Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Parks & Recreation Department

TO:	Jonathan Douglass, Management Analyst
FROM:	Roger Steinbrock, Marketing Supervisor
DATE:	December 21, 2006
RE:	Tom Wilkerson Teamwork Awards

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department announces the recipients of the 2006 Tom Wilkerson Teamwork Awards.

Rod Hoffer, field supervisor of Park District 3, Vicki Lysen, fitness instructor, and Westar Energy’s Green Team, were the Category I, II and III recipients of the award respectively.

The Wilkerson Teamwork Award, established in 1999, has three categories: Category I and II are for an individual or group of employees who exemplify teamwork in both full-time and part-time capacities; the third is given to an outside agency or City department, individual or group who has assisted the department in obtaining success. The Category II award was added in 2004 to recognize part-time employees.

Nominations are taken from employees and are then reviewed by the director of the department and a committee. Recipients are then announced at the department’s annual holiday luncheon, which was held on Dec. 15.

Hoffer, who began working with the department in 1997, was nominated for providing support and assistance to the Special Populations Division within the department. Lysen, who has instructed part-time for the department for over 20 years, was nominated for her innovative ideas and enhancing participant’s quality of life through exercise. The Westar Energy’s Green Team was nominated for the construction of a pergola for the Rotary Arboretum.

Other nominees included:  Category I: District 1 employees: Kerry Golden, park district supervisor and golf course superintendent; Hoffer; Jody Pringle; park and facility maintenance and other staff; District 2 employees: Rowan Green, park district supervisor; Tony Barron, senior parks and facility maintenance; Danny Moore, field supervisor and other staff; Jimmy Gibbs, aquatic manager and Jo Ellis, recreation instruction supervisor.

Category II nominees included: Angela Harris and Sally Trujillo, both part-time instructors with the Special Populations Division.

Category III nominees included: Shawn Brown and John Olson, managers of the local Hy-Vee Stores.

The Teamwork Award was renamed in 2002 to honor Tom Wilkerson who served as assistant director of the department until his retirement in October 2002.