Group Awards

ACS Team Mobile Technology and Technical Support

 

 

 

The ACS OIT Mobile Technology and Technical Support staff teamed up and worked tirelessly, with help from DoITT and NYC OEM to equip thousands of agency staff with laptops, smartphones and Microsoft Surface tablets for a seamless tele-work experience. The teams assisted many staff connect to ACS networks and applications remotely to continue working regardless of their location. The team showed tremendous courage in coming on site to deploy these devices and provide ongoing daily support to ACS staff to ensure that our Agency can fulfil its mission to keep Children and families of New York City safe.

• Novaid Khan, Director of Mobile Technologies
• Gladys Spencer, Mobile Technology Team Lead
• Collette Oliver, Sr. Asset Management Analyst
• Joshua Pimentel, Sr. Mobile Device Management Engineer
• Sammantha Sanduro, Mobile Device Management Engineer
• Ingrid Oyuela, Team Lead Technical Support
• David Lerner, Technical Support Engineer
• Sandra Smith, Technical Support Engineer
• Scott Mizzi-Gilli, Technical Support Engineer

These are our heroes without a cape! We thank them all so very much for everything they do.

Individual Awards

Melissa Jimenez

Melissa Jimenez joined the NYC Business Integrity Commission in January of 2018 as the agency Receptionist. Melissa demonstrates professionalism in her interactions with members of the public by assisting them in-person as well as by phone and email. As the agency receptionist, she greets all who come to BIC and also plays an important role to the Licensing Unit's work by performing numerous tasks specific to this unit. She is a team player and strives to help others.

Group Awards

Investigations Unit

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Business Integrity Commission (BIC) Investigations Unit has distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) to BIC licensed and registered companies in need of PPE. BIC investigators and market agents have handed out over 21,000 face masks and more than 6,500 bottles of hand sanitizer. Also, beginning with the Open Streets Initiative in May 2020 and expanding to Open Restaurants and Play Streets, the BIC investigators have been patrolling the affected areas to ensure compliance by BIC trade waste licensees and registrants in accordance with the Open Streets programs and BIC's rules to keep City streets clean and safe.

Additionally, in response to the pandemic, the BIC Licensing Unit and Investigations Unit worked together to issue BIC trade waste conveyance license plates to BIC licensees and registrants without representatives from those companies appearing at BIC in person. Without the proper BIC license plates, companies cannot use their trucks to collect commercial waste. While the agency as a whole, and the Licensing Unit specifically, adapted to remote telework swiftly, certain tasks require in-office processing, such as preparing the issuance of BIC license plates.

BIC Investigations Unit

• Cheryl Garcia, Deputy Commissioner Investigations
• Gerald McNally, Executive Director of Investigations
• James Baratta, Deputy Director of Investigations
• Gabe Seda, Deputy Director of Enforcement
• Eduardo Marrero, Enforcement Unit Supervisor

Investigators

• Andrew Cunningham
• Patrick Dineen
• William Doheny
• Carlos Enriquez
• Jeffrey Makhmaltchi
• Edward Miranda
• James Murphy
• Thomas Sheridan
• Elbert Villavicencio
• Dennis Yi

Complaint Intake Coordinator

• Gabrielle Parente

Market Agents

• Ahmad Weish
• Antonio Reed
• Carlton May
• Maria Hernandez
• Stanley Low
• Yvette Thomas
• Michael Stephens

BIC Licensing Unit

• Nicholas Bon, Director of Licensing and Background Investigations
• Christy Capolongo, Deputy Director of Licensing
• Jessica Vargas, Licensing Specialist

Licensing Specialists

• Naomi Jones
• Tetiana Geletei
• Samantha Inesta
• Denisse Ovalle

Receptionist

• Melissa Jimenez

Group Awards

ACCESS NYC Team

ACCESS NYC team manages ACCESS NYC, the online portal that helps New Yorkers identify, screen for, and prepare to apply for public benefits. The team conducts user research, creates prototypes, develops, and sets ongoing strategies for the digital product. ACCESS NYC team also responds to customer inquiries regarding finding and applying for public benefits.

The ACCESS NYC team continually uses website, help desk, newsletters, and other communication channels to disseminate timely information about public benefits to New Yorkers. During the pandemic of COVID-19, the team created a COVID-19 resource page and has been publishing daily updates related to the fast-changing information coming from the city, state, and federal government on the page. Helping New Yorkers is in the blood of this team. Since the pandemic, the team has responded to thousands of customer inquiries regarding public benefits ranging from unemployment, food, health, housing, to finance. The team understands the urgency of these inquiries and works tirelessly to answer them. With limited resources, the team is able to respond to every inquiry within a few hours with accurate and comprehensive information. This small but mighty team sets a model of customer service excellence.

• Devon Hirth
• Hilina Mohammed
• Song Hia
• Steven Aguilar

Individual Awards

Adneri Ponce

As an Associate Human Rights Specialist, Adneri Ponce is the point of contact between the NYC Commission on Human Rights and New York City's residents - particularly its Spanish speaking communities. In this capacity, she works within the Community Relations Bureau on outreach and education programs to address race-based discrimination and other forms of discrimination that people can be faced with. Adneri also leads the Commission's participation in community-centered forums and works with many back-to-work organizations to assist their clients.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the very nature of the Commission's community relations work changed, presenting both challenges as we liaise with the City's vulnerable communities. The ability to work remotely and create virtual programming was a great benefit; however, it alienated many low-income communities or others who did not have access to technology and WIFI, or who simply were not adept at using the virtual online platforms to communicate. Despite these hurdles, Adneri was able to adjust and find ways to engage with the vulnerable communities we serve.

Adneri was chosen for the Customer Service Award because of the generosity of spirit she displays time and time again. She takes her time when it comes to educating people on the law via our workshops. She also does a tremendous job in helping potential complainants understand whether or not the claim they are presenting to the agency is jurisdictional. Adneri's ability to relate to various New Yorkers based on language access, culture, lived experience, and a number of other factors is always on display. Many of the organizations we work with, ask for her specifically when it is time to liaise with their clients or facilitate a presentation.

Individual Awards

Myra Mayo

During COVID19 Myra has held a number of special positions including Special Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner Get Food Initiative and SADSC Ombudsman Office Director Get Cool Initiative. Myra was tasked with the recruitment, training and support of volunteer DFTA staff to enroll older New Yorkers into these two new programs. The goal was enrollment for food and a/c's to support isolated older vulnerable New Yorkers.

Myra was tasked with a difficult goal, to recruit, train and support volunteer/staff teams to enroll clients into two massive initiatives-- Get Food NYC and Get Cool. Myra quietly demonstrated steady leadership. She worked long hours to support the mission, often you'd find her helping a client long into the night. She is fierce in her support of staff and clients alike--fighting to get information, to help answer client questions or to help staff juggle difficult situations. Myra is a true champion of the most vulnerable and a great team leader.

Group Awards

Grandparent Resource Center

The GRC supports kinship caregivers by providing resources and trainings in parenting and advocacy skills. They have over 1,000 clients, the majority within 15 NYCHA developments. From the beginning of the pandemic, the GRC Unit has provided outstanding customer service to all our clients, whether providing a one-time service or ongoing.

