Sieda Community Action has presented four staff- members with the Sargent Shriver Excellence of Service Award. 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.
In addition, candidates for both the employee and supervisor award are nominated by any member of the agency. Then selected by a committee of employees.
First, the Employee of the Year awards were given to Donna, Dianna, and Matt at the Sieda February All-Staff meeting. The Employee of the Year award honors three individual employees who have no staff reporting to them, such as teachers, receptionists, home visitation specialists, energy auditors, etc.
Second, the Supervisor of the Year was presented to Ashley Brink, who was not present that day, due to illness. The Supervisor Award honors one supervisor who has one or more staff members report directly to them and is in a leadership position within the organization.
The 2019 Shriver Award winners are presented below.
Employee of the Year – Matt Thompson
Matt’s congenial nature naturally lends itself to dedication to Sieda’s work and respect for our clients. His level of honesty, responsibility, and accountability are key in their cooperative interaction with other units and various agencies. Matt has worked very hard in carrying out the Mission and Vision of the agency through various means. He has multiple skills that enable him to work in a variety of capacities within Sieda, including helping with projects for other units. He shows genuine concern for the needs of those we serve. Matt’s attitude is exemplary, and his dedication to our work is beyond reproach.
Employee of the Year Runner up – Dianna Hendee
Dianna exhibits a talent for engaging with families. She is a positive person in her daily work–perhaps the only positive a family experiences on any given day. Her families depend on her honesty and caring attitude to help them move forward in becoming more self-reliant. I have observed this person provide supportive service information to families. Seeing her encourage them to seek out those services, sometimes providing the family with a cell phone to make the call while she is still in their home. All while letting them know, they can do it! The act of staying with them through some of those first steps and providing feedback and praise for a job well done is as important to a family as the information provided. I have seen Dianna be a forceful advocate for families in the court system, at DHS family team meetings, and with Promise Jobs staff.
Employee of the Year 2nd Runner up – Donna Leedall
Donna takes responsibility and accountability for her work. If errors are made, she is honest and cooperative and looks for ways to improve procedures. Donna is a great team player and is always willing to assist other departments with whatever they might need. She has a strong sense of dedication to her role and shows empathy and respect towards clients, employees, and vendors that she comes into contact with.
Donna has often been referred to as the face of Sieda. She takes time to ensure that clients have their questions answered and that they are aware of resources in the community. She displays empathy towards employees and clients. She offers words of encouragement to others and is valued by many for her care and support.
Supervisor of the Year – Ashley Brink
Ashley goes above and beyond for the children and families associated with our program. She works with staff on becoming the absolute best resource for our families. She steps up to every issue that is thrown at her and the staff that they supervise to provide the best outcome for families in our program. Ashley has a listening ear and very supportive in all seven counties that we serve. This candidate works around the clock to make sure our program runs full staff to give the children the best teachable moments of the day. If she has to cover for someone, she will. We can not have successful classrooms without guidance and support, and that is what she gives to the staff.
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