Charlette Hamamgian Is The Rookie Of The Year

Photo by Daniel Avila

In a year in which Parks has seen few new hires, we have been fortunate to hire a number of extremely smart, capable, energetic and hard-working individuals. The Rookie we are celebrating – Charlette Hamamgian - embodies those characteristics and stands out even among this extremely qualified group of nominees. The Capital Division is responsible for redesigning and rebuilding more than 1,700 sites including parks, playgrounds, ball fields, and natural areas. Handling the business services associated with this breadth of work is no small task, but Charlette embraced the challenge and quickly excelled in her role.

Charlette Hamamgian started with Parks on January 18, 2011 as the Chief of Management Services and Agency Chief Contracting Officer (ACCO) for the Capital Division. In this role, she oversees the daily operations of 35 procurement staff, including the Contracts, Finance/Accounting, Consultant Project Management and Budget units and manages all procurement-related activities. She oversees the submission of Capital budget plans, and ensures that all funding approvals and CPs are submitted and approved by OMB in a timely fashion.

Charlette immediately embraced the challenge of implementing Accenture’s strategic plan recommendations and even jump-started additional initiatives to maintain an up to date and transparent system of reporting payments against contracts. She also participated in creating Capital’s new project management software system, Unifier, and is now heading one of the user-acceptance tester teams. Charlette has gone above and beyond to improve and expand our agency’s Minority & Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program. She conducts outreach events, speaks on panels, educates Parks staff, and is now participating in the City’s pilot M/WBE mentorship program.

In awarding Charlette for Rookie of the Year, it is not one specific example that makes her stand out, but the sum of all of her hard work, dedication, ingenuity, and commitment to her job. Charlette has exemplified professionalism, intelligence, and grace under pressure, doing everything with a smile. With Charlette’s presence, the Capital Division has become a more inclusive, supportive, and positive place to work. She is an incredible asset to the Agency, a breath of fresh air, and we are lucky to have her on our team.

Charlette is a graduate of NYU where she majored in Politics and Art History and earned her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. A lifelong Queens resident, Charlette grew up in Forest Hills and currently lives in Astoria. When she’s not working, Charlette enjoys cooking, fashion and most importantly spending time with family and friends.

Charlette was honored at Parks' recent 22nd Annual Awards Ceremony.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“The right of every American to first-class citizenship
is the most important issue of our time.”

Jackie Robinson
(1919 – 1972)

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