Parks Salutes Its Employees Of The Month

Joseph Block is the Commissioner’s Employee of the Month for January.
Joseph is an Outreach Coordinator and has been with Parks since March 30, 2009. Joseph is an Outreach Coordinator for Western Queens and has worked to build strong relationships between Partnerships for Parks and the City Parks Foundation. Joe has been integral in ensuring the smooth planning process of events such as It’s My Park Day in Spring 2011. He has also served as a valuable resource on behalf of Parks in the Western Queens community visioning process for the waterfront parks. In addition, while it does not fall within his description, Joe has gone out of his way to assist with essential storm damage assessments and clean-up efforts after devastating storms hit Queens over the past year. For his dedication to Parks, he was nominated by Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Director of Outreach for Queens and Manhattan at Partnership for Parks Sabina Saragoussi.

Mitch Murdock is the Commissioner’s Employee of the Month for February.
Mitch is a Senior Project Manager in Planning & Parklands and has been with Parks since 2002. Mitch started in Central Forestry before moving to Brooklyn Forestry. He has been with the Planning & Parklands Division since 2007 as the Bronx Project Manager. In his current role, Mitch has overseen many complex and high-profile planning projects, including Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Greenpoint Williamsburg Redevelopment, the Columbia University Boathouse, and the Floating Pool. Mitch has worked diligently and adeptly to see these projects to completion, while also finding time to complete a Masters in Landscape Design from Columbia University (’09). He also has been maintaining multiple aquariums of exotic fish, including two in his office in the Arsenal. Sadly, Mitch will be leaving New York City at the end of the month to move to Chicago. New York City’s loss is Chicago’s gain. For his excellent contribution to Parks over the last ten years, he was nominated by Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Assistant Commissioner Joshua Laird and Director of Planning Nick Molinari.

Kerry Lowe is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month for February.
Kerry is Assistant Interagency Coordinator and has been with Parks since February 11, 2010. In her second stint with the Agency, Kerry serves as Parks’ liaison with city, state, and federal agencies conducting work on parkland and parkways through the five boroughs. Kerry has played a lead role in coordinating participation from various divisions within Parks on the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, the Harlem River Greenway, and the National Grid & Transco/Williams Gas Pipeline Projects. She has been able to help move complex projects forward through her keen attention to detail, tenacious follow-up, skilled negotiating abilities, and consensus building among colleagues. For her dedication she was nominated by Deputy Commissioner Therese Braddick and Interagency Coordinator Daniel Grulich.

David Carlisle is the Management Employee of the Month for February.
David is a Senior Auditor for OMP and has been with Parks since July 14, 2008. David has worked with OMP’s auditors to conduct program evaluations, concessions audits, and other assessments to ensure the agency is implementing internal controls to manage assets properly. David is dedicated to ensuring all audits are conducted in the most professional manner and that Parks concessions are complying with their license agreements. David’s feedback on audit-related issues is refreshing and insightful and he is not afraid to express his professional opinion concerning findings in his audits. One of David’s most interesting audits was of the Van Cortlandt Stables in the Bronx. In a short time, David became an expert in horse counts including missing horses, retired horses, and PEP horses and the feeding habits of show horses. For his efforts, he was nominated by Deputy Commissioner Robert Garafola and Director of OMP Jun Lee.

Joseph Morreale is an Operations Employee of the Month for February.
Joseph is a City Park Worker for Brooklyn Greenstreets and has been with Parks since March 19, 2007. Joseph serves as a crew leader of seasonal workers and workfare participants and helps maintain the borough’s 461 traffic medians. Although he is a CPW, he has learned how to drive heavy duty equipment and has learned horticulture both on his own and through work with Supervisor Peter McWhinney. He takes every opportunity to learn more, works well with his supervisors and co-workers, and possesses excellent customer service skills. Most recently, Joseph devoted his time after hours to updating and improving the Greenstreet routes to minimize travel time and maximize efficiency. For his dependability, hard work, and great attitude he was nominated by First Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanagh and Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey.

Lisa Henry is the Public Programs Employee of the Month for February.
Lisa is a Recreation Specialist and has been with Parks since May 11, 1995. Lisa supervises Senior programs, conducts outreach to promote activities at Pelham Fritz Recreation Center, and always ensures that the center is decorated for holidays. Lisa is the lead coordinator of a partnership with Presbyterian Senior Services to provide daily activities to more than 40 seniors. Her idea for a Senior Quilting Program has grown into a flourishing activity. She never shies away from leading new initiatives as she is currently working with the Manhattan Borough Office to pilot a fitness and nutrition counseling group in conjunction with Columbia University students. For her hard work, Lisa was nominated by Assistant Commissioner Annika Holder, Manhattan Chief of Recreation Kim McNeal, and Center Manager Hakeem Omolade.

Tammy Mitchell is the Beyond the Call Employee of the Month for February.
Tammy is the Deputy Center Manager at Lost Battalion Hall in Queens and has been with Parks since April 24, 1995. On February 9, a member who was exercising in the fitness room at Lost Battalion Hall collapsed while speaking to an employee. Without hesitation, Tammy jumped into action, performing CPR and utilizing the AED machine just before EMS arrived to rush the member to the hospital. The member had surgery to install a stint and is making an excellent recovery. Tammy confronted an extraordinary circumstance and set an example for other Parkies in reacting quickly to a difficult situation that helped save a life. Although the daily task of maintaining and managing her center’s AED machine may seem ordinary, Tammy’s actions on February 9 were extraordinary. For going beyond the call of duty, she was nominated by Assistant Commissioner Nancy Barthold, Assistant Commissioner Annika Holder, Chief of Recreation Iris Rodriguez, and Deputy Chief of Recreation Kelly Gillen.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“After all, it is hard to master both life and work equally well.
So if you are bound to fake one of them, it had better be life.”

Joseph Brodsky
(1940 – 1996)

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