Please help us congratulate our 2022 Employee of the Year, Penny Sutphin, and 2022 Safety Employee of the Year, Hanford Police Officer Mark Carrillo. Both were nominated by their respective departments, and in mid-December, all City department heads cast their votes for both the Employee of the Year and the Safety Employee of the Year.
Penny, a payroll analyst, has worked for the City's Finance Department for 25 years. Last year, she was charged with the implementation of the City's new payroll system, a time-consuming and complicated task. Penny worked tirelessly to roll out the new system, train her co-workers, and create flexibility within the system while adhering to payroll-related rules and laws.
Here are some excerpts from her Employee of the Year Nomination Form.
• "As an employee, Penny is a tremendous asset to the City, and has a fierce determination to make sure employees are compensated appropriately and all of the back end ‘taken for granted’ items (such as reporting to outside agencies, coordination with other departments) are completed."
• "There is not a single task that Penny would not be willing to take on if asked. She continuously is ready and willing to support her coworkers in the department and City which is helpful due to her tremendous historical knowledge of processes in the city. Helping others with a servant type of attitude is second nature to her, making sure things are right and accurate is on top of her mind."
Officer Mark Carrillo joined the Hanford Police Department in 2003, working as a patrol officer, field training officer, and Problem Oriented Policing (POP) team investigator. Currently a member of the Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART), colleagues say he takes a proactive and problem-solving approach to his daily duties. They believe his hard work on the HART team has had a direct impact on the quality of life for Hanford's unhoused community, residents, and business owners.
Here are some excerpts from his Safety Employee of the Year Nomination Form.
• "Officer Carrillo’s witty humor brings laughter to a career field when at times seems to be riddled with rough situations to handle. Officer Carrillo truly understands how teamwork and service can bring about positive changes to those around him."
• "In addition to his regular duties, Officer Carrillo dedicates a lot of his own time and money to the south side of town, specifically Lincoln Elementary School. Nearly every day, Officer Carrillo patrols the area around this school to ensure students are walking safely to begin their day at school. I have personally seen parents thank Officer Carrillo for doing this as well as seen the joy students exhibit by giving him high-fives or exchanging a joke or two."
Earlier today, Penny and Officer Carrillo were surprised with a commemorative plaque, bundt cake, and even some extra vacation hours. We are lucky to have them, and appreciate their commitment to serving the City's staff and citizens.
Congratulations!