2012 Employee of the Month Archives
December 2012
Gary Moore, Temporary Program Specialist within the Office of the Director, has been selected as the December, 2012 Employee of the Month for the Department of Public Safety. Gary was selected for this award for the passion for educational safety that he brings to the Center for Education Safety, and for being a partner in promoting safety and security within Missouri schools at every opportunity. A specific example to provide is the initiative that Gary took to develop a school bus driver safety video that has been a resounding success in bringing attention to the problem of distracted driving by bus drivers. Gary’s effort has brought meaningful outcome and resolution to the tragic death of a child.
November 2012
Heather Haslag, Public Safety Program Specialist within the Office of the Director, has been selected as the November, 2012 Employee of the Month for the Department of Public Safety. Heather was selected for this award for the exemplary performance of her duties in her position within the Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Grant Program Section. Heather goes above and beyond when she recognizes something needs to be done and completes it proficiently and accurately, while at the same time maintaining effective relationships with stakeholders. Heather’s strong work ethic and reputation are so well known that the US Department of Justice has often referred to her as a point of contact on related matters for inquiries made by other states.
October 2012
Todd Nelson, Public Safety Manager within the Missouri Gaming Commission, has been selected as the October, 2012 Employee of the Month for the Department of Public Safety. Todd was selected for this award for an investigation that he initiated which culminated in finding that a licensed testing laboratory had violated Missouri statutes, rules, and regulations by failing to test electronic gaming devices to ensure that, for state income tax purposes, four percent would be withheld of any prize/jackpot in the amount of $1,200 or larger. By proactively detecting and identifying the issue, Todd’s actions contributed to the correction of the flawed testing laboratory analysis which ensured that no further state tax revenue would be lost and the successful administrative disciplinary action against the licensing testing laboratory for the violations.
September 2012
Erin Blackwell, Clinical Casework Assistant I within the Missouri Veterans Commission – Warrensburg Veterans Home, has been selected as the September, 2012 Employee of the Month for the Department of Public Safety. Erin was selected for this award for her willingness to go above and beyond to help Veterans and their families. Erin’s dedication and compassion in the performance of her position make a significant difference in the lives of Veterans. Recent demonstrations of such include helping the family of a Veteran on the waiting list find another facility with a Special Care Unit, connecting them with a Veterans Service Officer who would assist them in applying for benefits, and then assisting them with finding an Alzheimer’s Support Group and a neurologist in their geographic area. Erin makes every effort to meet the Veterans’ needs no matter how great or small.
August 2012
Victoria (Tori) McCampbell, Health Information Technician II, for the Missouri Veterans Commission - Cameron Veterans Home, has been selected as the August, 2012 Employee of the Month for the Department of Public Safety. Tori was selected for this award for her outstanding team leadership abilities and her willingness to assist and help both her coworkers and the veterans in any way possible. Tori consistently makes herself available to help not only with duties around the office, but also with Recreational Therapy outings and other activities with the veterans, clearly making them her number one priority. Tori further demonstrated her devotion to the veterans when, remembering a veteran's wish from the previous year for morel mushrooms, she brought in a large amount of mushrooms to cook and share after a successful mushroom hunt with her family. Tori’s caring and compassionate nature has earned her the respect of not only her coworkers, but also of the veterans that she serves.
July 2012
Matthew Applewhite, Custodial Worker I within the Missouri Veterans Commission - St. Louis Veterans Home, has been selected as the July, 2012 Employee of the Month for the Department of Public Safety. Matthew was selected for this award for being a team player who always goes above and beyond to lend a helping hand to his co-workers. Examples that demonstrate Matthew’s characteristic to help others are countless, as he recognizes when something needs to be done, steps in to complete the job wherever and whenever there is a need and does so on his own initiative.
June 2012
Ronald Beck, Michelle Fooks, and Jane Hull, within the Missouri State Highway Patrol, have been selected as the June, 2012 Employees of the Month for the Department of Public Safety. Beck, Fooks, and Hull were selected for this award for the teamwork they demonstrated in developing a program that increased the efficiency of and productivity for the Accident Review Board. After spending hours making copies and filing for each accident report, Jane Hull, Special Assistant, felt the process was time-consuming and asked for assistance to develop a system that would reduce the time and cost spent on the task. After spending a considerable amount of time planning and brainstorming, Ronald Beck, Program Manager, and Michelle Fooks, Content Manager, worked with Hull to develop a secure web site that allows Accident Review Board members to access reports directly from their computers, sparing members the time and cost associated with the extensive paperwork that was previously required. This new system was immediately embraced by the Accident Review Board, and the amount of time and resources that were saved allowed more officers to remain on the road.
