Fund for the City of New York Honors Six Municipal Employees for Careers That Embody Excellence and Commitment to the Public with 46th Annual Sloan Public Service Awards
NEW YORK (PRWEB) June 07, 2019 -- The Fund for the City of New York announced that six municipal employees whose careers embody excellence and extraordinary commitment to public service will be honored with the Fund’s 46th Annual Sloan Public Service Awards.
The 2019 Sloan Public Service Award winners are: Gesille Dixon, New York Public Library; John Gallagher, New York City Department of Correction (DOC); Keith Kerman, New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services; Joseph Marcellino, New York City Health + Hospitals; Renee Parham, New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD); and Candi Rodriguez, New York City Police Department.
“The 2019 Sloan Award winners exemplify excellence, dedication and the highest level of public service,” said Fund President Mary McCormick, “and they represent the contributions of thousands of municipal employees in all five boroughs who work each day to improve our city. This year’s winners help form strong community partnerships, effectively treat inmates with mental illnesses, improve public health, establish urgent care centers and pharmacies, repair homes and protect our public schools.”
For 46 years, the Fund for the City of New York’s Public Service Award Program has honored outstanding civil servants whose work performance and commitment to the public transcend not merely the ordinary, but the extraordinary. In honoring this year’s winners, the Fund also acknowledges the contributions of the many thousands of dedicated public servants who, with integrity and devotion, perform the work that keeps this complex city running.
About the 2019 Sloan Public Service Award Winners
Gesille Dixon, Borough Director of Bronx Neighborhood Library Networks, New York Public Library
Gesille Dixon is in charge of the 35 Branch Libraries that serve nearly 1.5 million residents of the Bronx. Foremost for Ms. Dixon is the importance of libraries as a place to promote literacy, but she is also acutely aware that what each library offers has to be tailored to the specific needs of the community it anchors. Says Ms. Dixon, “Libraries have always been gateways, it is a gateway to foreign lands, to creativity and imagination, but it is also a gateway to a better education, to job resources, to citizenship and to a very caring community.” Throughout her career, she has been a pioneer in forging strong community partnerships with neighborhood organizations, schools, and government agencies and when necessary in taking the library to people where they work—the Bronx Terminal Market—or where they live—assisted living facilities. Charlie Vazquez, formerly with the Bronx Arts Council said, “Gesille fights for the notion that the people of the Bronx are worthy of having access to world-class resources and fights to erase all obstacles.”
John Gallagher, Deputy Warden in Command, Population/Custody Management, New York City Department of Correction (DOC)
In 1989, John Gallagher was assigned to Rikers Island as a rookie Correction Officer. Thirty years later, he is an undisputed leader and fierce advocate for transforming the Department’s approach to treating inmates with mental illnesses. He has played a key role in ensuring that seven jails on Rikers Island now have mental health units that house inmates with mental illnesses, provide support, and are an alternative to solitary confinement. Largely thanks to his efforts, over 600 Officers have also received Crisis Intervention Training on how to de-escalate situations involving inmates with mental health issues. “I would ask you to find a more compassionate and caring man than Deputy Warden Gallagher. But then I would be asking you to do the impossible,” explained Correction Officer Sandra Reid. Senior Deputy Commissioner Timothy Farrell added, “John Gallagher possesses a level of passion and dedication that is unmatched. For him, providing humanistic care and ensuring security in our facilities are not mutually exclusive, but, in fact, are mutually beneficial.”
Keith Kerman, Chief Fleet Officer and Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services
Throughout his 25 year career in NYC government, first at the Parks Department and then at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Keith Kerman has been motivated by environmental sustainability and increased efficiency. As the City’s first Chief Fleet Officer, he oversees 31,000 vehicles used by 60 City agencies and offices. He has created the nation’s greenest fleet, with nearly 20,000 vehicles using alternative fuels like biodiesel or electricity. He has also created the nation’s largest governmental “fleet sharing program” and has consolidated repair services that has reduced out-of-service time for vehicles. In all, these innovations have saved NYC millions of dollars and contributed to improved public health. Mr. Kerman is described by Henry Jackson, Deputy Commissioner for Technology at the Office of Emergency Management, as “the embodiment of public service at its best. He is the full package: A great planner, a great implementer and a great innovator.”
