In November, two employees in the City’s Fleet Services Department were recognized with state awards at the Tennessee Chapter of American Public Works Association (TCAPWA) annual state conference.
Sam Daily, a Master Equipment Technician for the City, was selected for the Award of Merit, which recognizes public works employees at the operations level who “perform their responsibilities in an exceptionally efficient and courteous manner.”
Only one employee is selected each year from among all public works employees in the state’s 346 municipalities. For perspective, the City of Knoxville alone has 525 employees in its Public Works Department.
Daily began his career with the City of Knoxville in 2016 after years of experience operating equipment in the private sector. According to the application submitted for his nomination, Daily’s leadership skills and dedication to help his co-workers stood out from the start.
The nomination also describes an incident in April 2017, when Daily suffered an on-the-job injury that led to multiple lengthy surgeries. He made a remarkable return to work only weeks after surgery and remained a standout employee, administering equipment inspections and assisting with administrative functions.
Slowly – and quite miraculously – Daily is regaining mobility in his hand and is gradually returning to equipment operations when possible.
“We’re so proud of Sam, who continues to demonstrate hard work and dedication for his team, even through his own physical trials after being injured on the job,” said Keith Shields, Director of Fleet Services.
Additionally, Nicholas Bradshaw, Deputy Director of Fleet Services and a City employee since 2009, was named this year’s Roger Clark Award recipient by the TCAPWA. The award recognizes public works professionals’ dedication to the TCAPWA.
“Nick’s leadership has been evident since he came to our department earlier this year,” Shields said. “In a department that typically stays in the background, providing the cars and equipment to other City departments, this spotlight to Fleet Services thanks to Sam and Nick’s standout efforts is very much welcomed.”