May 2012
Anastasia (Stacey) Wilson, Senior Office Support Assistant (Keyboarding) within the Missouri Veterans Commission - Fort Leonard Wood Veterans Cemetery, was selected as the May, 2012 Department of Public Safety Employee of the Month. Stacey has been selected for this award for her hard work ethic, honesty and her willingness to help others. Stacey consistently puts the community and clients first, making sure they feel comfortable and ensuring that all of their needs are fully met not only during their service, but also in the days to follow. Stacey constantly maintains a positive attitude while at work, and is always willing to go above and beyond her daily tasks and help in any way possible to ensure things run smoothly. Stacey’s outstanding ability to work as a team player, excellent communication skills and her caring and supportive nature has earned the respect of not only her coworkers, but also of the veteran clients, their families, and the community
April 2012
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Jason Trammell has been selected as the Department of Public Safety’s April, 2012 Employee of the Month. Sgt. Trammell was selected for this award for his diligence toward and positive attitude in bringing justice to cases involving very little circumstantial evidence. While serving warrants and conducting interviews are basic responsibilities for any criminal investigator assigned to the Division of Drug and Crime Control of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, without the confessions that Sgt. Trammell was able to obtain from the persons involved in two recent crimes, the resolution of either investigation would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible.
March 2012
Trooper Darwin Hukill and Trooper Kelsey Rutledge, within the Missouri State Highway Patrol, have been selected as the Department of Public Safety’s March, 2012 Employees of the Month. Troopers Hukill and Rutledge were selected for this award for their keen sense of observation at a residence that was reported by a concerned citizen for suspicious activity. Instead of concluding the investigation when it was known that the individuals at the residence had warrants issued for their arrest, Troopers Hukill and Rutledge continued with interviews and the execution of search warrants. The “knock and talk” investigation that Troopers Hukill and Rutledge initiated culminated into a cooperative effort of several law enforcement agencies that resulted in the arrest of both individuals, approximately $100,000 of stolen property being returned to the victims of the thefts, the clearing of over 20 theft cases in seven southwest Missouri counties and one southeast Kansas county, and a methamphetamine laboratory being shut down.
February 2012
Mike Pemberton, Maintenance Worker II within the Missouri Veterans Commission – Warrensburg Veterans Home, has been selected as the Department of Public Safety’s February, 2012 Employee of the Month. Mike was selected for this award for the outstanding manner in which he performs the duties of his position. Mike’s peers nominated him for this award because of how he conducts himself toward others. Mike is noted to be a great teacher with excellent communication skills, and is always friendly and courteous in explaining maintenance situations to staff. Mike has earned the trust and respect of many coworkers because of his knowledge and expertise, but most importantly, because of his demeanor.
January 2012
Renee Carter, Certified Nursing Assistant I for the Missouri Veterans Home - Warrensburg, was selected as the January 2012 Missouri Veterans Commission Employee of the Month. Renee has been selected for her efforts as an outstanding role model for all MVH employees at the Warrensburg Veterans Home. During a period several months ago, the Warrensburg home was experiencing a high turnover of CNAs on the night shift. Renee volunteered to leave her day shift position to work nights to help train and monitor the new CNAs. Since then, Nursing Management has noticed a decrease in night shift turnover rates and better morale among CNAs on that shift. Another example of Renee’s attitude and ethic is on a particularly busy day, she was pulled off of her home unit to assist two other units as well as transport a Veteran to a medical appointment. Through it all, Renee maintained a great attitude and smile.
Tammy Smith, Senior Office Support Assistant within the Missouri Veterans Commission - Bloomfield Veterans Cemetery, has been selected as the Department of Public Safety’s January, 2012 Employee of the Month. Tammy was selected for this award for the exemplary administrative, coordinative, and organizational skills she displayed while developing and preparing for the Bloomfield State Veterans Cemetery Memorial Day Program. Tammy eagerly accepted several responsibilities associated with planning, coordinating, and organizing many areas of the program, all responsibilities which were not normally associated with her daily duties. Tammy’s performance was truly initiated based upon her ideas and recognition of needs that would ensure a successful program to honor those who have sacrificed for our country.