• Helen Flowers
• Brandy Orange
• Antoinette Emers
• Frank McCrea
• Grant Cruz
• Wendy Porrata
• Rosemary Seepaul

Individual Awards

Chief DeLuca

Chief DeLuca oversees Development Construction inspections in all five boroughs. His responsibilities include overseeing his Team comprised of an assistance chief, supervising inspectors, inspectors and administrative staff. As the only construction chief, he is responsible for overseeing construction inspections for the Five boroughs.

Chief DeLuca is respectful and courteous when responding to inquiries from customers. The Chief is a seasoned professional and freely shares his knowledge. He is responsive and understands the importance of providing timely and prompt information to his staff, his internal and external customers, and by doing facilitates construction development.

During these times of crisis goes out alone and inspects all COVID19 sites. He has also assisted with inspections for school reopenings. He maintains the current construction service levels across the five boroughs with minimal staff as most inspectors are on inspection sweeps.

Individual Awards

Cassia Robert

Cassia Robert is an Intake Clerk at the Licensing Center, who accepts and processes applications for DCA and DOHMH interacting with Licensing customers face to face. She also schedules appointments for customers to return to the Licensing Centers, while complying with relevant safety regulations. The communication with customers includes searches in the system while having customer on the phone, explanation of the changes
resulted from the COVID 19, license requirement and general information. Cassia demonstrated ability to relay the information patiently, concisely, accurately and easy to understand for general public. Cassia is efficient, caring, resourceful and happy to offer helping hand to general public and her co-workers. She often performs above and beyond, and she is known as the "go-to" person for her co-workers. She willingly offers her expertise and knowledge to help teammates navigate through the system, if the supervisors are occupied, to ensure that customers are getting the best possible service. Her quick and accurate thinking, attention to detail, and loyalty have endeared her to her colleagues and customers. She shows great commitment to her job and excels in customer service.

Group Awards

The Visiting Inspector Program Team

The Visiting Inspector Program Team visits new licensees to provide in-person business education on how to comply with the laws and rules enforced by the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. The team also conducts qualifying inspections of businesses applying for a license and engages in community outreach with the External Affairs Team during Business Education Days. The team is composed of both experienced Senior Inspectors and the talented operations staff who record inspection outcomes, schedule appointments and administer the VIP Program.

The VIP Inspectors stay current in their knowledge of regulations affecting local businesses and actively support cross-training with other agencies including Small Business Services. They regularly accompany Commissioner Salas and other City leaders on neighborhood walks to instruct small business owners on the laws and rules enforced by the Department. In the summer of 2020, they began educating businesses on New York City's business reopening requirements for public safety and social distancing. The inspectors have performed this work across the City to a diverse set of businesses, and they have always demonstrated courtesy and respect in their interactions with both frontline staff and business owners.

• Armando Sosa
• David Raja
• Nadia Bell
• Pieter Bootsma
• Jason Gorbardhan
• Johanna Hernandez
• Iraida Rodriguez

Group Awards

DEP Bureau of Information Technology

 

 

 

As COVID-19 workplace restrictions were put into place in March, DEP transitioned several thousand employees from office sites scattered across the five boroughs and upstate watersheds to teleworking from home - all in just a matter of days. DEP's Business Information Technology (BIT) team provided the necessary hardware and support to allow all staff who could work from home to do so, while ensuring the integrity and security of our IT system to protect our customers and their information.

DEP's BIT team has played an important role over the last few months to ensure a seamless office experience remotely, which has allowed us to continue to serve our customers without interruption. From user support and trainings, to maintaining IT infrastructure, our BIT team helped to ensure that DEP's core mission and values were maintained during these unprecedented times. Thanks to our BIT team, we were able to assist our nearly 900,000 water bill customers without sacrificing our high customer service standards.

• Ryan Hughes
• Vic Kayharee
• Wanda Cruz
• Carrie Ballah
• Richard McGhie
• Juan Formosa
• Farhan Abdullah
• Helen Li
• Christopher Smith
• Michael Shum

Individual Awards

Magdalena Mikofsky

Maggie communicates with DHS/DSS and SHS program providers and updates policy to assure adherence. She constantly goes the extra mile with every task she encounters. She is innovative and looks for way to provide additional support to me as well as our providers. She is detail oriented and often identifies potential concerns before they arise making appropriate suggestions to prevent any disruptions to service. Maggie contributes to and often leads in facilitating a weekly teleconference to providers where program information and updates are communicated. Maggie has provided tremendous support to the stabilization bed providers by being organized, reliable, professional and knowledgeable about the work in street homeless solutions.

Group Awards

Single Audit

The DHS Single Adults (SA) Division provides shelter and ensures that an array of services and supports are available for over 17,000 single adults and over 4450 individuals that make up adult families experiencing homelessness. While the work done by this team is difficult to do in the absence of a global pandemic, the fact that they have successfully faced every COVID-related challenge presented to them while still fulfilling their day-to-day work is an incredible feat. Further, while other social safety net providers were reducing or eliminating the services being offered, the SA team continued to operate a 24/7 shelter system to ensure that our most vulnerable residents could receive the highest level of DHS services they needed.

COVID-19 presented significant challenges to the SA division, as a majority of the shelters are congregate settings with dorms that range from 4 to 40 clients, making these spaces difficult to promote social distancing to stop/prevent the spread of COVID-19 among clients and staff. As the prevalence of COVID-19 cases increased throughout the City, SA developed processes through which they could quickly identify and move symptomatic or COVID-+ clients away from the general shelter population. Because of this team's dedication, DHS was able to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by coordinating the move of approximately 10,000 DHS clients into commercial hotels.

• Yvonne Ballard, Associate Commissioner
• Bill Distefano, Assistant Commissioner
• Marian Moorer, Associate Commissioner
• Iris Rodriguez, Deputy Commissioner
• Sonya Russell, Assistant Commissioner
• Cindy Teta, Assistant Commissioner
• Dean Uetake, Assistant Commissioner
• Aqueelah Winston, Associate Commissioner

Program Administrators

• Arlene Adekoya, Program Administrator
• Arlene Bogad, Program Administrator
• Patricia Britton, Program Administrator
• Delbert Browne, Program Administrator
• Jorge Fernandez, Program Administrator
• Paul Hargrow, Program Administrator
• John Hammond, Program Administrator
• Heather Joiner, Program Administrator
• Kelly Kooper, Program Administrator
• John Mendoza, Program Administrator
• Daniel Nicholas, Program Administrator
• Craig O'Connor, Program Administrator
• Johanna Sanchez, Program Administrator
• Alberto Telleria, Program Administrator
• Dione Vega, Program Administrator
• Andrei Zatalokin, Program Administrator

