Parks Salutes Its Employees Of The Month

Sarah Grieb is the Management Employee of the Month for May. Sarah is the Publications and Data Coordinator for GreenThumb and has been with Parks since August, 2007.

Sarah is responsible for drafting and publishing GreenThumb publications including the GreenThumb Print (newsletter), monthly garden events calendars and press materials. She also manages the GreenThumb website and coordinates correspondence with gardeners, and the calendar of greening partners

In her first year at GreenThumb, Sarah jumped in and co-curated GreenThumb’s Gotham, a photographic history of 100 years of community gardening in NYC. In addition, she managed the project to update the GreenThumb Gardener’s Handbook and served as the project leader on the redesign of greenthumbnyc.org. Sarah has also collaborated with OMP to make the community garden registration process paperless.

Sarah is multi-talented, possessing the skills of a writer, editor and photographer. She is the go-to person for office tech support and also the most proficient database user. She tries to keep the office environment light and injects her own sense of fun and interaction into the program guides, event calendars, and press materials.

Sarah is one of 6 children and enjoys making people laugh. In her spare time, she likes to travel, cook, draw, sew, and spend time with her yorkie, Rhoda. For her hard work, Sarah has been nominated by Director of GreenThumb Edie Stone and Deputy Commissioner for Community Outreach Larry Scott Blackmon.

Michael Azzollini is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month for May. Michael is the Senior Resident Engineer for the Citywide Boardwalks Unit and has been with Parks since July, 1987. In his role, Mike is the liaison between the contractors and the Design/Engineering staff for the Coney Island, Staten Island, and Rockaway Boardwalks.

Mike has managed various emergency contracts totaling over $85 million, including efforts at the Rockaway Boardwalk and the Verrazano narrows. Additionally, he oversaw the prototype timber and concrete construction of the Coney Island and Rockaway Boardwalks.

With the urgency of preparing the boardwalks for the current beach season in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Mike prioritized tasks based on the availability of supplies and materials, while managing and scheduling all contractor personnel. He also oversaw the excavation of a dozen test pits in the Rockaway Beach sand dunes to assuage the concerns of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Mike performs his duties in the most efficient and effective manner. His paperwork is impeccable and his calculations and cost analyses are touted by EAO and the Construction Directors as the best in his department. Mike is also known for his excellent communication skills. Interestingly, both he and his son are licensed pilots.

For his efforts, Michael has been nominated by Parks’ Chief Engineer John Natoli and Deputy Commissioner Terese Braddick.

Martha Brodylo is the Public Programs Employee of the Month for May. Martha is an Urban Park Ranger and has been with Parks since October, 2009. For the past two years, she has been stationed at Inwood Hill Nature Center, providing engaging programs for Northern Manhattan residents.

Martha aims to enhance the experiences of park patrons every chance she gets. Recently, at the Drums on the Hudson event in Inwood Hill Park, she was asked to lead impromptu programs at the Center’s wigwam and interpretative garden. Anticipating the large crowd, Martha created informational signage outside the wigwam so that those who could not fit inside could still enjoy the program.

Martha continues to be the lead Ranger organizing the Community Compost Center at Inwood. She has repeatedly worked with the Lower East Side Ecology Center to renovate and improve the compost bin at the park. Through her work with a small group of volunteers, the bin was rebuilt and reopened on Earth Day weekend to the excitement of community residents.

Martha serves as a mentor to new team members whether they are UPRs, JTPs, or volunteers. She actively demonstrates dedication, determination, decisiveness, and devotion to her duties as an environmental educator by acting as a role model, using sustainable practices in her everyday routine. For her passion for education and the environment, Martha has been nominated by Director of the Urban Park Rangers Sarah Aucoin and Assistant Commissioner for Public Programs Annika Holder.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“Those who can, build.”

Robert Moses
(1888-1981)

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