Joseph Marcellino, Associate Director of Emergency Management, Coney Island Hospital, New York City Health + Hospitals
Joseph Marcellino is a nationally recognized authority and expert on Public Health Emergency Preparedness at Coney Island Hospital. When Hurricane Sandy hit, the hospital was flooded. It had no power or electricity and a raging fire on the campus. Mr. Marcellino oversaw the safe and smooth evacuation of all 250 patients, each with an evacuation kit with personal information, diagnosis, medical conditions and medications. The hospital was out of operation for six months, so Mr. Marcellino helped establish urgent care centers and a pharmacy in south Brooklyn as the hospital worked toward reopening. Dr. Mark Kindschuh, Chairman of Emergency Medicine explained, “Our emergency room cannot function without him. We rely on him for large-scale emergencies and for smaller ones like flu surges or multiple-injury car accidents. He saves lives, pure and simple.”
Renee Parham, Director, Emergency Services Bureau, Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services, New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)
As the Director of the Emergency Services Bureau and with 35 years’ experience at HPD, Ms. Parham is revered as an expert in the complex system of how to get repairs done well and quickly and how to ensure the housing code is met. Her team responds to 30,000 emergency repair cases a year, such as no heat, no water, burst pipes or collapsed ceilings. She is recognized not only for her team’s quick response time, but also for her ingenuity in finding temporary fixes. She will arrange a fuel drop off in the middle of the night. Her tenacity in holding landlords accountable when essential repairs are neglected and getting warrants so vendors can fix the problem is legendary. Ms. Parham said, “I want everyone in our division to put themselves into the position of tenants. Can you imagine trying to sleep with no heat in the dead of winter? What about not being able to cook for your family because you don’t have gas for the stove? That is always in the forefront of my mind and motivates me to work to the best of my ability.”
Candi Rodriguez, School Safety Agent Level III, New York City Police Department
Candi Rodriguez has been a School Safety Agent for 43 years in the Joan of Arc Public School Complex on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She is beloved by generations of neighborhood families. From day one, she got to know the students, learned how to head off fights, and collaborated with staff to change the culture of the school. She is singled out for her leadership skills, strong work ethic, and remarkable personality. Principal Brian Zager said, “When it’s about business, Candi is all about business. She’s an amazingly powerful presence. She’s about 5'3" tall, but she can give the impression she is 6'4".” Several people have observed that parents love her, kids love her, and staff love her. She has a personal interaction complete with an inside joke and a huge smile for every child who walks by her station. And at the end of day there is always a long line of students who won’t leave without a hug from Candi. The school is one of the safest in the city.
About the Fund for the City of New York
Created by the Ford Foundation in 1968 with the mandate to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers, the Fund for the City of New York achieves its mission by being responsive to the issues of New York City and to opportunities to improve the performance of its government and nonprofit organizations. All of the Fund’s accomplishments are the result of creative partnerships with foundations, government agencies, community-based organizations, the private sector, nonprofits and universities in New York. Its three strategic initiatives are the Center on Government Performance, the Center for Internet Innovation/E-Community Connect and the Center for Nonprofit Enterprise Solutions. Its core programs include Cash Flow Loans the Incubator Program, Design Studio and Management and Technology Assistance.
About the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Founded in 1934 by industrialist Alfred P. Sloan Jr., the Foundation is a not-for-profit grantmaking institution that supports high quality, impartial scientific research; fosters a robust, diverse scientific workforce; strengthens public understanding and engagement with science; and promotes the health of the institutions of scientific endeavor.
Shannon Duer, Gary Zarr & Associates, http://gzandassociates.com/, 6466036869, [email protected]
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