These City Elves deserve some special recognition!


ENGINEERING  AWARDS

Congratulations to Civil Engineer Manager Karen McKeehan recently earned two prestigious awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

Karen's dedicated service as an ASCE Knoxville Officer and Past-President in combination with her distinguished service within the City of Knoxville’s Engineering Department was celebrated by her peers as the ASCE Knoxville Branch Outstanding Government Engineer award winner for 2021. This distinction earned her a nomination to the ASCE Tennessee Section and in competition with nominees from five other state Branches, Karen succeeded, and the Tennessee Section Board of Officers voted to present Karen with the 2021 ASCE Tennessee Section Sandra N. Knight Award for Distinguished Government Service. 

Karen's 15-year career in engineering and project management, combined with her longstanding commitment to ASCE and public service displays the quality individual and engineer she embodies, well-deserving of this sequence of awards.


 
LAW HONOR

City Attorney Christina Veneciano Magráns-Tillery has been asked to serve on the Tennessee Bar Association’s Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity.

Please congratulate her on this honor.



PARKS AND RECREATION CERTIFICATIONS

Please congratulate the following employees who earned the Youth Sports Administrator certification from the National Alliance for Youth Sports.



• Tyler Green
• Elijah Clark
• Candice Canty
• Nathan Nease 



EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR

This year the City decided to break the tradition of naming one Employee of the Year, and instead named 13 Employees of the Year!



The following employees were recognized at a ceremony on December 3rd. We have included comments from their nominations, as well. Congratulations!

Vicky Dalton
Fire Department
Vicky’s professionalism is the pinnacle of what you would want in an employee. She works closely with every division within the Fire Department and closely with many other departments within the City, willing to take on any task needed to accomplish a goal. Treating everyone with respect, she works to resolve issues for customers and coworkers, setting the bar high and encouraging others daily.

Shawanna Tipton
Center for Service Innovation
Shawanna has been with the City for 20 years, and with the Center for Service Innovation since its inception. She maintains relationships across the City, dedicating herself and the team to the principal of helping customers. By keeping current with the latest information during the pandemic, Shawanna and their team stepped up to assist residents across the region with the critical services needed. 
Debra Thomas/Economic and Community Development
Debra brings a career’s-worth of experience to support the work of the Economic and Community Development department and several others throughout the City. Knowing how to communicate with a variety of stakeholders, she extends her skills to external stakeholders, as well. She is a positive representative of the City, helping her team to accomplish their mission, and encourages others to focus on positive customer service and community relationships. 

Catreena Neuenschwander
Employee Benefits and Risk Management
Catreena doesn’t operate under any other standard than the highest. She is a very detail oriented person and assists her entire department working to find new or more efficient ways to accomplish work. By looking for the root of a problem and solving for future situations rather than just the initial issue, she reports to her team members to share what she has learned.

Bryan Gilbert
Engineering
Bryan manages a team in the Engineering Sign Shop that touches almost every other department within City Government. He is an excellent diplomat to the public. His commitment to serve the City and its residences promptly - and with a remarkable level of respect - reflects the character of who he is.

Roberta "Bobbie" Painter
Finance
Bobbie is a loyal and dedicated employee who represents the City with integrity and professionalism as she works with others in the City Revenue Office, as well as Knox County offices. She will strive to follow every problem through to a satisfactory resolution. She also provides valuable, informative instructions and details to the public regarding situations related to property taxes.

Joe Hill
Fleet Services
Joe is a person who is always willing to lend a hand, offer sound advice, and jump in to take on a difficult task. He puts the needs of his customers-the Fire Department-first and is proud to support them in their mission. As an experienced technician, he is an excellent communicator and has a way of making all involved feel equally valued.

Hope Ealey
Housing and Neighborhood Development
Hope is always willing to take on new tasks and responsibilities within Community Development. Recently, she played a major role in setting up a new Housing Assistance Program to assist residents who lost income due to the pandemic. She is positive and open in her communication within the department and the public she serves.

Mark Gumprecht
Information Systems
Mark analyzes the needs of the IT department and their customers utilizing his vast technical knowledge. He remains calm and thoughtful under pressure and is tirelessly available around the clock to ensure the City’s computer systems are fully functional and always accessible.

Ann Bateman
Municipal Court
Ann is extremely dependable and an advocate for those she supervises in City Court, making sure the staff have everything they need to excel. She has great communication and interpersonal skills as shown with working with the public that may be dealing with difficult situations, offering support, compassion, and extra effort to find solutions.

Nikki Crutcher
Parks & Recreation (not pictured)
Nikki is a star performer: organized, task oriented, personable, loves kids and especially loves helping the public. She is part of the Parks & Rec management team and is an active participant with addressing issues, providing assistance, and leading the way to develop new programs for the City’s youth.

James Tente
Plans Review & Building Inspections
Jim has a thorough knowledge of the City’s Building Codes and uses that knowledge as the Building & Plans Review Chief to provide consistency to internal and external customers. He fosters cooperation between the various inspection divisions within the City and looks to provide suggestions to lead customers in a successful direction.

Boyd Kitts
Public Service (not pictured) 
Boyd is a dedicated and dependable member of the Public Service department. He exhibits a great attitude and fosters cooperation and communication within the various zones of the department, often going above and beyond the normal job requirements by taking on additional large tasks.