Mundelein Park District employees honored for their work
Mundelein Park & Recreation District's Annual Employee Recognition event was limited to a virtual setting in late January, but six employees that were recognized deserved a celebration more on the scale of a gala.
The Administration Department recognized Risk Manager Nerissa Brueckbauer. She did an exemplary job of keeping the district informed during the roller coaster of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her role in keeping employees and patrons safe was delivered with compassion, patience, and kindness.
Ted Costa was recognized by the Buildings and Grounds Department for showing an exceptional work ethic daily. This past year the hiring of seasonal staff was limited, and Costa stepped up and went out of his way to help others at work, often working extra time on short notice.
The Recreation Department recognized Cheri Rehor for her role in creating and managing an entirely new way of school with the district's E-Learning Hub. Her quick problem-solving skills, creativity, flexibility, and vision made programs, including summer camp, a huge success.
Two seasonal employees, Jose Espino and Michael Kiewicz, were recognized for Steeple Chase Golf Club. With COVID-19 protocols, the job of cart attendant drastically changed. Cleaning and disinfection of the carts increased the workload by well over double of previous years. Espino and Kiewicz developed systems of getting carts ready for safe use and made the operation look seamless and normal to customers.
The Board of Commissioners recognized Christa Lawrence for rising to the challenge to keep the park district invaluable to the public during the height of the crisis. She headed brainstorming sessions to inspire thinking outside the box for new ways to serve the public when in-person programs were not an option.
She single-handedly wrote and illustrated "My New Mask," a book and video explaining to children why face coverings are needed. She created both English and Spanish versions to reach more residents of the community.
Proceeds of more than $2,000 from the book sales went to the Mundelein Parks Foundation funding efforts to promote and enhance facilities, services, programs, parks, and special projects. For information, visit mundeleinparks.org.
Also recognized were Jill Miller for 25 years of service; Bill Brolley, Jon Karl and Elizabeth Legoff for 20 years of service; Stephen Moylan and Carol Specht for 10 years; and Christa Lawrence, Elizabeth Bedolla, Tony Elsasser, James Nelson, Fernando Soto, Shari Rivi, Sindy Duent-Poggy, April Lee, Christine Malstaff and Mark Thommes for five years.
"There were many accomplishments in 2020, and it was a team effort," said Ron Salski, executive director of Mundelein Park & Recreation District. "We are incredibly proud of all our staff, as they believed MPRD programs, facilities, and services were essential to our community.
"Some employees decided to go the extra mile to keep our customers and co-workers moving forward with an extraordinary capacity to lead. I congratulate them all on a respected, districtwide award and the numerous employees who stepped up for our community and district.
"Our board of commissioners and I are grateful for our talented, dedicated, innovative, and kind staff."
For more information about Mundelein Park & Recreation District, visit mundeleinparks.org, or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@MundeleinParks).