Get to Know Steve Acquafredda
Steve Acquafredda is a Principal Engineer with our Water Services Department. He has worked for the city for almost 10 years. Watch the video to see what a day in his life looks like.
Register to Earn Wellness Incentives
There is still time to sign up for the annual Wellness Incentive Program for a chance to win prizes! Complete the Health Assessment AND earn at least 25,000 points in the Well Styles portal to qualify for these rewards. You must earn all points by June 15 to obtain a savings of $120, $240 or $360 on the medical plan More points equal more savings! If you earn 60,000 points, you will save $360 on your medial plan. Visit the GRID here to learn more: Wellness Incentive Program
Wear Blue, Take Selfie to Boost Men’s Health
Show your support for men’s health on June 13 or 14. Wear BLUE® Day is celebrated on June 14, as part of Men’s Health Month, a national campaign to raise awareness about the importance of men’s health
Men reportedly make half as many physician visits for treatment that prevents health issues as women do
Send a “Healthy Selfie” or “Wear Blue Photo” to Glendale Contest by June 21 to enter the drawing for a Good Life prize. Use #ShowUsYourBlue
JUNE 2024 INSIDE: Find Out Which City Shining Star Won An Award: PAGE 2
THE EMPLOYEE EXPRESS PAGE 01
Discover the COG Driving Program Generating Buzz PAGE 2
Shining Star Earns Award Get Scoop on Social Security Benefits
Webinar: Social Security 101
Date: June 12
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Learn about Social Security benefits in this online forum through the Social Security Administration Office. Find out when you are eligible for it, what the future of this program is and how to get the most out of it. Register Here
Jean Moreno, our Director of Community Services, has earned recognition for her compassion and hard work helping Glendale’s most vulnerable residents. She received the 2024 Power of Home Honoree Award at Mercy Housing’s The Power of Home Southwest 2024 event at Phoenix Country Club on May 22.
Moreno was honored for not only being a strong advocate and partner of Mercy Housing, but also in the greater community, according to Ellen Abrams, Regional Philanthropy Director of Mercy Housing Mountain Plains. Abrams said Moreno was integral in developing Mercy Housing’s new property, Glendale Senior Apartments, which will bring affordable apartment units for those ages 62 and older to the city
City Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff, who attended the awards event, along with some city staff members, also sang Moreno’s praises. Tolmachoff said at a recent City Council meeting that Moreno has “done such an amazing job in this position,” adding, “She has a real heart for what she’s doing.”
Congratulations, Jean!
Respond to Survey to Ensure Needs are Met
Many of the city departments are serving other city departments as their primary customer. To make sure we are meeting your needs and exceeding expectations, the Organizational Performance team will be running an Internal Services Survey. The results are anonymous, and a compilation of the results will be shared with the internal services department directors to help make improvements. The survey opens on June 17. You will receive an email from citymanager@glendalaz.com.
Alive at 25 Program Generates Publicity
Our Alive at 25 program that helps steer young drivers toward safety has been in the spotlight in recent weeks.
Traffic Education Program Manager Cassandra Johnston teaches high school students skills to improve their driving, including eliminating unsafe practices including speeding, cell phone use and peer pressure. It’s a FREE class, designed by the National Safety Council, for students ages 15 to 24.
Channel 15 - KNXV-TV and “The Glendale Star” have produced stories about the program with KNXV-TV reporter Patrick Hayes visiting the class at Ironwood High School. Vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for those between the ages of 15 and 24. Check out the stories here: KNXV-TV and The Glendale Star
THE EMPLOYEE EXPRESS PAGE 03
Congratulations to the following new employees who have joined COG!
·Leandro Baldenegro - City Council
·Laura Castro Lopez – City Court
·Shaina Chato - Police
·Timothy Cordon - Transportation
·Kurt Gregory - Water Services
·Stephen Gushue -Organizational Performance
·David Hennigar - Police
·Laura Hinson - Innovation and Technology
·Kimberly Jones - City Court
·Steven Ogle - Economic Development
·Kristen Phillips - Police
·Desyree Raner - City Court
·Tina Rhodes - Innovation and Technology
·Ana Enriquez Salcido - Transportation
·Apple Grace Sherman - Budget and Finance
·Mary Smith - City Court
·Kevin Stockbridge - City Attorney’s Office
·Gurnoor Tschudy - Development Service
·Nathan Whyte - Transportation
Go Glendale Lean Academy!
Maximizing efficiency is an important goal we all strive to achieve every day. That’s why the Department of Organizational Performance was pleased to host a ceremony on April 26 to recognize the inaugural graduating class of the Glendale Lean Academy, comprised of 73 city employees from 17 departments
In October of 2023, these employees began their journey toward completing a Lean Six Sigma Professional Certification. They gained the knowledge and understanding needed to help them identify organizational inefficiencies and then apply a systematic approach toward improving our processes, enhancing the quality of our services and maximizing taxpayer resources. After the ceremony, graduates were assigned to tackle one of six city-sponsored Lean Projects. Congratulations, team!
HAPPY 25 YEARS
Anna Caggiano - Community Services
James Cunningham - Police
Curt King - Water Services
Kearsten Labrozzi - Community Services
Andrea Ladensack - Community Services
Tamara Ramirez-Tracy - Community Services
Brian Shoop - Police
HAPPY 20 YEARS
Louis Barbone - Fire Services
Marsha Brantner - Fire Services
Valerie Cooney - Fire Services
Jessica Eastman - Development Services
Jonathan Flatt - Engineering
Michael Kaus - Fire Services
Julianne Loyd - Budget and Finance
Gilbert Mantzey - Fire Services
Maximo Moreno - Fire Services
John Slamka - Fire Services
Jason Webb - Fire Services
HAPPY 10 YEARS
Conniecarmen Barrios - Budget and Finance
Dion Castelazo - Water Services
Sheryl Crapser - Development Services
David Melville - Innovation and Technology
HAPPY 5 YEARS
Mike Acosta - Field Operations
Alberto Castillo - Police
Matthew Hess - Community Services
Cori Miller - Police
Ileana Scaffidi - Police
Alejandro Diaz Zagal - Water Services
