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2010 Employee Recognition Award Recipients
Today the Sierra Club held it's seventeenth annual Employee Recognition event in celebration of all the wonderful work, special achievements, and extraordinary spirit of Sierra Club staff. Congratulations to this year's recipients of our Employee Awards and to our employees recognized for their years of service with the Sierra Club.
2010 Community Service Award: Julian Fisher
This award is given in recognition of a commitment to helping others through public service or community involvement in a non-Sierra Club cause.
Congratulations to Julian Fisher. Julian is a Sr. Financial Analyst for Conservation Campaigns. The individuals who nominated Julian said that anyone who has interacted with him knows he is a kind-hearted and giving person, who is always helpful and cheerful in his approach to work here at the Sierra Club. Nominators said many may not know that Julian uses these same invaluable qualities to help hundreds of individuals each year by volunteering at San Francisco Suicide Prevention.
For over four years, Julian has served as a confidant for those in need--providing a listening ear and calming voice on the crisis intervention hotline; answering calls for the suicide/crisis line, the drug relapse line, the HIV nightline, and 211 overflow calls. They say while we know him at the Club as a talented number-cruncher in his role as a Financial Analyst for the Coal team, Julian's true talent might be in his seemingly endless ability to give to others, when they certainly need it most.
2010 Larry Mehlhaff Award for Excellence: David Willett
The recipient(s) has a distinguished and consistent record of many achievements in developing new ideas and strategies, implementing systems, programs and/ or services through collaborations or team efforts that have resulted in substantial improvements, efficiencies and/ or savings to services and operations Club-wide. The employee must have at least three years of service with the Club.
Congratulations to Dave Willett our Deputy Communications Director, Public Relations and Messaging. The individuals who nominated Dave indicated that most people at the Sierra Club don't realize the extent to which we owe our most successful communications efforts, our best media hits, and our most strategic initiatives, to David.. Our success in everything from publicizing our coal campaign to managing tricky media around energy legislation and potential conflict stories nearly always begins with Dave Willett.
They said David is the main reason the Club receives more positive media hits than any other environmental group and the driving force behind the fact that the Club is in the news virtually every day. Dave's preternaturally sage guidance assures that the communications' team responds quickly and effectively to flaps, brouhahas, kafuffles and genuine, brand-threatening crises. He calls the shots on breaking news with aplomb and displays grace under pressure when DC goes high drama. Every campaign has benefited from Dave's smart messaging insights and he knows the eco-political landscape as well as any member of the press corps.
Since assuming the job of Deputy Communications Director last summer, Dave's leadership has grown significantly as he has managed the Club's web and social networking efforts from afar. In his 11 years at the Club he has offered counsel and support to everyone from Carl Pope to the field organizer in need of a quick quote on a ridiculous deadline. On top of all that, he helps maintain the DC office's seasonal shrine to the Red Socks, an endeavor that becomes all the braver as a Yankees fan takes the Club's helm.
2010 Special Achievement Award: Brittany McKee
This award is given to acknowledge an employee's special achievement which has changed, benefited, and/or streamlined the work of the Club, enhanced its public image, and/or communicated its message.
Congratulations to Brittany McKee, our Regional Representative for the Military Families Outdoors Youth Program. Working from her home in rural Ft Reilly, Kansas, Brittany has been instrumental in helping build a national program that has helped create a new and dynamic partnership with the military community. Through her leadership over 20,000 military families and children have had an outdoor experience through Sierra Club and Sierra Club Foundation support. Through her hard work and dedication as well as her strategic vision, the Military Families program has been highlighted on NCN Nightly news and the Leherer News Hour.
She was also instrumental in helping produce the award winning Sierra Club Productions documentary "Red, White and Green" which highlighted how outdoor experiences help military children deal with the trauma of their parents' deployment. Watching her attend Sierra Club sponsored Operation Purple Camps attended by children whose parents have spent up to six years serving our country overseas, the person who nominated Brittany saw her connecting with military children and giving them the needed support to help them deal with their parents' deployment. Her heart is as big as her strategic vision.
