Every day, government employees all across the country are doing incredible work, and every one of these dedicated public servants deserves our thanks. While NextGen unfortunately can’t recognize all of them, we did put out a call to the community, asking friends and coworkers to nominate the incredible govies in their lives. After working through many submissions, the list has been narrowed down to ten people, who will be recognized at an awards ceremony during the second day of the 2019 NextGen Summit. Below, meet the Terrific Ten!
Name: Melinda Crockom
Organization: Commission on State Emergency Communications
Title: Public Education Coordinator, Texas
Award category: Innovator
As Public Education Coordinator for the Commission on State Emergency Communications, Crockom is responsible for the vital task of ensuring that emergency services are understood by the public. She is a master of public awareness, and her work has educated countless members of the public on topics like 911 response and preparedness.
Judith M. Green
Organization: Los Angeles County Child Support Services
Title: Social Media Specialist
Award category: Advocate
Green has an important mission: raising public awareness of the services and opportunities offered by Los Angeles County Child Support Services. Thanks to her innovative and award-winning social media strategy, public awareness of the agency’s work has grown exponentially in Los Angeles.
Name: Janice Brown-McKenly
Organization: Defense Health Agency (DHA)
Title: Test and Evaluation Manager
Award category: Exemplary Leader
As a Contracting Officer Representative, Janice Brown-McKenly has an important responsibility: making sure that veterans and active-duty military personnel are cared for by a modern and well-supplied Military Health System (MHS). In addition to her vital day-to-day responsibilities, she has also found time to be a mentor within her agency.
Name: Roberto Obong
Organization: Veterans Affairs
Title: Criminal Investigator
Award category: Courageous Champion
Obong has a unique position in the Veteran Affairs Department, working as a criminal investigator to uncover criminal acts by Veterans and advocate for those at-risk Veterans’ mental and physical health. A retired Marine, he understands the challenges his fellow Veterans face, and works tirelessly on their behalf everyday.
Name: Marchelle Franklin
Organization: City of Phoenix – Human Services Department
Title: Director, City of Phoenix Human Services Department
Award category: Silent Hero
As Director of the Human Services Department, Franklin leads more than 375 employees and is responsible for a budget of $85 million dollars. Whether working in the mayor’s office or alongside the police department, she has stuck with the philosophy that excellence is intentional, not accidental, and this shows in the standards that she holds herself and others to as they work on behalf of their constituents.
Name: Angie Awadalla
Organization: U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services
Title: Asylum Officer
Award category: Exemplary Leader
Awadalla’s impact is not limited to government; she also touches the lives of everyone whose asylum claims she works on as an Asylum Officer with U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). Helping asylum seekers has been a perfect fit for her, and her tireless work on her own caseload and the agency’s backlog has had a direct impact on the lives of countless people.
Name: Teddy Kavaleri
Organization: Office of Unified Communications
Title: Chief IT Officer (CIO)
Award category: Innovator
As Chief IT Officer in DC’s Office of Unified Communications, Kavaleri has a big responsibility: ensuring that citizens are able to access the services they need. Whether they’re calling 911 or 311, it’s thanks to Teddy’s work that they know their call will be answered.
Name: Georgia Madrid
Organization: Department of Commerce/National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
Title: EEO Specialist
Award category: Courageous Champion
As an equal employment opportunity specialist, Madrid works with current National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) employees as well as those applying to the agency. Her work is supremely important—she helps provide trainings on topics like workplace sexual harassment and cultural sensitivity, helping to enable the vital services that NOAA provides.
Name: Giomar Veloz
Organization: Department of Health. WIC
Title: Public Health Nutritionist Supervisor
Award category: Advocate
As a public health nutritionist working with infants, children, and pregnant women, Veloz is truly a caretaker of our country’s future. Her citizen-centric focus makes her an invaluable employee as well as a role model for those looking to improve customer experience across government.
Name: Elijah Martin Jr.
Organization: Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Health Equity
Title: Tribal Affairs Manager
Award category: Silent Hero
As Health Resources Service Administration Tribal Affairs Manager, Capt. Martin works diligently on behalf of an often-underserved segment of this country’s population. As a senior employee in the Office of Health Equity, he is bringing his leadership and experience to bear on issues facing native communities.
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