the Q 3 2 015
2 0 1 5 S P E C I A L O LY M P I C S W O R L D G A M E S SM A RT CIT Y SUPPORTS ATHLE TIC CH A MPIONSHIP E V ENT IN LOS A NGELES
This summer, the City of Los Angeles hosted the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Smart City was proud to provide technological support for the athletes, coaches, and volunteers that made up the event. A Champion Silver sponsor of the event, Smart City provided special technology and WiFi support services at the Los Angeles Convention Center, as well as additional team members and bandwidth to ensure a great user experience. “Giving back to the communities in which we live and serve is one of our company’s founding business principles,” said Smart City’s president Mark Haley. “We’re proud to take part in this worldwide event and support these hardworking athletes with the world-class technology services that Smart City is known for.” Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics aims to create a world that is not dominated by those who are excluded but by those who are included.
Above and Below: Members of the Smart City Los Angeles team pose for a photo during the 2015 Special Olympics World Games festivities at the LACC.
This year’s world summer games featured more than 6,500 athletes and 200 coaches from 165 countries. 30,000 volunteers worked around the clock to support the games. An estimated 500,000 spectators turned out to cheer on the athletes. The event was the single biggest event held in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games.
Right: Special Olympics Athletes pose with their medals during the awards ceremony. (Photo courtesy of the Special Olympics World Games)
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CONTENTS
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
02 P R E S I D E N T ’ S CORNER
Quarterly overview from Smart City’s president, Mark Haley.
07 W E CARE & GIVE BACK
Highlighting the community service efforts of our Smart City teams across the country.
08 C E N T E R U P D A T E S What’s new in our buildings? Special updates from the field.
12 E M P L O Y E E O F THE MONTH
Recognizing this quarter’s outstanding employees.
14 T E A M U P D A T E S Team member milestones and new arrival announcements.
WE CARE AND GIVE BACK
WITH SUCCESS COMES THE RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE BACK In today’s world, it’s easy to become wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of daily work life. We put our heads down and push forward as we try to solve the ills of our world. For Smart City and our team members, this usually means meeting the expectations of a challenging customer, troubleshooting a broken connection, completing a WiFi upgrade, or installing a show. Combined, these important tasks make up the main reason that we have been hired by our venue partners to support their technology needs on a daily basis. Smart City’s Business Principles and Daily Basics — “Do Right by All Our Customers,” “Continually Improve Processes,” “Think Fast, Move Fast”; the list goes on — remind us of this purpose and the top-notch service that we strive to deliver each and every day. Throw in a government inquiry and we never want to pick our heads up for fear of what might come next. However, the last (but certainly not least) of our Basics and Principles that guides us at Smart City is “We Care and Give Back.” This Business Principle reminds us to pick our heads up (often!) from the daily tasks described above and make sure that we are contributing to the communities in which we live and serve. We often feature stories or pictures in each Pinnacle that highlight the efforts of our local and corporate team members as they volunteer within their communities. Once in a while, an opportunity comes along that really gives us a chance to make an impact. As featured on this month’s cover story, Smart City was a proud supporter of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games held in Los Angeles this summer, including the events and operations hosted by AEG and the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition to providing the services at the LACC, Julia Slocombe, our Vice President of Regional Operations for the Western Region, and Henry De La Rosa, our General Manager at the LACC, had the privilege of attending the opening ceremonies. They were able to witness firsthand the joy that athletes experience through their participation in the World Games.
cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” “Let me win. But if ISpecial Olympics athlete’s oath
16 A N N I V E R S A R Y LIST
Anniversaries of team members throughout the company.
We need to remember to pick our heads up every once in a while. Otherwise, we might miss an opportunity to make a difference. To the Top!