Brittany did outstanding work in 2009 in helping to advocate for the Sierra Club's Military Families Program to the Office of the First Lady. The result was that the White House chose the Sierra Club sponsored Operation Purple Camp to be the program highlighted at the Congressional Picnic and kickoff for the President's Summer of Service initiative. Over 200 members of congress came together this June in steamy Washington DC to pack gift bags for Operation Purple Campers. Along with members of Congress the entire First Family and Carl Pope helped pack gift bags for our nation's youngest heroes.
The fact that the Sierra Club is being showcased as an organization supporting our military families by the White House is truly dynamic. Brittany has accomplished all of this while her Husband, Lt Mike Capps, serves in the Army Calvary in Iraq. Brittany's positive attitude, passion and dedication are to be admired and cherished. She gives the Sierra Club all she has, every day.
2010 Behind the Scenes Hero Award: Tim Guilfoile
This award is given to salute an employee whose tremendous efforts, skills and talents have repeatedly and consistently supported and enabled others to advance the Club's mission in a significant way, or to accomplish a large and important project. This employee is an invaluable behind-the-scenes contributor who can be consistently relied upon by others for his or her highest service standards. The employee must have at least 3 years of service with the Club.
Congratulations to Tim Guilfoile, our Regional Representative/Deputy Director for the Water Sentinels program in Kentucky. Tim received multiple nominations from his fans and co-workers outside and inside the organization! They say his infectious passion about his work is a rare and beautiful thing and really inspires others. One of Tim nominations said that Tim does not seek the limelight and is always passing credit on to others he feels are more deserving. The nominator described Tim as a modest, highly effective powerhouse, and richly deserving of this year's Behind the Scenes Hero Award.
Tim is relentless in his contributions to help improve the overall effectiveness of the Sierra Club. He sees the big picture and understands that everyone working on a project has important contributions to make. After twice retiring, once as senior management at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, and again after building and selling a successful health consulting firm, Tim came to Sierra Club with a calling and a vision to use his considerable management skills and vast network of contacts to help build tomorrow's Sierra Club.
Tim was hired as the first Deputy Director of the national Water Sentinels program in July 2009, based upon his five years of outstanding performance as the project director for Northern Kentucky Water Sentinels. Under his leadership, the project won many important conservation victories, and forged and fostered successful partnerships. Tim has since continued to profoundly strengthen the scope and mission of both the Water Sentinels program, and the Sierra Club. Tim has been instrumental in securing the intersection between Sierra Club and anglers. He has built national partnerships with the Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, the National Military Fish & Wildlife Association (entrusted with conserving wildlife at US military facilities), and with corporate partner Temple Fork Outfitters, who crafts the custom co-branded fly rods used in our national fishing partnerships.
Partnerships like these are natural for Tim, since he is a longtime avid outdoorsman, fly fisher and upland birder himself. These successful national collaborations have taken over 150,000 youth fishing in the last 18 months, and continue to grow rapidly. Tim has led the Water Sentinels to the cutting edge of online communications. He helped create our vibrant new program website, connecting it with our largest Club Facebook membership after national Sierra (1,310 members), our largest Club YouTube presence after national Sierra (4,161 upload views), and our program's photo set on Flickr. Two online Convio petitions he crafted have gathered over 75,000 signatures. Tim's' unique skills and insights have also brought great value to the work of the Club's national Leadership Development Program, Outcomes Based Initiatives Committee and Youth Working Group. His water-quality monitoring work for the Beyond Coal Campaign helped set the stage for Legal to notch important conservation victories.
2010 Virginia Ferguson Award: Glen Besa
This award honors an employee, with at least two years of service, who has demonstrated consistent and exemplary service to the Sierra Club. Commitment to the organization is demonstrated not only through competence, but also in the congenial attitude, extraordinary spirit, and unquestionable integrity that makes this recipient's performance an inspiration to the rest of the staff.
Congratulations to Glen Besa, our Virginia Chapter Director. Glen's nominations focused on his honesty and wonderful inspiring spirit. They say that Glen is an inspiration to the volunteers and members who work with him; his energy and commitment are unquenchable and contagious. Over the years, Glen has served with distinction and excellence, as a Sierra Club volunteer leader, field staffer, and chapter staffer. Glen has worked at many levels of the Club and is deeply committed to the mission and purpose of the Club. Whether as a volunteer or staff, Glen has consistently performed at an exemplary level.