Program Analyst

• Viktar Amelyanchyk, Program Analyst
• Charde Baker, Program Analyst
• Margarita Bogolyubova, Program Analyst
• Grace Chan, Program Analyst
• William Flores, Program Analyst
• Desiret Garcia, Program Analyst
• Marcelle Georges, Program Analyst
• Debora Harris, Program Analyst
• Marie Esther Jeanty-Rein, Program Analyst
• Annishka Johnson, Program Analyst
• Marina Keyserman, Program Analyst
• Vadim Kurolapnik, Program Analyst
• Indira Mahadeo, Program Analyst
• Anand Mathura, Program Analyst
• David Oguntoye, Program Analyst
• Sam Orimogunje, Program Analyst
• Liliann Outs, Program Analyst
• Maxene Parris, Program Analyst
• Anthony Roussos, Program Analyst
• Rogelio Turcios, Program Analyst

Staff

• Adina Benoussan, Occupational Therapist
• Michael Coleman, Community Coordinator
• Hector Cruz, Community Coordinator
• Sarah Easterling, Administrative Director of Social Services
• Joseph Esheyigba, Community Coordinator
• Erin Foster, Special Projects Coordinator
• Darryl German, Community Associate
• Jeanette Green, PAA
• Debra Greve, Executive Assistant/Admin Manager
• Johanna Gutierrez-Kahn, Director of Shelter Support Services
• George Lopez, Community Associate
• Tiecha Merritt, Community Coordinator
• Natalie Metayer, Community Coordinator
• Loyda Molina, Community Coordinator
• Laura Monegio, Community Coordinator
• Susan Nayowith, Manager
• Elena Nunez, Community Coordinator
• Joel Okogeri, Program Director
• Olakunle Oyeleye, Commuity Coordinator
• Lena Rodriguez, ADSS
• Suzy Sanford, Director of Operations
• Carolyn Scurry, Community Associate
• Alisa Simmons, Community Coordinator
• Valerie Sutton, Special Project Manager/Special Assist
• June Thomas, Community Coordinator
• Orlando Valentin, Community Coordinator
• Providencia Valentin, Director of Operations & Personnel Services
• Sandra Wallace, Community Associate
• Marisa Washington, Clerical Associate III
• Joyce Williams, Manager
• Shirley Williams, Community Associate/ Operations Associate
• William Wischsadt, Social Worker
• Christian Zapata, Community Coordinator

Individual Awards

Thomas Mathai

Thomas Mathai, Deputy Chief of Administrative Services - Bronx, manages the details, both large and small of the Bronx HR office. He supervises staff, plans and executes recruitment for seasonal and permanent positions, processes, distributes payroll and solves countless employee problems during the course of his day.

Thomas handles inquiries from all levels of Parks staff and the public. Dealing with a myriad of issues, Thomas always responds in a prompt, caring, respectful and professional manner. Since April, Thomas has been the only "in office" staff in the Administrative Services office. Thomas manages staff in the recruitment, processing, scheduling and on-boarding of all permanent and seasonal staff, often making initial contact himself. Thomas previously worked in Operations and developed an excellent relationship with staff at all levels, and concurrently acquired a sense of urgency, accuracy and friendliness that is uncommon in any organization.

Group Awards

Al Oerter Recreation Center Staff

When the pandemic hit in March, this center had been functioning as one of the "flagship" centers in the area. We were receiving our guests/members and running our programs to meet the outcomes intended for this center while providing the best customer service available in this setting. As COVID progressed, the recreational center was repurposed for food distribution. Anthony Traverso, the Center Manager, had to learn new skills and adapt older skills to perform and redirect staff to perform functions and activities that the center had not performed in the past. The Gymnasium became a storage area for hundreds of pallets with boxes of food ready for distribution to the community. This new direction for the center was complicated because other agencies (DEM, DOT, TLC, DOS, and U.S. Army Reserve, for example) were involved and the Center was serving not just our guests but the community at-large (an even broader population which got to experience our quality of customer service, as well.)

Mr. Traverso and the staff took to their new duties with great aplomb. So much so, that we became a "model" food distribution site for the other sites in the other boroughs. The progress of COVID has, again, prompted a proposed change for our recreation center. This time it has been repurposed for childcare. As I see most staff members---and our manager diligently retraining for our new purpose, taking classed in mandated reporting, early childhood development, etc.

• Anthony Traverso
• Monet Davis
• Talaya Melton
• Jerry Breeden
• Charlie Vaughan
• James Russo
• Mirian Andino
• Isis Samuels
• Ollie DeMeio
• Laquan Middleton
• Loretta Sun
• Dannette Leininger

Group Awards

Facilities Management

During the entire NYC COVID pause, Supervisor, Sentwali Nanton, and Facilities staff persons, Kelvin Vanderlinde and Ronnie Lutchman, deemed essential personnel, served NYC Department of Probation (DOP) staff in the provision of a continuous supply of PPE (personal protective equipment) in over 25 office buildings throughout the 5 boroughs. This effort required close coordination between delivery persons and landlords of closed buildings to receive the critically needed equipment. Facilities staff closely managed the inventory of PPE to ensure consistent and reliable availability to all staff. They also worked collaboratively with numerous landlords citywide to gain access to DOP occupied spaces to install COVID related signage on walls and floors as well as sanitizer gel stations to ensure full compliance with safety protocols. Additionally, these individuals conducted an analysis of workstations in every DOP location to assess the need for protective barriers based on CDC guidelines, ordered the barriers and then worked quickly and efficiently to install them.

The team sometimes assisted with the distribution of food to DOP clients and individuals in communities hardest hit by COVID. During non- COVID times, these three individuals serve the DOP community by responding to staff work requests citywide regarding facilities related matters. They also review current and proposed floor plans to recommend the most proficient placement of cubicles and equipment; move staff from one location to another; provide scopes of work to Procurement to obtain estimates from contractors; ensure that the work performed by HVAC, electrical, construction, plumbing, painting, flooring contractors is completed in a satisfactory manner; works collaboratively with DOP staff, city/state agencies and landlords to coordinate efforts to resolve facilities related matters. The Facilities team approaches all its work in a manner that represents utmost professionalism under pressure. The team has developed a strong skill set to remain courteous and to reflect sensitivity toward staff frustrated when a facilities matter interferes with work production. They strive to ensure staff that they will meet their needs as quickly as possible. The individuals in the Facilities team also support one another and they always have each other's best interests in mind. They are available to help one another, and they listen to and respect one another's suggestions. They work collaboratively and uphold the principles of effective customer service which is a key to their success in serving the facilities needs of the agency.

• Kelvin Vanderlinde
• Ronnie Lutchman
• Sentwali Nanton

Group Awards

Customer Service Unit

As the manager for the Customer Service Unit (CSU) I know first-hand that this team is always dependable, efficient and more importantly, dedicated to providing quality customer service for residents throughout the City. Over the years, the Customer Service Unit has proven to be a great asset to DSNY and its commitment to customer service. This team under normal circumstances responds to thousands of calls from residents reporting service issues, or those who request DSNY services. The unit maintains constant contact with 311 to ensure that changes to DSNY service-related operations (delays in service, ASP suspensions, program holds, etc.,) are communicated effectively so that 311 representative record calls properly, and for consistent messaging to the public. Most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic/PAUSE the Customer Service Unit's dedication to professionalism was really put to the test. While most office staff worked remotely or had reasonable accommodations, CSU staff remained in the office - their only option for performing CSU duties. While the Customer Service Unit has functioned with a reduced staff for over 2 years now, the COVID-19 virus did not spare CSU - staff tested positive and were subsequently quarantined which reduced CSU's team even further to at times, 2-3. During these difficult and challenging times, CSU never missed a beat. Even with limited staff, CSU triaged and handled over 12,982 calls between mid-March and mid-September (COVID-19 2020). Many callers were not only frustrated by the general COVID-19 situation and the localized delays it was causing to collection service, but most were also confused about reported DSNY service suspensions. The Customer Service Unit handled these calls demonstrating utmost professionalism and kindness that sets them above the rest. It goes without saying that call center work is challenging on a good day; adding pandemic stress and increased uncertainty from the public make these calls even more demanding. The members of DSNY's Customer Service Unit are true team players, as evidenced by the fact that they continue to provide this selfless work behind the scenes without the accolades other front-line workers often get. There isn't another unit more deserving of being recognized for excellence in customer service.

