December 2024 Caboose

MID-DECEMBER 2024

NEW CHAPTER BEGINS AS COUNCILMEMBERS, MAYOR TAKE OATHS OF OFFICE Excitement was high among city employees and residents during the Mayor & Council Installation Ceremony at the Glendale Civic Center on Dec. 10.

Newly elected City Councilmembers Lupe Conchas Jr. and Dianna Guzman, along with our current Mayor Jerry Weiers and long-time City Councilmember Ray Malnar participated in this timehonored tradition where those elected to represent Glendale take their oaths of office.

Glendale Presiding Judge Nicholas C. DiPiazza led Guzman and Weiers in this formal pledge to serve the city, while Judge Enrique Medina-Ochoa, Justice of the Peace at Maricopa County, guided Conchas.

Malnar, who represents the Sahuaro District, had taken his oath of office previously and a video of a speech he delivered was shown at the ceremony.

Our Communications Director Sue Breding served as emcee for the event, which included a Presentation of Colors, a singer performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and heartfelt speeches where the elected officials thanked their supporters and pledged to work collaboratively with each other and residents to enhance their quality of life.

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LEARNING AND GROWTH IN GLENDALE EASE YOUR WAY THROUGH CAREGIVING JOURNEY STEP-BY-STEP Taking care of an aging parent is meaningful but can present challenges.

Dec. 16

Luckily you can take small steps every day to make it easier to manage responsibilities while still providing compassionate, loving support to your loved one. A WellStyles Journey - Caring for an Aging Parent—and Yourself - offers easy-to-follow recommendations for caregivers, including ways to create safe, open environments by addressing aging parents’ most pressing needs.

Register for this Journey via the WellStyles wellness portal, Virgin Pulse, which will transition to Personify Health, here.

NEOGOV PERFORM AND LEARN OVERVIEW FOR SUPERVISORS Writing an evaluation is an essential part of a supervisor’s job that needs to be done in an accurate and timely manner.

Dec. 17

In this interactive training session from 2 to 3 p.m., supervisors will learn tips and techniques to help in completing employee evaluations. They will discover how journals, reports and other tools can help them do this important task.

To register for this course, visit NEOGOV.

SCORE POINTS FOR HEALTHY STEPS FOR CHANCE TO WIN PRIZES There is still time to enter a prize drawing for exercising, eating healthy food, visiting the doctor and taking other steps towards achieving and maintaining wellness.

Explore the WellStyles portal to learn what healthy actions you can take to earn points.

Those who have earned 5,000 points by Dec. 31 will be eligible to win one of 20 Visa gift cards worth $75 each. Every “Level” in the portal provides another entry into the prize drawing.

Remember the WellStyles wellness portal, which Virgin Pulse powers, is changing names to Personify Health on Dec. 16. It will function the same, but the name and logo will switch that day. Learn more by visiting the WellStyles portal link below.

HONOR LEGACY OF CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, GAIN INSIGHT FROM CITY LEADERS Join the Inclusion Network in celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during this event at 11:30 a.m. in the Main Library Auditorium.

JAN. 15

The Glendale Executive Leadership Team will share a powerful message of unity and inclusion at this informative event. Lunch will be served after the event.

Registration is available through NEOGOV.

GET JUMP-START ON NEW YEAR - COG 2025 CALENDAR Are you planning a vacation, move or holiday celebration? The city’s 2025 calendar that shows paid holidays and paydays is now available on the GRID.

MID-DECEMBER 2024

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BE IN THE KNOW GET SNEAK PEEK AT FUTURE CITY HALL Want to see what the future City Hall is expected to look like when completed? We have the latest renderings for you in this video! To learn more about the Downtown Campus Reinvestment Project, visit the GRID.

SHEBELIEVES CUP COMES TO GLENDALE Take in the world’s best female soccer players at the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday, Feb. 23 at State Farm Stadium.

An exclusive employee ticket offer is available here.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: SUCCESS FACTORS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Our coworkers are a major part of what makes Glendale a great place to work! Do you know a coworker who is a superstar with exemplary performance in one of the city’s Success Factors? Nominations are open now to recognize achievements. Details are available on the GRID.

VIDEO TEAM SHEDS LIGHT ON DATA PROCESSING, SHARING Ever wonder what a neural network, ETL or FTP are?

You can learn what those terms mean and explore other data definitions by watching another video as part of a series it has created for our Department of Organizational Performance. The Data Universe Video 3: Data Processing video shares how neural networks run much like neurons in a brain, utilizing functions to understand and translate data. It also reveals ways to safely and effectively gather, process and send data.

This video and the other data-related training videos are available in NEOGOV.

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SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS FIELD OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES BUILD LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Several Field Operations Department employees recently gained “FOOD” for thought with management skills through an informative program.

These 11 Field Operations employees recently completed the Field Operations Organizational Development (FOOD) program, which was developed for existing and future leaders in the Field Operations Department.

Employees meet monthly to learn about budgets, interviewing, communication and other topics. Field Operations management team members and other city employees lead each session on the Field Operations campus over the 12 months of the program.

Congratulations to these Field Operations employees who recently graduated from the program: Randy Estavillo, Vladan Gluvacevic, Alan Gurrola, Joseph Jerez, Mike Kinsley, Albert Lebario, Billie LeBlanc, JJ Morales, Robert Ruiz, Eric Santa Maria and Mario Vasquez Jr.

CITY COMES TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PARK

A beautiful, sunny day set the stage for a ribboncutting event at the new Glen Lakes Park on Dec. 4.

City Councilmember Bart Turner joined city leaders, staff from various departments, residents and some Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission members to mark the opening of this park in the housing development that used to be Glen Lakes Golf Course.

This site that is about 10.5 acres at West Royal Palm Road and North 53rd Avenue features a .75-mile walking track, as well as playground equipment and benches.

Assistant City Manager Vicki Rios said she had lived in the neighborhood where the park is located previously and it will provide a positive place for families to build memories. Turner also said the park will be an asset to the community, including the 170 families in the neighborhood.

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