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the PINNACLE • Issue 3, 2015
BOOSTS W A SHINGTON STATE CON V ENTION CENTER
“Thank you to the Smart City team for accommodating our last minute revised network plan and for the continued support during TechReady. Despite the equipment delays on our end, things went very smoothly for us once the event began with much improvement towards getting our attendees connected to a robust wireless network.” Dennis Angilletta, Microsoft (TechReady21)
K E N T U C K Y I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R & K E N T U C K Y E X P O S I T I O N C E N T E R “Gabe Wood (Operations Manager) was great to work with. Always there when we needed him.” Tracy Orpin, International Association of Administrative Professionals
K E N T U C K Y I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R & K E N T U C K Y E X P O S I T I O N C E N T E R
“I was very pleased with Smart City. The Internet connection they provided was one of the best we have had at this type of event. We did not have one attendee or presenter complain or have troubles with their Internet connection. Their staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful.” Lynn Waugh, Solution Tree/PLC Institute
C O L O R A D O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“On behalf of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to you and the entire Smart City team for the service provided during the recent ASHP 2015 Summer Meetings & Exhibition. We are especially grateful to you for the hard work and dedication you devoted to ASHP. Your professionalism and expertise, coupled with your attention to detail and timely responses, were recognized and truly appreciated. Thank you for the extra effort you put forth and for your contribution to the overall success of the meeting! We look forward to the opportunity to work with you again on future ASHP meetings.” Fran Byrnes and Jessica Cremer, ASHP
NRG PA RK
“First and foremost, the Smart City Staff at the NRG Center is amazing. I have been doing the convention scene
for eight years and not once have I met a team like this. Jessica Hoover (Customer Sales & Service Manager) is understanding and willing to hear the needs from the client. Chris Jones went above and beyond the entire weekend. His dedication to the success of our room was amazing. Finally, Codey “Ike” Eichenour (General Manager) took it upon himself to make sure the issues we were having on Day 0 were fixed by Day 1 of the convention. Adding the second to mitigate an issue the room was having was very generous, even though the issue only lasted a few hours. We had continual check-ins from the staff. I would move to Houston to join this crew, that’s how great they are! I hope our paths cross again in the future. On behalf of the Supercon2k Series, we appreciated all that you did over the weekend. You all help removed a lot of stress off my shoulders because you were so catering.” Chad Hoover, Space City Comic Con
S A N D I E G O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“The customer support before, during, and after was amazing. Timothy Boyer (Data Operations Manager) was my engineering contact, and even when he was on vacation he would pick up his cell or reply via email. Sterling Oakland (Operations Manager) was our account manager, and he bent over backwards making sure we were satisfied. I have worked with a lot of buildings with Smart City, and the San Diego team tops them!” Rene Gonzalez, Cisco Systems (Live)
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BOOSTS S A N D I E G O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“Donna Kacmarcik (Customer Sales & Service Manager) made sure she understood our needs well before our show took place, which made for a smooth conference. Awesome Smart City team in San Diego! Reliable service, easy to work with!” Jackie Newis, AACN
LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER
“It is with sincere gratitude that we thank you for your sponsorship of this year’s 4th Annual Committed to Our Business Community (CTOBC) event. The feedback we have received was positive. The attendees are extremely appreciative of your caring and generous act of giving. Your continued generosity and support is greatly appreciated in supporting our common goal of restoring prosperity to our community which we call home.” Yolanda Jones, Manager, Purchasing and Contracts, City of Las Vegas
SMART CITY BOOST - MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER TEAM
“I have a boost for Gerald D’Angelo, Technician at Miami Beach Convention Center. Last week, Gerald was assigned the task of helping to provide 30 data and voice cables for a last minute office move. The operations, security, and building partners’ offices will have to move from the east part of the building to the west side executive offices because of the MBCC’s upcoming renovation. Gerald took a weeklong project of moving cables and configuring assigned networks to each new office and was able to complete the project in one day. After the project’s completion, Gerald was given a boost from the building, as it was their understanding that the network for operations, security, and building partners would be down until the end of the week. Gerald was able to make sure everyone was back on the network that same day before a big event came to the MBCC that week.” Andrew Brown, General Manager, Smart City Miami Beach
S M A R T C I T Y B O O S T - K E N T U C K Y T E A M
“We would like to add a big boost to Mike Terry (Technician) from Kentucky for coming up at the last minute to help us out with Thirty One Gifts while I was on limited duty. Without his help, we would not have been to run the more than 100 cables required by this event on time!” Bill Duke, General Manager, Smart City Columbus
K A Y B A I L E Y H U T C H I S O N C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“Thank you in advance for making Seminar 2015 a success! We appreciate all your hard work and effort.” Mary Kay Inc.