The DSNY's Customer Service Unit was chosen for representing the best of the best in customer service. As city employees, we often are labeled lazy, unprofessional, discourteous and the like. This team of customer service representatives are the total opposite of the general public's perception of those of us who "work for the city." This team is extremely knowledgeable about not only DSNY services and information, but also of agency services citywide making DSNY a valuable resource to all New Yorkers. Our staff steps up to the plate every single day regardless of the circumstances surrounding them. Regardless of their own personal stories and in spite of the situation at hand (current event/emergency), the Customer Service Unit listens attentively to thousands of customers, hears their stories (sometimes more than once in a call) and manages to turn challenging callers into friends who call back to say "thank you!" All the members of the DSNY's Customer Service Unit are professional, patient, highly aware and empathetic to customers' needs, have a great sense of urgency/time to handle calls appropriately, and communicate clearly to make sure that every customer receives the attention they deserve.

• Hilda Marrero
• Juan Saldana
• Adam Dobrzynski
• Michael Colacurto
• Anthony Orefice
• Marie Lesfloris

Individual Awards

Mercedes Rosado

Ms. Mercedes Rosado is the Director of Direct Support Services for the Office of Program Accountability (OPA). The Direct Support Services team is responsible for managing OPA's logistical needs, including fleet services, facilities coordination, personnel support, and contract management. The OPA DSS team provides support to all areas of OPA and occasionally supports other DSS-HRA-DHS areas as needed. Ms. Rosado and the OPA DSS team are often called on to spearhead logistical support for special projects, both short and long term in nature. As such, the OPA DSS team is particularly skilled at developing new operational procedures from scratch to support budding initiatives.

Mercedes Rosado has devoted her career to the mission of the Human Resources Administration. At the onset of the COVID period, Ms. Rosado led the OPA DSS team in developing support services that were critical in standing up remote operations in an expeditious manner. Without ever having any experience in a telework environment, Ms. Rosado leveraged her knowledge and background in logistics to successfully design and implement device distribution procedures. As a result, OPA was able to efficiently distribute laptops, cell phones, MiFi, and headsets to staff, all at a centralized location, while ensuring that public safety and social distancing guidelines were being adhered to. In addition, Ms. Rosado developed a method for leveraging the OPA fleet to support device delivery services for those staff with reasonable accommodations.

Ms. Rosado has expressed a sincere interest in ensuring that our staff have the tools they need to get their jobs done. All of this fine work is attributable to Ms. Rosado's impeccable customer service skills, her in-depth knowledge of OPA operations, and her ability to collaborate effectively across program areas.

Group Awards

Information Technology Services

The Dept of Social Services Information Technology Services was responsible for enabling more than 10,000 DSS/HRA/DHS staff to work from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic starting this past March. The success of the agency's WFH) initiative was made possible by the tireless and innovative efforts by ITS' WFH Enablement Group. This group consisted of teams across IT, including our Juniper group who swiftly scaled up our infrastructure capacity to enable a huge surplus of remote workers; our WMS/POS access groups who worked round the clock to configure complex settings providing application access to state and local systems enabling thousands of workers to process cash assistance and SNAP applications from their homes for vulnerable New Yorkers; our laptop distribution group who reported onsite daily during the height of the pandemic to unbox, stage, and deliver hardware across the City to our workers; the Single Points of Contact and Outreach Team who provided hands-on support to ensure redeployed workers were able to access and use the tools necessary to perform their new job functions; and our Service Desk who have triaged and resolved tens of thousands of helpdesk tickets from agency workers experiencing technical difficulties following their move to WFH.

ITS' WFH Enablement Group represents individuals in ITS, many of which who were pulled from their day-to-day responsibilities to step up and fulfill new roles during the pandemic, who organized themselves to meet the demands of the agency and proved to be critical in stabilizing agency operations within the new WFH environment.

• Ron Chiang
• April Turner
• Mahesh Panchwagh
• Keith Johnson
• Joseph Jennings

Individual Awards

Moussa Kouyate

Moussa Kouyate is an invaluable member of the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Customer Service, Language Access, and Correspondence Unit (CSLACU). Moussa manages and oversees DOT's Agency Response Tracking System (ARTS) and is responsible for overseeing nearly 700 agencywide Users, including training, overseeing usage, compliance to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and troubleshooting operating issues.

During the quickly evolving rollout of the Open Restaurant program, Moussa worked tirelessly to manually input inspection results from DOT's newly developed Open Restaurant app and emailed 24-hour non-compliance notifications to restaurant owners around the clock, so that these restaurants could operate safely and provide much needed services to patrons without causing harm or increasing the negative impacts of the coronavirus. During the first week of the program's roll-out, Moussa was instrumental and worked 59 hours over the Fourth of July weekend to assure that all New Yorkers were safe while dining at these roadway restaurants. In addition, Moussa ensured that timely notifications and guidance was provided to struggling businesses in desperate need to reopen and rebound from the negative financial impacts of COVID-19.

Individual Awards

Steven Bettencourt

Steve works within the Asset Management Division, as part of the Property Operations Department within NYCEDC. Steve's role oversees our upper Manhattan properties as well as our Bronx portfolio. His main role is the facility manager for the New Fulton Fish Market located in Hunts Point. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the market and works with the co-op tenants on maintenance and repairs as well as small projects at the market. He manages EDC field mechanics as well as contracted janitorial staff. He is responsible for 24/7 service and making sure the market runs smoothly. There is no day that is ever the same for Steve and he juggles multiple competing priorities within his scope of work. The majority of his work focuses on building tenant relations and providing top notch service to the market co-op. His key areas of work include and are not limited to: Systems and Property Maintenance: Ensure all building systems are operable, reliable and safe for use. Responsible for arranging ongoing maintenance and repairs and coordinating with contractors, mechanics and porters to perform maintenance and repairs of building systems as required. Emergency Response: Respond to emergencies as required. Must be available and responsive 24/7 and able to help provide solutions during the decision-making process as issues arise. Tenant/Operator Relations: Conduct random visits and correspond regularly with tenants in order to maintain customer satisfaction. Monitor all tenant improvements ensuring compliance with building codes, insurance regulations and lease. Respond to all tenant related emergencies. Provide immediate action to alleviate and mitigate problems. Interact with all tenants and operators at various levels. Minor Project Management: Responsible for the management and oversight of multiple projects within the portfolios at various locations and Site Inspections.