Glen works extraordinarily hard to build the Sierra Club and promote our mission and goals. Whatever position he has held, he has mastered the position and performed at the highest of levels. They feel his professionalism and hard work is unmatched. They also note that Glen has been a mentor to many. One of his greatest gifts is his love of people and his willingness to work with them to ensure they succeed. Volunteers and staff alike have benefited from their relationship with Glen. Finally, Glen's integrity, honesty, and directness are among his greatest strengths. Glen's a straight shooter who deals openly and honesty with his colleagues.
20 Year Employees
Congratulations to our colleagues who have each completed 20 years of service at the Sierra Club.
Barbara Josepher: Bobbie and her husband led Sierra Club canoe outings nationally before she started working for the Atlantic Chapter (New York State) in 1989. For more than 20 years, in her job as part-time Chapter Coordinator, Bobbie has kept the chapter organized. She has been a trainer and coach for all the group treasurers and she has developed an expertise in fund-raising that is invaluable. At the same time, she is the calm helpful voice of the chapter for members of the public and for volunteers with administrative issues with the Club. Outdoors woman, diplomat and organizational genius, Bobbie is a credit to the Club in every way and the Atlantic Chapter is lucky to count her a member.
James McCaffrey: Jay began his Sierra Club activity as a volunteer at tabling events in Boston. In May of 1990 he was hired as Assistant Chapter Director for Massachusetts, and stepped into the Chapter Director position when it became vacant two years later. In the 18 years he has held the Director position, Jay has become one of the deans of statewide environmental organizations in the Bay State. His extensive acquaintance with his counterparts in other environmental organizations makes for smooth and efficient cooperation among them. He serves as our chapter's registered lobbyist, preparing and presenting testimony not only to legislators, but to executive-branch department heads and regulators. Furthermore, he receives an attentive hearing in the editorial office of the Boston Globe. We are fortunate to have Jay's accumulated skill and experience.
Yolanda Fortuna: Since starting as the receptionist in 1990, Yolanda has worn many hats in the Development Department, and currently serves as the Director of Member Services. Member Services is the often the only point of personal contact for Members and the general public with the Club, and Yolanda's continued dedication and commitment to excellence in leading a large staff ensures that people even if they just called to let us know that they favor drilling for every last drop of oil on earth - come away with a top notch experience when contacting the Club.
Julia Reitan: Julia was spending time in the Northwest Office of the Sierra Club in early 1990 doing volunteer work for the Cascade Chapter as their newsletter editor. This was in the frothy, hectic days of the ancient forest/spotted owl wars going on in the region. Because she was present we - literally - pulled her into the fray, running errands and helping out in numerous ways. She became so essential that we hired her on a "short-term contract" for 6 months WITH HER EMPHATICALLY STATING THAT SHE DID NOT WANT TO WORK FOR THE SIERRA CLUB FULL TIME, LONG-TERM. After the 6 months it was obvious that Julia was indispensable.
She had become an integral part of our Northwest Office staff working to agitate, advocate, and organize to protect ancient forests and save salmon. Julia has the heart and mind of an organizer combined with great talent for creating excellent outreach and media materials. She was the creative talent and energy behind first the big distribution door hanger outreach we created around many of our issues. Then the door hanger with one tear off post card, the door hanger post card with TWO tear-off postcards, combined with colorful billboards, bus boards, and yard signs. These various creative efforts culminated in a final big - 3 state - 250,000 door hanger drop for wild salmon that involved over a 1,000 volunteers in one weekend of outreach.
Julia took her great skills, energy, and enthusiasm to San Francisco where she headed our efforts to train staff and volunteers in the best techniques and approaches for organizing and building a stronger Sierra Club and a healthier, cleaner, America by heading up the Office of Volunteer and Activist Services (OVAS). She was quickly recruited to be a lead staff member in a variety of important and highly create Club initiatives including vital leadership roles on the One Club conference, The National Training Academy, Bowling Together, National Purpose Local Action, The Sierra Summit, and Project Renewal. She also now serves as the co-lead of the Activist Network! She also holds a new management role where she coordinates and integrates the Chapter services conservation programs. We can't wait to see what the next 20 years brings....