S A N D I E G O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“On behalf of CISCO, we would like to extend our most sincere gratitude in making Cisco Live! 2015 in San Diego, California, a great success. Your outstanding service in delivering strong customer service did not go unnoticed. Thank you for your commitment in creating powerful impressions and dedication in developing impacting relationships.” Cisco Live! Team
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GM INSIGHT I N D I A N A C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R A N D L U C A S O I L S T A D I U M
“I just wanted to reach out and say thank you to you and your team for everything you all did on site, as far as our Internet needs went. I’m so hopeful that we won’t have to bombard you the day before the event loads in next year and we’ll have a better hold on what we’re doing. Everything went smoothly and I feel like all of our requirements were met without struggle. Again, thank you SO much for your patience and your time with us. Your team was wonderful to work with and I look forward to seeing you all again next year!” Laura Davis, Pokemon event
S A N D I E G O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“Donna Kacmarcik (Customer Sales & Service Manager), thank you for all of your hard work to make ICAAC/ICC 2015 a successful meeting. We could not have done it without you!” The ASM Team
M INNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER
“George Cagle (General Manager), just wanted to let you know that the WiFi is working and everyone has been able to connect without a problem. Thanks for your help!” Sarah Jackson, Target Distribution event
T A M P A C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“Smart City in Tampa was the best Smart City group we have dealt with in any convention center. Kudos!” Chris Douglas, Church of the Brethren
A CRIMINAL OUTING As part of the Smart City Corporate Accounting and Systems Development Teams’ annual outing in August, employees from both departments spent time at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. The outing included a pizza luncheon and plenty of prime photo opportunities at the musem. Fortunately, all team members were released for good behavior at the end of the day!
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TRAINING:
AesopNG Smart City Corporate Customer Sales & Service Manager Rani Bush (pictured right, with Smart City Las Vegas Digital Advertising Account Manager Ann Marie Fuller) spent several weeks traveling across the country to introduce Smart City team members our new proprietary CRM system, AesopNG. She conducted seven different training sessions in Houston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orlando, Indianapolis, and Denver. During these training sessions, team members were given an overview of the upgraded system as well as detailed instructions on how to operate its features. Overall, the training was well-received by the field, who found it to be a helpful resource during the transition from Aesop Classic to AesopNG.
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AesopNG training session team in Orlando
AesopNG training session team in Houston
AesopNG training session team in Los Angeles
AesopNG training session team in Washington DC
AesopNG training session team in Indianapolis
AesopNG training session team in San Diego
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WE CARE AND GIVE BACK FORT WORTH:
UNDER CONS TRUC TION W ITH H A BITAT FOR HUM A NIT Y
In September, Smart City Fort Worth’s General Manager, Janae Tinsley, volunteered her time to help construct the Pope Francis House in Houston. Janae worked with a team from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston as well as Houston Habitat for Humanity to build a house in honor of Pope Francis and his message of commitment to social justice. The project is utilizing the assistance of more than 300 volunteers and was inspired by an anonymous donor who challenged the organization to embark on the project. According to Houston Habitat for Humanity and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, it is expected to be completed by Christmas.
BOOSTS BOOSTS FROM AESOPNG TRAINING “I’d like to give a big boost from the Tampa team to Rani Bush and Kelli Bonds (HR Administrative Assistant) for their key roles in making the AesopNG training a success. It was a great training!” Mitchell Hughes, General Manager, Smart City Tampa “I want to give a big boost to Rani for the excellent training on AesopNG in Denver. The training was most beneficial and very informative! Our whole group walked away from the training with a great feeling about the new AesopNG.” Andrew Gutierrez, General Manager, Smart City Reno-Sparks “I’d like to personally give a giant THANK YOU to Rani Bush for the AesopNG training that we received at the beginning of September. The Midwest Region learned a lot from her. Each and every one of us is indebted to her for all of the effort she has put forth on training the country! Good job and thank you, Rani!” Ben Behnkendorf, General Manager, Smart City Indianapolis AesopNG training session team in Denver
“Santa Clara sends a boost to Rani Bush for her great training in AesopNG at the Los Angeles training session. We really appreciate the effort Rani makes to break down the components of this software into logical, understandable modules and her thoroughness in reviewing the functions of each module. We also appreciate Rani’s sense of humor, patience and the fun approach she takes to training. Thanks to Rani, incorporating the new Aesop program into daily activities is going well.” Pat Johnson, Event Coordinator, Smart City Santa Clara
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CE N T E R U PDAT E S LONG BEACH:
P C M A V O T E S L O N G B E A C H A S A “ B E S T H I G H -T E C H V E N U E ”
The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center was recently voted as one of the Best High-Tech Venues by PCMA Convene. The magazine, which featured Long Beach in their August 2015 edition, had this to say about the venue: With its Southern California waterfront setting and striking glass-dome façade, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has been a magnet for memorable conferences since it opened in 1978. But the center’s technology is very much-of-the-moment. A cornerstone of a recent $40-million upgrade was connectivity, and new wiring provides what the center’s website calls “instant” Wi-Fi connections for attendees. Long Beach’s on-site audiovisual team uses state-of-the-art lighting and sound design to create “multisensory experiences” – and even before they’re on site, planners can visualize their events via a 3S “Convention Center Campus” tool on the center’s website.