Steve always goes above and beyond for his tenants, staff, management, and internal/external stakeholders. He has a wealth of knowledge in building systems and knows the deep rich history of the New Fulton Fish Market. He understands the nuances and uniqueness that exists within Hunts Point and his relationships and the respect he has from tenants within the Peninsula is evidenced by how successful he is in his role. He is always on call and never disconnects from his duties at the market, even when he is off. His attention to detail and his quality of work shines in his ability to keep the market running smoothly and efficiently. He is a fantastic manager and has built a team of collaborative and responsive employees who have learned the importance of going above and beyond. He will never let anything fail and he always finds creative solutions to problems that are efficient, provide teaching moments for his team and above all else deliver the service needed. An example of this is when COVID hit the city and everyone was scrambling to provide hand sanitizer stations. Every sanitizing stand and dispenser was sold out. Steve sprung into action to provide a solution for this and he had his team get creative and build hand sanitizer stands out of materials in storage until the dispensers arrived. When the market has an issue at 3am Steve hops in his car and is there calling contractors and sending follow up notes to his manager before the day even begins. He takes pride in the work he does and he makes sure the people around him do too. When pot holes needed to be fixed in the parking lot of the market he rolled up his sleeves and made a training day out of it for him and his employees, to give them an opportunity to learn a new skill and see the importance in being a part of the solution when a problem arises. He answers his phone at all hours of the day and night and never says no. He thrives on his ability to perfect his vision for his partners, internal and external stakeholders and he takes great pride in delivering top notch service to tenants. Steve is a role model for his peers, employees, management, and partners across all divisions.

Individual Awards

Fabricio Caro

Fabricio Caro, Director of the FDNY Community Affairs Unit, is responsible for maintaining positive relationships and deepening connections between the Fire Department, Community Based Organizations, and community members citywide. Fabricio's team conducts public outreach efforts, organizes fire and life safety campaigns, and engages with community members through staff presentations and tablings. Some examples of these efforts include citywide smoke alarm distributions & installations, fire prevention workshops, annual block parties, CPR training, community forums, and budget consultations with community boards. Much of Fabricio's work involves understanding the needs of community members and reaching stakeholders in culturally sensitive and effective ways to teach about fire safety.

Under Fabricio's leadership, the Community Affairs Unit has continued to educate New Yorkers by creative means throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. When in-person outreach was suspended in March, his team quickly transitioned to digital content to ensure a continuity of safety education. Since then, the unit has seen an increase in requests for participation in live sessions and has worked extensively on digital content for fire safety for the public. With in-person events suspended at this time, Fabricio's team will continue to reach out to elected officials and community groups to provide important health and safety information.

In early summer when New York City saw an increase in illegal fireworks, Fabricio's team quickly worked on fire safety education response and messaging to raise awareness about the dangers of fireworks. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of Fabricio's work, his team is responsible for engaging the public and keeping constituents informed following fatal fires. Following a fatal fire, Fabricio's team reaches out to the representing elected officials to keep them informed about the cause of the fatal fires and patient counts, and the unit arranges for Fatal Fire Outreach tablings in these neighborhoods to disseminate educational materials and talk with constituents about the importance of fire safety.

Individual Awards

Miguel Ramos

As our Operating Systems Engineer Miguel is responsible for the following: Implement Windows 2012/2008 server technologies, including design, deployment, and implementation of the Windows Domain and logical sites in a reliable, high-availability system architecture.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Miguel was responsible for building and migrating HPD's remote access infrastructure within the Microsoft Azure cloud environment. Since then, Miguel has worked effortlessly with DoITT to build up the environment to support 1500+ remote access user sessions by working nights and weekend to ensure that HPD users can work from home. In addition, he has also worked with NYC Cyber Command and DoITT to implement multi-factor authentication, adding additional security within the remote access environment.

Individual Awards

James Matteo

Mr. Matteo is the Deputy Director at Richmond SNAP Center S99. His major responsibilities is to ensure all applicants and recipients applying and recertifying for SNAP benefits are interviewed and receive a timely response within the federal mandates and guidelines. This requires him to utilize different program systems to pull reports such as the Welfare Management System (WMS), Paperless Office System (POS) and various WINR0 reports listing case timeliness.

During the pandemic, Richmond S99 was one of the locations selected to remain open. Many of Mr. Matteo's co-workers have been forced to shelter at home because of health conditions that put them at greater risk for life threatening complications from COVID-19. In response, Mr. Matteo has stretched himself to cover every base at his center. Sitting at the CSIC assisting walk-ins, assigning out cases for processing and approvals to staff working remotely from home, and serving as the center liaison for GSS and ITS - Mr. Matteo has done literally everything to keep our clients from feeling the absence of his colleagues. Most days he is working alone at the location from 8AM -6PM M-F to ensure all customers that visit the location are serviced. He keeps an open line of communication to his team working remotely distributing assignments as needed.

Group Awards

Office of Burial Services

The Office of Burial Services (OBS) assists individuals in need of financial assistance to meet funeral expenses for deceased low-income New York City residents. Payment may be authorized to reimburse funeral expenses that have already been paid or pre-approval for payment may be authorized for the cost of a planned funeral.

During the peak of COVID the OBS team was instrumental in mobilizing in meeting the growing demand for financial assistance for funeral related expenses for all New Yorkers. The OBS program saw a significant uptick in the number of applications, which was a direct result of the COVID-19 increase of the burial benefit amount and funeral expense cap. This increase afforded New Yorkers to be buried in a dignified manner. During the height of the pandemic and to this day the Burial staff provide service to clients with dignity and compassion; this occurs in-person or via telephone/email, and they have worked with applicants and funeral directors to ensure for proper burials. The program worked in tandem with redeployed staff from IDNYC which provided critical support to burial services operation. We commend them for their dedication and continued service.

• Michael Dicks, Director
• Shadeed Ali, Caseworker
• Sandra Felton, Caseworker
• Michelle Gordon, Caseworker
• Austin Harley, Office Assistant
• Michele Henry, Assistant to Director
• Aliya Niles, Caseworker
• Marcella Parker, Office Manager
• Melissa Maldonado, Caseworker

Individual Awards

Ken Majerus

Ken Majerus is responsible for the administration of the Law Department's 22 divisions, serving over 1,800 employees, reporting directly to the Managing Attorney. During this unprecedented time in our City, Ken has risen to the occasion repeatedly. Always on the front lines, coming into the office daily, being there for all employees, receiving delivery of supplies needed for our Social Distance Ambassadors to carry out the work for our city. Having masks and cleaning supplies on hand, even going out of his way to get items on his own when we did not have them. His family members in another state were gracious enough to make masks and send to him and continues to send to him. This was during the time that supplies were in limited quantity. He announced to employees coming into work that he had masks and could pick up several from him if needed. This generosity enabled several employees to receive masks, when they would otherwise be without. His leadership, dedication, professionalism, empathy, and excellent customer service is what makes these difficult times somewhat more bearable.

