Parks Salutes Its Employees Of The Month (Part I)

Gary Gaddist is an Operations Employee of the Month for August.
Gary began his career with Parks as a CPW in June 1998 and was promoted to APSW in September 2002. He works in Manhattan’s District 1 and is responsible for operating the packer truck to ensure that Battery Park, City Hall Park, and others in the district are free of litter and debris. Led by Gary, District 1 has frequently maintained a flawless cleanliness rating of 100%.
Gary’s dedication to his job is evident day in and day out. However, one extraordinary day in August sealed the Employee of the Month honor. On Monday, August 20, Gary arrived at work and found a note on the windshield of the Parks packer truck that he drives. The note was from a distressed Parks patron, Danielle Hatherly Carroll, who explained that she was looking for a lost wedding band. Mrs. Carroll, an artist, visited Battery Park the day before and suspected that she mistakenly threw her ring into the trash while cleaning up after a painting class.
After reading Mrs. Carroll’s note, Gary sprung into action. He drove back out to the trash drop-off depot on Randall’s Island. He sifted through numerous bags of day-old garbage and, similar to finding a needle in a haystack, Gary astonishingly found her ring. Gary did not have to do this but felt that it was the right thing to do. Needless to say, Mrs. Carroll was ecstatic when she learned of the good news and had high praise for Gary.
Gary demonstrated exemplary customer service in this instance and truly went above and beyond his daily duties in assisting Mrs. Carroll and for this exceptional work, he was nominated by Parks Supervisor II Alfred Nardo and First Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanagh.

Sean Moloney is the Capital Projects Employee of the Month for August.
Sean is an Operations Coordinator and has been with Parks since June 2001.
In his role, Sean is responsible for facilities and emergency response management in the Olmsted Center and Capital’s borough field offices. In addition, he coordinates relocation activities, parking permits, fire safety procedures, and all repairs to Capital facilities.
Sean began with Parks in 2001 as a seasonal Playground Assistant in Recreation but by 2004 rose to Deputy Center Manager at Lost Battalion Hall in Queens. In 2008, Sean was selected as Operations Coordinator where he brings extensive knowledge and forward thinking solutions to facility management.
Sean goes the extra mile to gain knowledge and address issues in a timely manner. He has repeatedly worked through the night and over weekends to address emergency situations caused by hurricanes and storms. For example, after Hurricane Irene hit NYC last year, Sean “sand bagged” the area, covered broken windows, and even spread 7,200 square feet of rubber roofing himself to the most severely damaged areas. Sean has been proactive, not reactive, in repairing field offices like the Fort Totten office where water leaks were a problem. Sean trimmed hanging limbs so that he could clean or replace them, making the office water and mold free.
In his spare time, Sean plays guitar and sings and his favorite sports are hockey and golf. Sean’s partner, Kelly Gillen, is the Deputy Chief of Queens Recreation, and they have a two year old son named Liam who already plays golf with dad. For his contributions to Capital, he was nominated by Chief of Administrative Services for Capital Projects Linda Agnello and Deputy Commissioner Therese Braddick.

Susan Soggs is Management’s Employee of the Month for August.
Susan started her career at Parks in 2006 as a GED instructor for the Parks Opportunity Program. She is currently a Senior Education Instructor, where she plans the curriculum and coordinates the provision of all education instruction for POP.
Susan is known for her creativity in implementing innovative solutions to address educational challenges. Following the resignation of two instructors this past year, she was faced with the possibility of ending instruction for hundreds of students. In response, Susan reorganized the structure of the curriculum and initiated subject-based classes. To overcome the shortage of instructors, she invited staff members with varying strengths and backgrounds to teach different topics. Susan saw this as an opportunity for staff members to make an impact while doing something they liked, were interested in, and were good at!
Susan also improved efficiency by implementing the Official Practice Test (OPT), ensuring that only the most prepared POP trainees take the GED exam. As a result, the GED pass rate for POP trainees increased by 27%. By streamlining both instruction and operations, she was able to improve the quality of service for POP trainees as well as their outcomes with regard to GED attainment.
POP trainees frequently credit their academic achievements to Susan’s investment in them. She can often be found staying late to tutor her students or talking to them and giving them pep talks the night before the big exam to calm their nerves.
Susan would likely decline any recognition for her students’ achievements, and say that they are 100% responsible for their own success. However, she provides them with the intellectual challenge, the professional competence, and the unwavering emotional support for their educational achievements. She understands the obstacles inherent in educating people who have instability in their lives, and she makes it clear to her students that as long as they have an investment in learning, she will provide them with that guidance and stability.
Susan has extensive experience in restaurant management and in the limited free time she has, works various parks events as needed. She is an animal lover who likes to spend her weekends in Cold Spring, New York. For her dedication and hard work, Susan was nominated by Chief of POP Liza Ehrlich and Deputy Commissioner Robert Garafola.

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