Pay it forward

Several years ago, Douglas County Human Resources developed an award to recognized County staff for going “above and beyond” the call of duty. It was entitled the “Pay It Forward Award”. This award is given out periodically in the spirit of recognizing the efforts and contributions of fellow employees. Many times folks, who by the nature of their job receive very few accolades, receive the award. In so doing, this award is intended to build the spirit of entire departments within the County.

The staff members recognized by this award are not selected by supervisors or department heads, but rather by the most recent recipient of the award. The award is a trophy that circulates with the recipient. I personally like this because it is a great example of reuse! In addition, a certificate is presented to the recipient to keep and display. Two awards circulate throughout the County at any given time.

I was shocked to have been presented this award in July by Karen Vian of the County Health Department. This was quite an honor. But the real honor came when it was my turn to select and present the award to the next person. It took me all of 10 seconds to pick.

In my travels around the County on official business, I meet hundreds of my fellow County co-workers; all of them stellar, exceptional workers and people. But one specific staff member rose to the top for me.

At the County Fairgrounds there is a staff of hard working, dedicated, and inspirational persons working every day to meet the needs of vendors, customers, patrons, co-workers, animals, board members, and citizens alike. They are constantly working on equipment, paperwork, facilities, landscaping, and more to make every event a success for the organizers. As an organizer myself using the fairgrounds, I have found them to be totally dependable, reliable, and efficient.

With every trip to the Douglas County Fairgrounds I was greeting by one smiling face in particular. This gentleman would always greet me and make sure I had everything I needed for a successful event or program. His enthusiasm is contagious. Whenever I needed something, I knew who to count on. I have always had a friend in him. He has especially helped me promote waste reduction and recycling at events and works well with my volunteers.

Ron Pope has worked at the Douglas County Fairgrounds for many years and is the recipient of the most recent “Pay It Forward Award”. It is now his duty to pick the next recipient. Good Luck Ron!

Remember, to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less”

Photo Credit Don Cherry, Douglas County Human Resources Dept.