Group Awards

Law Department Essential Administrative Workers

Teams in administrative support divisions: Administration, Information Technology, and Operations have employees identified as 'essential,' and the Law Department depends on them in times of crisis to make their way to the office to carry out responsibilities which can only be completed on-site and are necessary for the continued functioning of the Law Department. Combined, they are responsible for retrieving US Mail, sorting it for processing and then carrying out a number of tasks according to the legal and administrative requirements attached to that particular document. The IT teams manage and lend support to the agency systems needed to electronically distribute or act upon those documents and the ongoing support of the applications used by the entire agency to initiate legal and administrative actions after receiving these documents.

In the Administrative Division, the Unit teams include:

• Alla Ramo
• Anardo Baez
• Andrew Allen
• Andrew Francis
• Cassandra Dodson
• Chuifung Wong
• Dasrat Santanoo
• Deneise Ramnauth
• Derrick Bynoe
• Dina Straker
• Edwin Jenkins
• Eileen Chen
• Faina Pustilnik
• Francine Mizelle
• Ghufran Rehman
• Helen Shea
• Imani Evans
• Jonelle Thompson
• Kelly Smith
• Latoya Scott
• Leanne Huang
• Leon Breeden
• Lou Seggio
• Luz Fernandez
• Maude Ann Rodrigues
• Melesia Munroe
• Natalya Lehman
• Paul Venditti
• Peter Valencia
• Raquel Vasquez
• Ricardo Carrera
• Shaofei Guo
• Sheenk Hudson
• Stacey Holder
• Sterlin Crevelle
• Steven Jenkins
• Svetlana Berger
• Tammi Coleman
• Tieise O'Bryant
• Vernessa Cephas
• Victoria Palafox
• Vidya Singh
• Yingye Ruan
• Zeb Haynes

In the Information Technology Divisions, the Unit teams include:

• Christopher Persaud
• Grace Yuen
• Ji Hui
• Jorge Toro
• Libby John
• Mustafa Ahmad
• Nick Chan
• Robert Hernandez
• Roger Slack
• Walzie Robinson

In the Operations Division, the Unit teams include:

• Albert Uzamere
• Alisha Washington
• Ariton Marke
• Ashley Gopaul
• Betty Mazyck
• Brandon Santanoo
• Cortrice Jones
• Ericka Rodriguez
• Errol Carrington
• Eugene Cooper
• Hakim Favor
• Hector Gaton
• Iain Wynter-Stoner
• Inez Contreras
• Jacob Lopez
• Jamel Browne
• Jerry Bradshaw
• Jhosua Orellana
• Johnathan Hunt Pisacone
• Jose Santiago
• Kevin Gittens
• Kingsley Ikeh
• Laron Blakely
• Lemar Reid
• Lisa Pierre
• Louis Pastina
• Madelyn Santana
• Masegale Monnapula
• Michael Neely
• Monica Pettway
• Moses Williams
• Rafael Rodriguez
• Robin Stanley
• Ryan Gittens Ellis
• Samantha Chan
• Skyler Manchoon
• Zeb Haynes

Individual Awards

Rachel Cato

As an agency dedicated to overhauling an older paper-based process for citywide procurement with a new end-to-end digital system, we place the utmost value on high-quality stakeholder interactions, constant intake and processing of feedback, and hands-on support for process changes among agency and vendor staff. Rachel's Learning Management team spearheads this approach. As the leader of this team, she is responsible for setting up processes to manage a large volume of incoming policy/process and technical questions around New York City procurement. Rachel takes a leading role in aggregating and synthesizing the stakeholder feedback we receive and using it to drive continuous and iterative system improvements. Furthermore, as the team tasked with maintaining a high quality customer experience, Rachel takes a personal lead by developing the system and procurement expertise needed to build training curricula and assist with trainings for the newer members of her team who speak to system users each day. Finally, she takes a proactive approach to supporting the change management activities of other teams, whether that takes the form of reviewing materials, assisting with trainings and presentations about new system features, or providing input on where she sees users struggling the most.

Individual Awards

Ruben Lopez

Mr. Lopez daily duties are to assist the caretakers with their daily assignments. He completes building inspections and makes sure janitorial conditions are up to standard. Mr. Lopez has reported to work every day during the pandemic. He has gone above and beyond to provide services to the staff and the residents during COVID-19. He has made sure that the staff went above and beyond to maintain the buildings beyond the janitorial standards. During the pandemic Mr. Lopez suffered two major losses in his immediate family and still came to work and gave it 110%. He has helped supervise the per-diems, the seasonal and the grounds staff during the absence of the SOG. There is no assignment that is given to Mr. Lopez that he has not completed in a timely and efficient manner; he always displays professionalism. He is an asset to the staff and the residents of Wyckoff Houses.

Group Awards

Astoria Group

Many of these staff members, no matter the length of time, have showed great skills in their work fields. Between being great support to their coworkers and residents, they have been the backbone of Astoria Houses. From managing clerical work, to interacting with the residents, to maintaining the buildings, and efficiently repairing damages, their leadership and skills have helped Astoria Houses to truly thrive. We thank them for all their efforts.

Our staff has been very dedicated toward the safety and need of Astoria residents.

Capital Project Divisions – Project Management Team 1

Executive Project Manager, Chirag (CJ) Patel. CJ and Project Management Team 1's customer service excellence and dedication to NYCHA residents is almost unmatched - through unprecedented emergencies for the City of New York, they are available day and night to make sure residents who call NYCHA home are safe and secure. Their work managing the rehabilitation and modernization of NYCHA developments includes, but is not limited to, managing the billion-dollar Mayor's Roofing Initiative and NYCHA's Local Law 11 facade inspection program. NYCHA's project management teams provide comprehensive oversight of the architectural, engineering, and contract administration services to ensure that capital projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and with the quality dictated by the contract documents.

When heat and hot water went out at three buildings last Fall (a third-party company turned off a valve providing water to the boiler), the team's ingenuity and perseverance got the valve turned back on and heat/hot water to residents before the next morning. Access to the valve, located in a hazardous area, was restricted to plumbers with a special certification. With none available after hours, the Team quickly assessed the situation and came up with a solution - using 'Facetime' to allow a plumber located outside the hazardous area to communicate with others certified to be in the area. The plumber instructed the team step by step how to turn the water back on. A disruption that could have extended into the next day was remedied and heat/hot water were restored to 64 apartments in a timely manner.

Most recently, over 50 scaffolding/sidewalk sheds were damaged due to strong winds and collapsed trees during tropical storm Isaias. On the evening of the storm, CJ's team deployed 10 inspectors to all five boroughs, identifying damaged sidewalk sheds and coordinating the stabilization/repair to ensure pedestrian safety. The inspectors looked at more than 400 developments and completed their assessments by 1am. By 8am the same morning an executive report was provided, and several contractors directed to repair the damages, completing 95% by the end of the week.

