A wide shot of city of Newberg employees at the employee celebration

 

City of Newberg Recognizes Employees at Employee Celebration

With reduced COVID restrictions and following a year and a half full of unprecedented events, City of Newberg staff came together on July 13, 2021, for an employee recognition and celebration event held at the Public Works Maintenance Yard. The event was a chance for staff to reflect on accomplishments from the past year, speak about the future, and eat some really good barbeque. The event also gave a chance to celebrate the employees at the City including both those who have given multiple years of service to the community, and those who have had an impact on the organization.

Years of Service Awards

5 Years of Service - Jeanne Schuback, Ximena Van Dyke, Doug Rux, Robin Nance, Leo French-Pinzon, Keith McKinnon, Steven McDonough, Daniel Fouch, Travis Hyder
10 Years of Service - Andrew Shepherd, Joesph Eubanks, Ian Rodriguez
15 Years of Service - Barbara Davis, Henry Clay, Carl Busse, Brooks Bateman, Jospeh Falbey, Steve Reutov, Robin Steele, Lauri Steinbeck, Edwin Thomas, Jeffrey Moreland, Pavil Snegirev
20 Years of Service - Korie Buerkle, Nathaniel Brown
25 Years of Service - Denise Christensen
 

Lacey Dykgraaf with Russ Thomas and Mayor Rick Rogers

Rookie of the Year
lACEY DYKGRAAF, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST

The Rookie of the Year award is given to an employee that has been employed for at least one year, who has demonstrated initiative, creativity and an ability to make a significant contribution to the City in a short time. Lacey Dykgraaf started her role as the Community Engagement Specialist in November of 2019. Since beginning her position, Lacey has helped guide the organization toward standardization, professionalism, and consistency in materials. She maintains a positive spirit and attitude and is always willing to assist on projects and requests. 

Karen Tarmichael with Russ Thomas and Mayor Rick Rogers

Safety Employee of the Year Award
KAREN TARMICHAEL, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND COVID LIASON

The Safety Employee of the Year award recognizes an employee for keeping the City safe by taking the initiative and having a critical eye on safety issues throughout City buildings and processes. The COVID-19 Pandemic was extremely challenging for many employees at the City. Luckily, early in the pandemic, Karen Tarmichael took on the responsibility and was designated as the "COVID Liason" for all City operations. Karen has worked tirelessly to ensure safety protocols were implemented throughout the City, constantly refreshing signs, keeping employees informed on status, and organizing vaccination clinics. She kept up-to-date on all of the news, meeting with county, state, and local officials. She also worked with Dan Keuler to ensure the City received FEMA reimbursements. Karen has demonstrated incredible stamina, persistence, and a deep compassion and care for all City employees in this past year. We thank her for all of her work! 

Brett Sylvester shaking hands with Russ Thomas

Norton Award – Public Works Maintenance Employee of the Year
bret Sylvester, PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE

The Norton Award recognizes the City of Newberg Public Works Maintenance Employee of the Year and recognizes an individual who exemplifies the best characteristics and standards of a Public Works employee. This year’s winner, Bret Sylvester, Utility Tech II, is the first person to win the award 3 times as selected by all Public Works Maintenance employees. Bret always does the best job he can, regardless of the task, location, and weather conditions. He is loyal to his co-workers, willing to lend a hand, and can always be found with a good attitude and finding humour in the situation. 

Russ Thomas, Mayor Rick Rogers, and Alison Selier

Visionary Award
Alison Seiler, Human resources project specialist 

The Visionary Award goes to an employee who has foresight, plans ahead, and continually works hard today to create a better tomorrow. This year's recipient, Alison Seiler, has been instrumental in the past year. Alison served as the Interim Human Resources shortly after starting at the City and revamped multiple systems, creating more streamlined processes, implementing new technologies, and setting the department up for success in the future. She greets every morning with a positive attitude, works tirelessly towards continuous improvement, and is a huge asset to the City. 

Mayor Rick Rogers and Sue Ryan

The George Layman Employee of the Year Award
Sue Ryan, City Recorder

The George Layman Employee of the Year Award was established in 1982 to honor George Layman, a local attorney whose commitment to the community and state was exemplary and long lasting. This year’s recipient, City Recorder Sue Ryan, works often behind the scenes to ensure the City is in compliance with public record laws, public meeting laws, and is always available to answer questions. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sue quickly adapted the City's public meetings to an online environment, ensuring we kept community interaction while helping staff and volunteers adapt. She takes on projects that improve the City everyday without fanfare and shows enormous patience and shows respect to everyone she interacts with. 

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