Get to know the people who power Santa Monica

May 22, 2018 1:56 PM
by Doris Mejia

National Public Works Week is underway and the department would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the entire team who work tirelessly and diligently to power our City along with recognizing its Employees of the Year. Every division within the department chose an employee to represent them for Public Works Week. Read what their Division Managers are saying to praise each honoree.

Get to know the people who power your city!

Marissa Maynard

Staff Assistant II, Airport

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you someone who is the quintessential example of a public servant. I can go on about all the work-related tasks she does incredibly well. But, what I’d like to share with you is what makes her extraordinary. Marissa cares. She cares about the people that do the work and the people we serve. And, because she cares, she notices all the little things that could be done to help folks have a nicer experience while at work or while engaging with the Airport as a customer. She finds ways to bring us together and spread joy around the office, it makes the time we spend at work that much nicer.

Voneelya Simmons

Project Manager, Architecture Services

Voneelya Simmons is our finest project manager. She ensures projects are delivered as expected and client departments and stakeholders are informed in a timely manner. She has an excellent work ethic and always pleased to assist. Voneelya is extremely thorough especially in her design reviews which has made our Division remarkable. She is our in-house project delivery expert and is a mentor to the team. We all can learn from Voneelya!

Thomas Check

Civil Engineering Assistant, Civil Engineering

Thomas efficiently and professionally performs a diversity of tasks while constantly attending to the public works counter at City Hall. He oversees the permitting of wireless infrastructure in the City, which involves navigating regulatory requirements and frequent interaction with the public. Beyond his routine assignments, Thomas develops and implements efficient practices to improve service and process. This is exemplified by the online permit applications which eliminate customer trips to city hall, reduce paper use, gas consumption, traffic, parking demand, and staff processing time, while improving record keeping. Thomas puts ‘sustainability’ into action!

Colette Nellish

Plumbing Shop Crew Lead, Facilities Maintenance

When asked who do you have in your division that can be reliable, dependable and resourceful all at the same time, one doesn’t hesitate to bring up Colette’s name who is the Plumbing shop Crew Lead. She has worked in the City long enough to understand how to comply with new changes affecting her work and accomplish her ever increasing short term work load and long term assignments. In the meantime, Colette somehow manages to find time to keep up to date with the plumbing code, lead/coach her crew by example and see to her customers who cannot stop appreciating her work and dedication.

Ariana Vito

Sustainability Analyst, Office of Sustainability and the Environment

In her first year at the Office of Sustainability and the Environment Ariana has established herself as the City's, and perhaps the State's, go-to expert on electric vehicles. She brings strategic direction and momentum to the complex challenge of providing and maintaining the City's growing network of EV charging stations. She has secured financing for innovative projects and is in the process of establishing a community advisory committee. We look forward to her bright future with the City and the success of our EV Action Plan!

Robert Dorsey

Maintenance Crew Leader, Public Landscape

Robert Dorsey is a Maintenance Crew Leader at Promenade Maintenance and long tenured employee. Robert has been a dedicated City of Santa Monica employee for the past 18 years, providing stellar customer service to the Downtown Santa Monica business district and demonstrating leadership among his peers.

Robert is well respected and admired for his work ethic and for his sympathetic approach to all who he comes in contact with, as well as his ability to be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Robert is the type of Crew Leader who leads by example and willing to work right along side his staff on a daily basis to get the work accomplished, complete tasks and provide the best possible experience to all the Downtown residents and guests.

Jacoby Day

Maintenance Worker, Resource Recovery and Recycling

Coby begins his day with an exceptionally positive attitude and is prepared to tackle any job presented to him. He consistently arrives to work early each morning and his attendance is outstanding.

While working as a member of the RRR Bulky Item Collection Crew, he never knows what he will encounter, from day to day, as he navigates the streets and alleys of our beautiful city. Whenever any co-worker requires assistance during the day, Coby is there to assist. His pleasant and friendly demeanor is admired by all and can easily be contagious. He has received numerous compliments during his years of service.

Coby has a way of making the toughest job look easy. He is a pleasure to work with and is a great representative of the City of Santa Monica. Thanks Coby!

Kori Jones

Administrative Analyst, Street & Fleet Services

Kori is committed and dedicated to the success of the Streets section within the Street and Fleet Services Division. She is very professional and competent in handling a variety of assignments. She is resourceful, pays attention to detail, and finds solutions to complex situations that arise within our Division. Kori is highly capable of managing various projects, and she is responsible for overseeing and monitoring five Division operating budgets. Some of the projects that she has successfully managed has resulted in restriping over 100 pedestrian crosswalks, replacement of 32 electrical service cabinets, inventory of broken street and signal light pull box lids in downtown Santa Monica, and completion of a Citywide alley inspection program. Kori has also been instrumental in the developing our team by conducting training of staff on various aspects of our asset management system.

Kori is a valuable member of the Street and Fleet Services team, and I am very glad and appreciative of her efforts to the success of our Division!

Chris Aguillon

Water Resources Protection Specialist, Water Resources

Chris Aguillon has stepped up to take on a myriad of new technical challenges this past year in order to help the City achieve its water self-sufficiency goals. He is a valued team member on many of the City’s critical water resource projects and was instrumental in the City’s successful funding applications for the Clean Beaches Initiative (CBI) Project where the City received a grant worth $3.8M, and on the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP) where the City obtained approximately $57M in State funding. Chris never hesitates to pitch in when help is needed, and is a demonstrated and creative problem solver. Chris exemplifies the fact that the City’s most valuable resource is its dedicated Public Works staff.

Doris Mejia

Executive Administrative Assistant, Admin Services

Executive Administrative Assistant Doris Mejia is in many ways the most essential member of the Public Works Admin team. We know that because when she is away on vacation the rest of us feel a little bit lost, and we can’t wait for her to come back! She keeps the team on time, at the right meeting, and in the right place and quickly comes to the rescue whenever something goes awry. In addition to being the public face and chief customer service officer for the department, Doris makes sure that everything that needs to be reviewed, signed, delivered, paid or followed up on is done so on time and correctly. She is the main point of contact for all Public Works divisions, playing an essential coordinating and communication role for the entire department. In that role, and in her spare time, she single-handedly created and maintains the Public Works SharePoint site. Doris also leads the team that coordinates and plans meetings and events for the department, including the huge annual Public Works Week celebration. Public Works is the City’s largest department, with ten divisions and over 500 employees. Doris is the glue that holds the whole thing together!

Congratulations to the Santa Monica Public Works' Employees of the Year!

Authored By

Doris Mejia
Human Resources Analyst