Summer Excellence Award Winners

Employee Excellence Award Winners Announced

Recently, five members of our team were given the Employee Excellence award. Nominations are made by any staff for outstanding performance or service, with a focus on recognizing excellence in exhibiting one or more attributes of our RISE (Respect, Integrity, Service and Empowerment) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) values.

Ella Bischof

Ella’s nomination read, “Ella has not been with the agency long, but she has shown her investment very fast. Ella is a shining star and has no problem shining her light on her clients. She goes above and beyond to meet her clients where they are. She has an ability to display an empathy for her clients that allows her to quickly build a positive rapport with her clients. Ella has been very supportive to her team as well as her supervisor throughout recent difficult changes. She is always willing to share her skills by offering to mentor and guide new employees. Ella has a way of making anyone want to be around her with her funny personality.”

Thank you, Ella, for being a bright light in our agency!

Brenda Lopez is our second winner of the Employee Excellence Awards.

Brenda’s nominator said, “Brenda’s goal is to grow as a professional and support her families in their growth. She is extremely dedicated to both of these tasks. She does not shy away from hard work. Whether it’s finding a specific resource in the community or digging in and helping a parent clean their house, she does it all. Her clients say she is always there when they call and have problems. They also always talk about how she supports and helps them understand that everyone in the house deserves and needs to be heard. Brenda is exceptional at her job and we are lucky to have her.

Thank you, Brenda, for being such an incredible example of our RISE values! 

Amber Shustha-Chambers is our third winner of the Employee Excellence Awards.

Beth Lord, Children Services Director, said, “The quality of Amber’s work is exceptional. Service providers, State analysts, and the families often reach out to report their appreciation of her work, her ability to honor their experiences, and her willingness to take on a task to resolve a barrier. She has been a formal mentor and is always voluntarily an informal mentor for new workers as well. Feedback is frequently received on how nice and helpful she has been. Amber takes initiative to make suggestions for improved methods and often independently updates forms to benefit her team.

Amber’s knowledge of the current adoption process is extensive. She is at the level where, as a supervisor, I can go to her to consult and count on her to give valuable input. I trust her to attend State meetings in my absence and follow up with what I need to know. She was a great resource for COA when processes needed to be updated, or I needed to examine policy, as it relates to procedure. She came to us with COA experience and was willing to use that to help in any way she could.”

Congratulations Amber on receiving this Employee Excellence Award. We appreciate you!

Katie Sparks is our fourth winner

“Katie has jumped into her role as an administrative assistant like a champ! Wearing several hats, dropping what she is doing to help or just letting someone vent about a tough case, she has quickly become quite an asset to Foster Care, Licensing, and Adoption. She is detailed, smart, and a quick learner, which is exactly what we need. Sometimes she is the only one in the building and has learned to adjust and help at moment’s notice. We are lucky to have found her and appreciate her every day!”

You are so appreciated, Katie!

Heather Videto is our final solo winner!

Heather received multiple nominations for this award. Some examples of what was said about Heather, “Heather is a force to be reckoned with. When I first started at Family & Children Services, Heather was one of the first people to come and introduce herself to me. She sat in my office and chatted with me, asked about my life and what brought me to Family & Children Services, she truly made me feel welcomed and included. Heather showed overwhelming respect and acceptance toward me and made an everlasting impact on me in those first few days at a new job which can feel very stressful and lonely.”

“Heather is who keeps our department running smoothly. She is a highly organized and effective communicator. Heather truly understands the big picture and how small details contribute to the big picture results. Heather embodies teamwork, I call her the heartbeat of our team. She is somewhat of a superhero in her ability to remain so organized and timely with so much on her plate.”

“Heather Videto has held many roles and is constantly looking for more innovative and creative ways to make processes work faster and more efficiently while keeping a smile on her face. Her relationship with the individuals that come into the agency shows her belief and demonstration of all of the values of equity and inclusion as she meets many different individuals and treats each with the same level of kindness and respect. Her contributions to Family & Children Services are immeasurable.”

“Heather goes above and beyond for her team and this agency daily, and we are all better because she is in our lives. She is an angel and an important face of this agency. She so deserves this award, and we are so thrilled to present this to her!”

We are so lucky to have you, Heather, congratulations!

Case Management is our award winner for the Team category!

Susan Davis, Clinical Services Director, said, “This team does it all, they come together to meet the needs of those they work with, support each other and our agency in the community. They do it with a positive attitude and a can-do approach. They problem solve and are innovators. They do extra for their clients as demonstrated by putting on a summer social for those that they work with. Some recent comments from families are that they are so helpful, that they offer ongoing encouragement and support, and that they made a mom feel confident that her child is valued and that his needs were cared about.”

Thank you to our Case Management team who continues to be a great example of hope for our clients!