SAN DIEGO:
P R E S ID E N T & C E O H O N O R E D W I T H 2015 I AV M L IF E T IME A C HIE V E ME N T AWA R D Carol Wallace, President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, was honored with the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). The Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented during the 2015 International Convention Center Conference (ICCC) in Atlanta, recognizes individuals who have had a significant impact on the convention center industry and IAVM community.
Prior to her role in San Diego, Wallace was the Assistant General Manager of the Dallas Convention Center. In 1988, she became the Executive Director at the Colorado Convention Center. She joined the San Diego Convention Center Corporation in 1991 as the General Manager, and was promoted to her current role of CEO in 1994. In her 24 years of leadership in San Diego, Wallace has served with seven mayors and 22 chairs of the corporation’s Board of Directors. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Carol!
BOOSTS C O L O R A D O C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“The dust has officially settled and now that I have a moment to reflect, I’d like to recognize the team responsible for the success of ATS 2015. Debbie Olivas was an oustanding partner during our annual meeting. You have a remarkable team at the Colorado Convention Center. On behalf of the ATS, I appreciate the service, respect, and hospitality.” Emily Catanzaro, American Thoracic Society (ATS)
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CE N T E R U PDAT E S LOS ANGELES:
LOS A NGELES CON V ENTION CENTER RECERTIFIED AT LEED GOLD
The Los Angeles Convention Center has become the largest convention center in America to be recertified at the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold level. The venue first achieved Gold certification in 2010. LEED is the universally recognized green building rating system developed by the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that helps the building industry operate in a more environmentally conscious manner. The number of points a project earns in various categories--including sustainable sites, water efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality--determines the level of LEED certification the project receives. LEED Gold is the second highest of the four possible LEED certifications awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit alliance of builders, environmentalists, and other industry professionals. “Today, we take another concrete step in the implementation of our Sustainable City pLAn – a plan that sets some of the boldest environmental targets in America. Green building, energy efficiency, and water conservation are central to our efforts to clean our air, reduce our waste, and build a more livable city,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Congratulations to the Los Angeles Convention Center for its continued environmental stewardship, which has once again earned LEED Gold certification.” The LACC has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable operations for many years. The venue became the first LEED Existing Building for Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EB: O&M) Gold certified building in the City of Los Angeles in 2010 and now holds the first convention center Gold recertification on the West Coast. The LACC staff has also undertaken large-scale green projects outside of the scope of the LEED certification, further demonstrating their continuous effort to improve building efficiency and operations. Thanks to projects like the installation of 700 low-flush toilets, the building will decrease toilet water use by 20-25%. Projected water savings will be about 320,000 gallons per year following a 30,000 square foot turf removal project. Additional projects planned for completion in 2015-2016 will contribute to the LACC’s resource conservation goals across major areas including energy and water. “The LACC takes a comprehensive approach to sustainability with environmental best practices permeating every aspect of our business operations. The venue is recognized as a champion of environmental and social responsibility in the Los Angeles community and we will continue our efforts to reduce the venue’s environmental footprint by seeking sustainable practices and investing in environmentally-friendly products and technology. The ongoing efforts will preserve the LACC’s position as an industry leader in environmental standards,” commented Brad Gessner, Senior Vice President of AEG Facilities and General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention Center.
