Sieda Community Action presented four staff- members with the Sargent Shriver excellence of service award at the Sieda All-Staff meeting on November 17th.
The Sargent Shriver Awards recognize positive behaviors that support the achievement of the agency’s mission, vision, and values and help create a culture of mutual respect and recognition for employees at all levels. There are two separate award categories; the employee of the year award and supervisor of the year award.
The Employee of the Year award honors three individual employees who have no staff reporting to them, such as teachers, administrative assistants, home visitation specialists, etc. The supervisor award honors one supervisor who has one or more direct reports and is in a leadership position within the organization.
The 2017 Shriver Award winners are presented below.
Employee of the Year – Carol Baiotto-Long
Five individuals contributed to this nomination. This support by coworkers demonstrates the commitment to agency’s values that Carol exhibits daily and throughout her tenure with Sieda. One individual notes “She is kind‐hearted and compassionate towards our clients.” Carol is respectful of the clients who enter the office. She treats clients fairly and recognizes their individual needs. She is able to empathize with clients who seek assistance through Sieda programs, and is able to ask difficult questions to gain a better understanding of the client’s unique circumstances. Clients have voiced their appreciation for Carol’s honesty and forthrightness in explaining how the agency’s programs can or cannot assist the client’s family. The agency’s values of responsibility, accountability and dedication are all evident in her commitment to her many roles in the Sieda organization. When asked to assume a task, administration and coworkers alike can trust that Carol will give her best effort. She is accountable for her work. She recognizes areas in which she can grow and learn as well as those areas she exhibits a strong skill set. Although she admits she sometimes struggles with change, she will be the first to acknowledge that along with change comes growth.
Employee of the Year Runner up – Lyn Heaton
This employee consistently demonstrates and is committed to Sieda’s mission by providing education, counseling and advocacy for our clients. Lyn is an active member of the Wapello County Adult Drug Court and the Wapello County Mental Health Court, and helps participants locate necessary resources ‐ like food and clothing. She is always willing to take any clients assigned, no matter what complications they may have. Lyn continues to grow in her knowledge, and although she is not a formal trainer, is willing to share this knowledge with new counseling staff.
Employee of the Year 2nd Runner up – Linsey Pezley
This staff member is the support system that allows other employees to provide direct service. Linsey works with educating employees on processes assists in making our organization more efficient and effective. This person does this without judgement. She clearly demonstrates our values of cooperation and growth and development.
Supervisor of the Year – Rebecca Falck
Even a brief conversation with this person, quickly reveals that she respects the families she serves. Becky strongly believes that families are “strong, resourceful and resilient,” and has a long professional history and loyalty to providing services for families in Iowa and other states. She is dedicated to her work and models Sieda values as she holds the unit staff and leadership team to high ethical standards and our organizational values. She recognizes her responsibility to ensure accountability to standards while embracing the changes needed to ensure program growth and development. Becky has remained positive even when programs face tough times and uncertain funding streams. She keeps abreast of current research and updated training opportunities, and she creates and shares opportunities for staff to gain experience and knowledge in leadership. One staff member says, “I feel blessed to have worked with her and have her as my direct supervisor and mentor.”
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