• Chirag Patel
• Melvin Ndiangang
• Ahsan Afzal
• Pathik Mehta
• Biji Bose
• Nipun Patel

Individual Award

Jessika Tscholl received this year's individual Excellence in Customer Service Award. Please congratulate her for all that she has done for the agency in her role as Calendar Unit Supervisor for the Clerk's Office. She provides outstanding customer service, has extensive OATH knowledge and maintains excellent supervisory skills. Jessika took on the herculean task of rescheduling 600 - 900 hearings per day with her staff when OATH was doing automatic reschedules. These reschedules occurred during the initial stay at home executive order when in-person operations were restricted due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

External COVID Response Teams

Social Distancing Ambassadors were assigned to parks or other locations where there were reports (through 311, etc.) about lack of social distancing. They conducted outreach and education on social distancing guidelines, distributed face coverings or other supplies to members of the public (while maintaining appropriate distance), and identified prohibited activities (non-essential gatherings, trespassing in a closed playground) and reporting them for appropriate enforcement action.  Marcia Grant managed the SDA program for OATH and training to all city agencies was provided by the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution. The training was created and conducted by Justo Sanchez, Halley Anolik and Jessica Baen with support from Judge Kramer and the remainder of his staff. These OATH employees provided training to all city agencies including OATH’s Social Distancing Ambassadors.

OATH operations staff Peter Tumminelli, Michael Ragolia, Vincent Giordano, Christopher Schmidt, and Donni Villaruel coordinated, arranged and delivered personal protective equipment and other essential materials to support the SDA program.

OATH employees went out of their homes in the middle of the pandemic to help the city during this difficult time. They did essential work to help develop training for the SDA program and educate the public on the importance of social distancing during a time when there was heightened community spread of the corona virus and we thank them for their service that was not a part of OATH’s routine services.

OATH’s Social Distancing Ambassador Program Staff and Support

• Alan Sookra, Procedural Justice Coordinator
• Alex Kolodka, Procedural Justice Coordinator
• Alix Celestin, College-Aide
• Arlene Jobe, Information Representative
• Ashton Wallerson, College-Aide
• Ayesha Smith, Information Representative
• Christopher Schmidt, Community Associate
• Cindy Robertson, Information Representative
• Donni Villaruel, Laborer
• Emmanuelasia Vaught, Procedural Justice Coordinator
• Floreen Woodley, Supervisor
• Halley Anolik, Director of Education and Training
• Henwood Henry, Operations Manager
• Jaurez Davis, Community Coordinator
• Jessica Baen, Conflict Resolution Specialist
• Justo Sanchez, Director of Center Services
• Lorna Mondesir, Information Representative
• Malkia Pennie, College-Aide
• Marcia Grant, Administrative Community Relations Specialist
• Michael Ragolia, Director of Security and Facilities
• Monique Harris, Information Representative
• Norris Davis, Procedural Justice Coordinator
• Peter Tumminelli, Assistant Commissioner for Agency Operations
• Ray Kramer, Administrative Law Judge
• Sabrina James, College-Aide
• Samad Newaz, Procedural Justice Coordinator
• Shazad Hussain, College-Aide
• Tachana Constant, Information Representative
• Vincent Giordano, Community Coordinator
• Wendy Wahlberg, Information Representative

COVID-19 Prevention Outreach

 

 

 

To assist in educating and protecting the public during the pandemic, OATH established teams composed of various units throughout the agency.  Through emails, webinars and public outreach events, the Test and Trace team connected with thousands of NYC residents on the importance of mask wearing when not social distancing, along with test and trace resources.
Rachel Amar, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, was named Test and Trace Liaison for OATH by Commissioner Joni Kletter and manages the program for OATH. She works with City Hall on coordinating public events and helping with COVID messaging for webinars. She helped CBOs access webinar information and collateral and shared test and trace information from City Hall to BIDs and Chambers of Commerce citywide, along with OATH partners in administrative law. Deputy Commissioner of Legislative Affairs John Castelli and Rachel Amar helped City Hall conduct a testing day at Rockaway Beach to help city residents get COVID testing on site and give them important information (masks and testing information literature) for their friends and families to stay safe and get tested.

The team merged OATH’s public outreach events with elected officials in conjunction with critical test and trace outreach that the City was conducting. This innovative way of conducting outreach allowed OATH the opportunity to provide NYC residents in all five boroughs access to important information related to testing for COVID, where to get tested, how to get results quickly and what to do if a tracer reaches out to you. Additionally, the team provided the public with masks, palm cards and knowledge on resources the City provided if they needed to quarantine.

This test and trace team went above and beyond OATH’s mission as a court to help New York City residents.

• John Castelli, Deputy Commissioner for Legislative Affairs
• Maggie Nieves, Public Affairs Associate
• Maria Marchiano, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Clerk
• OATH and partner organization volunteers
• Rachel Amar, Special Assistant to the Commissioner

This team received support from the same Operations staff that helps the Social Distancing Ambassador Program.

Internal COVID Response Team

OATH rapidly acquired remote hearing technology that allowed all hearings to be held remotely since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. The Remote Hearings Team worked quickly and diligently at making sure respondents could fully access hearings remotely. By holding and recording hearings remotely, OATH contributed to the City’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID and meet its obligations to the participants in administrative proceedings.

• Alesia Blakeny, Information Representative
• Amy Slifka, Deputy Commissioner
• Anabel Cruz, Brooklyn Branch Manager
• Asia Kennedy, Information Representative
• Brad Lamel, Staff Attorney
• Briana Schipp, Information Representative
• Carmena Schwecke, Assistant Commissioner
• Ceola Ryals, Information Representative
• Chukwuma Uwechia, Assistant Commissioner and ACCO
• Danielle Follett-Figueroa, Staff Attorney
• Deborah Mbabazi, Staff Attorney
• Deirdre DeMaio, Staten Island Branch Manager
• Dondra Stevens-Saddler, Brooklyn Deputy Branch Manager
• Eddie Edwards, Hearings Support Manager
• Egle Dykhne, Staff Attorney
• Felicia Roccosalvo, Staff Attorney
• James DeVito, Deputy Manager
• James Moore, Manager
• Janet Pitter, Staff Attorney
• Jeanette Cheung, Deputy ACCO
• Jerilyn Rubin, Deputy Manager
• Joan Giaccio, Manager
• Joanne Rattansingh, Assistant Commissioner
• Joe Hughes, Deputy Commissioner for IT
• Joel Tucker, Manager
• Kelly Corso, Assistant Commissioner
• Kimaura Parris, Information Representative
• Linda May, Deputy Commissioner for Administration
• Loriann Hellman, Deputy Manager
• Lou Rasso, Manager
• Maria Marchiano, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Clerk
• Mary Mitchel, Deputy Manager
• Michael Clark, Manhattan Branch Manager
• Miguel Quinones, LIC Branch Manager
• Monica Zadvinskiy, Manhattan Deputy Branch Manager
• Natasha Cotto, Bronx Supervisor
• Natasha Spivey, Brooklyn Deputy Branch Manager
• Rachel Amar, Special Assistant to the Commissioner
• Ron Abraham, Manager
• Sabrina Alagan, Information Representative
• Sam Chetrit, Staff Attorney
• Seon Lee, Deputy Manager
• Shadyea-Sciré Adams, Community Assistant/IT
• Simone Archer, Agency Attorney
• Steven Brown, Information Representative
• Steven Ramirez, Manhattan Branch Manager
• Susan Brand, Staff Attorney
• Therese Tomlinson, Manager
• Yesenia Ramos-Cruz, Bronx Deputy Branch Manager

Individual Awards

Yanfang Chen

The Office of the City Clerk processes marriage licenses, marriage ceremonies, domestic partnerships, marriage officiant registrations, amendments of marriage records, applications for certificates of non-impediment and related documents; Processes payments from the public; provides services and activities by information desk; and files and maintains marriage records.