BOOSTS O R A N G E C O U N T Y C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“Frank Loyke & Smart City team, thank you for your participation in ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) 2015. We could not have done it without you. Your contribution to ICRS was a vital part to our success. CBA appreciates your time, energy, and effort as you served our industry so well. Thanks for ‘hooking’ us up with our Internet needs!” CBA Team
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CE N T E R U PDAT E S SAN DIEGO:
C O N V EN T I O N CEN T ER AWA R D S 10-Y E A R C O N T R A C T T O SM A R T CI T Y The San Diego Convention Center Corporation has awarded a 10-year contract to Smart City following a competitive bid process. The new agreement will allow Smart City to provide additional services and upgrades for the building, where it has served as the SDCCC’s technology provider since May of 2000.
The agreement, that went into effect July 1, includes a design established for 800 new Cisco 3702 access points – an upgrade that will allow for a greater number of guests and their wireless devices to access the Internet at ever-increasing speeds. Other key features of the agreement include an upgrade to the building’s existing telephone switch, a digital signage system, and the installation of Neutral Host Distributed Antenna System (DAS). The DAS will accommodate the exponential increase in cellular network traffic that is seen during some of the building’s largest networking shows, such as ESRI User Conference and Comic-Con. “Smart City has been a trusted partner of the San Diego Convention Center for the past fifteen years, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership into the next decade,” said Carol Wallace, President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. “These planned technology upgrades will ensure that San Diego is one of the premiere meeting and convention destinations in the country.” Under the contract, Smart City will continue to offer comprehensive telecommunications and Internet services for the venue, including high-speed Internet access, network cabling, telephone services, WiFi and turnkey data networking services. “We appreciate the opportunity to continue our long-term partnership with the San Diego Convention Center,” said Mark Haley, President of Smart City Networks. “Our commitment to providing the technology solutions necessary to take the SDCC guest experience to the next level remains our top priority. We are excited to have the opportunity to add an additional DAS to our network of installations including Washington DC, Charlotte, and, most recently, the Phoenix Convention Center.” The SDCC opened in 1989 and has hosted some of the city’s biggest events. The 2.6 million square-foot convention center is home to a wide range of international trade show and conventions, including San Diego Comic-Con International, Cisco Live, HIMMS, and Microsoft Convergence.
ANAHEIM:
CHILI COOK-OFF TO BENEFIT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS On September 16, the City of Anaheim hosted its 24th Annual Anaheim Charity Transportation Faire/Chili Cook-Off on Center Street Promenade in Downtown Anaheim. This year’s theme was “Ridesharing Under the Sea”, and Kevin Patch, Smart City’s General Manager at the Anaheim Convention Center dressed up as Spongebob Squarepants in honor of the event. All proceeds from the Chili Cook-Off will benefit the Anaheim Community Foundation/Oak Canyon Nature Center, the Anaheim Library Foundation/Books to Read for Kids in Need, and the American Lung Association/SCAMP Camp.
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CE N T E R U PDAT E S SEATTLE:
PA X PRIME BRINGS MEGA-GA MING AC TI V IT Y TO SE AT TLE
On August 28-31, the Washington State Convention Center hosted PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) Prime 2015, a gaming festival that has been hailed as “a celebration of gamer culture.” The convention center welcomed 25,000 people per day over the course of the four-day event, which utilized 47 different VLANs and a total bandwidth of 600 MBs. Six Smart City Technicians and Data Operations Manager Nick Marshal were on hand to support the event, as well as two Customer Sales & Service Representatives (including San Antonio’s Customer Sales & Service Manager Guillermo Huerta.) PAX Prime 2015 included a handheld lounge for gamers to meet up and play (pictured left), speaker panels featuring lectures from developers and publishers, tabletop game tournaments, and gameculture inspired concerts.
PHOENIX:
C O L L E G E F O O T B A L L P L AY O F F N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N S H I P T O T O U C H D O W N I N 2 016
In January 2016, the City of Phoenix will host the College Football Playoff National Championship. The game will be played at the University of Phoenix Stadium on January 11, 2016, and the events leading up to the championship game will transform downtown Phoenix into the nation’s sports epicenter. The Phoenix Convention Center will be the home of the Playoff Fan Central, a three-day fan festival that gives fans the opportunity to be a part of the College Football Playoff National Championship experience. The fan festival will include interactive games, sponsor activities, exhibits celebrating college football, and special guest appearances. (Photo courtesy of College Football Playoff)
ORLANDO:
AV P R O F E S S I O N A L S G AT HE R IN O R L A ND O F O R INF O C O MM 2015 InfoComm, which focuses on the latest in audiovisual technology, was held at the Orange County Convention Center June 17-19. More than 39,000 attendees from more than 108 countries filled the exhibit halls to interact with the 950 exhibitors at this year’s event. The local Smart City team had the opportunity to pose for a picture with the InfoComm team. Pictured left to right are Kimberly Dvorscak; Frank Loyke, Senior Event Coordinator, Smart City Orlando; Tessa Ayala, InfoComm; Hector Rodriguez, InfoComm; Patrick Flynn, InfoComm; Patrick Sarcinella, Smart City’s Senior Director of Regional Operations, South East Region; and Tim Overall, General Manager, Smart City Orlando.
