their arrival in Knox County, “We just bought a home. We found a community.”
The Gahanna native hails from a family deeply rooted in community service.
“They really valued service and the convictions and values of hard work,” he said.
DeLoss ventured into entrepreneurship at an early age. Raiding his family’s food pantry, he took the snacks and pop and sold them to construction workers building houses in the neighborhood.
Ten years ago, he set out specifically to offer employment to folks who have been cast out of the workforce.
When considering individuals in the justice system, DeLoss found they shared a lot of the same entrepreneurial spirit, but they didn’t have a pantry full of snacks.
“They sold what they found on the street,” he said, noting that led to a first infraction, entry into the system, and sometimes more.
“They didn’t lack character, but they lacked circumstances to achieve success.”
DeLoss said HCT hires based on the future rather than the past, giving employees a fair chance.
Building a team
DeLoss said like many other companies, HCT shut down during COVID-19. However, leadership built a network to stay close to the employees.
Employees earned a check, coupled with a government subsidy, allowing them to stay home and earn a reliable income.
When the lockdown ended, other businesses saw a 30% return of employees.
“Our team had a 90% recall. Because of the investment we made in our team, they made an investment in us,” DeLoss said.
Referencing investing in teamwork during a transition, DeLoss said honesty and transparency through active dialogue are the most significant things.
He said that many people make answers themselves in the absence of answers. The key is keeping a pulse on feedback and dialogue, whether the dialogue is at the water cooler, in a patrol car, or on a work site.
“If you act on that dialogue or feedback, or explain why you can’t, that goes a long way,” DeLoss said.
Empowering employees and promoting a sense of identity is also important.
“When we’re all in the weeds of work, it’s nice for someone to see you,” DeLoss said. “As peers, managers, and leaders, I think finding every opportunity you can to recognize extra acts of service is critical.”
DeLoss concluded by touching on benefits and turnover. HCT’s approach is to take the cost of turnover ($5,500 to train a new person) and put it into relevant benefits such as flexible hours or paid time off.
“Health care and 401Ks are conventional, but if you’re in a halfway house, you’re not thinking about retirement,” he explained.
HCT matches employees’ savings one-to-one, helping employees save for things such as transportation, education, and housing.
“The goal is to make them stable enough that hopefully at some point you will think about that 401K,” he said.