Yanfang (Winnie) demonstrates professionalism in her interactions with customers and in providing assistance for colleagues. She is knowledgeable about marriage procedures and our other services. Customers appreciate her speedy response to their inquiries. She is always kind to the couples, even through stressful or contentious situations. She has become one of our fastest and most accurate clerks in the clerk's office.

Group Awards

COVID-19 Food Distribution Operations Center

The Food Distribution Operations Center staff were responsible for standing up and running an emergency home delivery operation in response to COVID. The team began in March and continues to operate today, delivering over 64M meals (and counting) to New Yorkers who are both COVID-19 vulnerable and food insecure. The team led an interagency effort to create a public intake system, stand up and develop training for food distribution sites (11 at the max) staffed by a group of 20-40 workers and volunteers/site, create guidelines TLC drivers making deliveries, stand up and staff a client feedback system, and oversee all aspects of operations, logistics, and client feedback related to emergency food deliveries.

The team worked tirelessly to support a 7-day/week operation, always with the focus of making sure New Yorkers in the greatest need during the COVID-19 crisis receive the food they needed. It was not uncommon for me to get a call at 2AM so staff could work through an issue in advance of the morning deliveries to ensure the best possible service for staff and clients. It wasn't unheard of for staff to make deliveries themselves if there was a person in need and regular TLC operations had wrapped up for the day. They also extended this level of courtesy to each other.

The team made sure our interagency staff and volunteers working at Food Distribution Sites had the supplies and training they needed to stay safe. They pulled statistics (e.g., when we delivered over 1 million meals in a single day) and stories from conversations with clients to keep morale up both with the Food Distribution Center staff and the broader Customer Service Team The group came together during this crisis and are tenacious in their commitment to continued program improvements. Building a program on the fly was not without bumps in the road, but this group worked together to support each other and adapt to the important mission of making sure no New Yorker goes hungry.

• Angeline Pierre
• Christopher Pagnotta
• Hasin Ishraque
• Kalindi Vandermolen
• Mohamed Amin
• Samuel Kornfield

COVID 19 Hotel Program

In March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, in the urgency to relieve the surge on hospitals and reduce the further spread of COVID, the City created a hoteling program run by NYCEM to give front line workers and individuals recovering from COVID a safe place to stay if they couldn't safely stay at home due to the fear of infecting other family members. A hoteling program of that scale (~20,000 rooms at the height of the program) with such broad eligibility had never been attempted on such short notice by the City. A group of NYCEM employees, assisted by contractors and vendors, set up the program in a matter of weeks, developing and executing everything that it took to run the program from start to finish, including but not limited to: developing eligibility criteria, hotel booking, transportation assistance, check out procedures, and invoice reconciliation; and also coordinated all the wrap around services such as security, clinical assistance, feeding and laundry.

During this the time-frame in which the COVID - 19 hotel program was being developed and executed (March 2020- September 2020), the program staff fielded thousands of calls and emails 24 hours a day from guests, City Hall, elected officials, hotels and service vendors and responded quickly and with compassion and professionalism. They addressed issues ranging from simple hotel change requests to calls requiring 911 intervention. Everyone on the team worked around the clock in those first months and because it was a completely new program with no road map, sometimes had to make critical decisions on the fly. Whenever those decisions were required, the team members always opted for the solution that would make a guest or partner's life easier even if it meant more work for them. It's not an exaggeration to say that the work they did saved lives on a daily basis and allowed the City to respond to the COVID-19 crisis with added compassion and in a way that became blueprint for other jurisdictions that were faced with the same crisis later.

• Andrew Perlman
• Brittany Schiliro
• Dana Nelson
• Doug Bainton
• Jay Brandt
• Kaylan Sobel
• Kevin Leung
• Lindsay Einhorn
• Paula Carlson
• Rachel Federlin
• Rebecca Noble
• Suzan Rozen

Individual Awards

Rose Amengual

As Assistant Director of Communications for the City's Employee Benefits Program, Ms. Amengual is tasked with building strong interpersonal communications and effective broad marketing strategies to support the Programs, Participants and Members of the various Programs that comprise the Employee Benefits Program: the Health Benefits Program, the Flexible Spending Program, the Management Benefits Plan and the Deferred Compensation Plan. Ms. Amengual is responsible for guiding and reviewing communications materials across all the programs of Employee Benefits. She is in charge of customer service training in the Client Service Departments of the various programs. She also coordinates the responses to all the correspondence forwarded to the Office of Labor Relations from the Mayor's Office with respect to any of the divisions of the Employee Benefits Program.

Ms. Amengual has been working for the Employee Benefits Program at the Office of Labor Relations since 1987. In her 33-year career at OLR, she was promoted from her original position as Participant Liaison for the Deferred Compensation Plan to Assistant Director of Communications for the entire City's Employee Benefits Programs. Her career began with doing outreach work for the Deferred Compensation Plan, which was then in its infancy. She went throughout the City, agency to agency, educating City employees on the benefits of Deferred Comp. She was known to walk up to police officers, or sanitation workers on the street, or firefighters in trucks and ask if they had enrolled yet. She carried enrollment forms with her wherever she went, and they all enrolled. She soon became the trainer for the Deferred Comp phone center, teaching new employees that their voice has to carry their smile through the phone lines.

During this very challenging time, while the Employee Benefits staff has been working remotely due to the pandemic, the Communications Departments of the various programs have maintained the same standards of excellence in Customer Service because of Ms. Amengual's leadership.

Group Awards

Business Hotline Team

By calling our NYC Business Hotline, business owners can get information and resources to reopen safely, protect their staff and customers, run their business, and get financial assistance during the COVID-19 health emergency. Staff from across the agency have supported this effort and have excelled in providing informative and exceptional customer service to the NYC businesses who need support. This includes becoming well versed in many of the services our agency offers in a short period of time and providing assistance regarding reopening guidance, recruitment, personal protective equipment (PPE), legal services and financing.

Emergency Response Team

The Emergency Response and Intergovernmental Services Unit at NYC Department of Small Business Services provides direct assistance to business owners impacted by physical damage or an economic injury during a business emergency. During the COVID-19 pandemic this has included riots, floods, fires, power outages, and other unforeseeable man-made or natural disasters. Throughout New York City, the team serve as liaisons between business firms and city agencies to facilitate the resolutions of immediate and long-range problems; navigate the regulatory environment on behalf of businesses; assist in investigation of specific problems in the field and makes recommendations to resolve problems; and connect businesses to services to speed up their business recovery. Doing so, the Emergency Response Unit has done an amazing job coordinating with first responders, other agencies and stakeholders to provide services to help local businesses who are so in need due to the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has presented.