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EMPLOYEE OF T O MMIE BELT Z
Customer Sales & Service Representative - Las Vegas Corporate Office
JUNE
Tommie was a Senior Event Coordinator at our Las Vegas Convention Center before coming to our corporate office as a CSSR II. Tommie is a strong leader within the Customer Support Department. Tommie is continually offering his knowledge not only to customer support but the field as well. Tommie traveled to Atlantic City recently and worked with the General Manager and his team out there. While Tommie was there he worked with the team in regards to show management and organization, assisted with training the new tech on AESOP and CSSR duties prior to a show, setting up their office. Tommie is also support for the Duke Energy Center assisting where necessary from the corporate office. Tommie will be the main contact in Virginia Beach for the next 6 months. Tommie will assist show managers with show requirements, work with installers regarding services at the center. Tommie will also work with AES to make sure the exhibitors in Virginia Beach receive the correct services and assist with any questions they may have. Tommie manages to maintain his day to day work here at corporate as well as assisting the field when needed. Tommie is always the first to volunteer whether it is at corporate or in the field. Nominated by: Rani Bush and Christy Hogan
SAMANTHA HELLER
Accountant - Las Vegas Corporate Office
JLUY
Samantha has shown the utmost integrity in all her work since I started working with her. She consistently looks out for our clients i.e. helped with analysis and several revisions needed quickly for revenue share in San Diego. She treats her co-workers with kindness and respect, making her a joy to work with. Our new deposit process in coordination with Customer Service has been successful because of her leadership and positive attitude. While her teammates have been out sick in the past few weeks, she worked quickly and extra hours to make sure we met deadlines. She speaks up and requests information she needs to do her job well. Nominated by: Jennifer Coultas
BOOSTS O R A N G E C O U N T Y C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“Back in the office today and just thinking back over the week. What a great event and it was so good to work with you. Thanks again for such a smooth event. Hopefully I’ll see you all again soon!” John Ivaska, Assemblies of God
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THE MONTH MICHAEL TERRY
Technician - Kentucky Exposition Convention Center
AUGUST
Mike is a great asset to our Kentucky sites. He is always willing to do what it takes to provide the highest level of customer service to both our facilities and the clients who visit here. He works very hard to always have a positive can-do spirit. Continually Improve Processes: Mike went to classes to learn how to use fiber splicing equipment and received an excellent grade and certification. He works with the rest of our team and is willing to offer suggestions to help improve our processes and procedures. Teams Work: Mike has volunteered to travel to many sites in and out of our region to help those teams with infrastructure projects and shows. He gives up his time with family to go and help other centers. I have received several thank you letters from other GMs for sending Mike. He always represents Kentucky and Smart City in the best way. Do Right by All Our Customers: We receive many thanks from customers who Mike works with and his easygoing manner is always well received. He works hard to assure shows are installed properly and has been a large part of training our new team members. If there are any issues with a customer Mike makes sure the issue is addressed in a timely manner and assures the customer is satisfied before he leaves the booth. Nominated by: Dan Dobson
BOOSTS K A Y B A I L E Y H U T C H I S O N C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R
“Chris Pendleton (General Manager), the Dallas Sports Commission would like to thank you for your support of the 35 National Veterans Wheelchair Games. This was an incredible event for the City of Dallas and it takes the entire community for an event of this magnitude to be successful. Thanks to you, we were able to once again confirm that Big Wins Happen Here in Dallas! Close to 700 athlete participated in over 20 sports held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the Sheraton Dallas, Fair Park, and other venues throughout the Dallas area as this year’s National Veterans Wheelchair Games was confirmed as the biggest participation in their history. This week for the athletes was highlighted by appearances from Cowboys legend and US Navy veteran Roger Staubach and former heavyweight boxing world champion Evander Holyfield. In addition, the veterans had numerous opportunities to explore Dallas and attend a Block Party for the history books at AT&T Plaza at the American Airlines Center. Dallas is a richly diverse American city that over the years has become a melting pot of cultures, religions, and lifestyles. The National Veterans Wheelchair Games were created in 1981 by Dallas resident Tom Brown to service as a path to rehabilitation and to remind the veterans that although they may be in a wheelchair, they have the ability to accomplish anything. We appreciate your continued support of the Dallas Sports Commission and our events and look forward to working together in the future.” Monica Paul, Dallas Sports Commission and Cheryl Richards, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau
A M E R I C A ’ S C E N T E R C O N V E N T I O N C O M P L E X
“You and your crew do an excellent job for us year after year. We appreciate it.” Doug Belew, NISC
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N E W A R R I VA L S
14
Tammy Espinosa, Smart City Anaheim’s Customer Sales & Manager, welcomed her eighth grandchild into the family. Kaiden Maurice Eastling was born on July 7. He weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. Congratulations, Tammy!
Smart City Corporate Customer Sales & Service Representative Dion Doucet became a father on August 3. Ashur Doucet weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long. Congratulations, Dion!
Smart City San Antonio Customer Sales & Service Representative Stephanie Silva gave birth to a son on August 9. Jose Gabriel Silva was 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 21 and 1/4 inches long. Congratulations, Stephanie!
Smart City’s Senior Director of Technology, Keith McNeely, welcomed the arrival of a grandson. Isaiah James Vincent Gamble was born on September 14, and was 9 pounds, 4 ounces, and 22 inches long. Congratulations, Keith!
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TEAM MEMBER
MILESTONES
15 Y E A R S
Smart City’s Senior Director of Regional Operations, South East Region Patrick Sarcinella celebrated his 15-year anniversary with the company in May. Thanks for all of your hard work over the last 15 years, Patrick!
13 Y E A R S
Team members from Smart City Orlando enjoyed a joint anniversary celebration in honor of their time spent working at the Orange County Convention Center. All of the employees pictured here have been with the company for 13 years. Congratulations, team, and thanks for your hard work!
10 Y E A RS
Smart City Houston Technician Antonio Delgado celebrated his 10year anniversary with the George R. Brown Convention Center team in June. Congratulations, Antonio, and thank you for a decade of service!
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ANNIVERSARIES
EMPLOYEE JULY 2015 Shawn Manning Jeremiah Peterson Tammy Clark Jennifer Way Nicholas Urquiza Jessica Hoover David Thomas Hector Ruiz
11 years 8 years 8 years 7 years 5 years 4 years 3 years 3 years
Jamila Brooks Dylan Deering Michael Hertweck Dane Hardy Danielle Vaeth Amanda Hammaker Alexis Mayfield Ryan Stephens-Myles
3 years 3 years 2 years 2 years 3 years 2 years 2 years 2 years
22 years 18 years 16 years 15 years 13 years 13 years 13 years 13 years 13 years 13 years 13 years 13 years 13 years 10 years
Francisco Magdaleno Hue Banh Christopher Delane Dan Wardi Dona Denton Corey Anderson Keith Bean Jesse Gallegos Stephanie Silva Brian Clear Angelica Casadevall Marcos Cantena Leona Lee Stephanie Garcia
9 years 8 years 6 years 4 years 4 years 3 years 3 years 3 years 2 years 2 years 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year
18 years 16 years 16 years 14 years 11 years 8 years 6 years
Sterling Oakland Paul Russell Timothy Wass Jennifer Mezquita Dustin Unger Nycole Smith
6 years 4 years 4 years 4 years 1 year 1 year
AUGUST 2015 Tammy Espinosa Janae Tinsley Teresa Gilbert David Langford John Boraca Michael Hampton Jr. Frank Loyke Larry Mann Ted Moore Ronald Roberts Gonzalo Rodriguez Robert Romero Ernest Swilley Quas Sine
SEPTEMBER 2015 Julia Slocombe Bea Rivera Greg Smith Alexandria Wagner Tina Shields Chris Hambre Karen Nelson
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the PINNACLE • Issue 3, 2015