By Karen Haave
Three Village of Monee employees were recognized for exemplary performance with semi-annual CREW awards during the July 24 meeting of the board of trustees. Honorees are Kevin Marrero – Monee Department of Public Works, Tracey Henson – Emergency Management Agency; and Christian Schabacker – Monee Police Department.
“CREW is an acronym that defines an employee who provides exemplary work,” Mayor Therese Bogs said, introducing the recipients. “CREW stands for Credibility, Respect, Equality/Fellowship/Identity, and Work Commitment/Personal Performance.
“The semi-annual CREW Employees have shown in many ways they go the extra mile to serve the village’s internal and external customers, both in their attitude and performance towards their work. They are also an integral part of CREW in how they approach the people they encounter and the work they perform.”
Village Trustee Douglas Horne introduced Marrero and said he is the “perfect recipient” of the CREW award, then continued: “Kevin goes the extra mile at work by being an active listener and an open communicator. He always is willing to pitch in whenever anyone needs help and does so with a smile. His positive outlook and calm demeanor make those around him feel welcome.
“Kevin is a team player who puts effort into learning something new each day. He is motivated and passionate about work, which makes him a valuable employee and an asset to the Public Works Department. Kevin truly cares about doing the right thing, and he takes pride in his work. Even if he is busy and you need to ask him a question, he is always pleasant, helpful, and patient.
“Kevin may be one of the most respectful people I’ve met. He certainly puts others over himself in many situations and is always very polite and considerate to residents and coworkers. He would never discriminate or offend others nor tamper with anyone else’s point of view.
“Kevin is a great identity figure for the village. He is proud of the work he does on a daily basis – and you can note that by the effort he puts into everything he does. I am very glad he is with us, and I get to work with him every day. He is highly valuable to the Village of Monee, and I know for certain over time his footprint here will only grow larger. These characteristics are why I think Kevin is the perfect recipient for this award. Thanks for all your hard work, dedication, and most of all the motivation you have, Kevin! It does not go unnoticed, and we are very lucky to have you in DPW.”
As trustee for Public Safety, Scott Youdris never misses an opportunity to praise those he works with in EMA and the police department.
Tracey Henson, he said, is “a textbook EMA Responder, and she sets the bar for our other members. Tracey excels in attendance, duties, trainings, and as a Duty Officer. If we are short staffed for a detail, Tracey is always there to make it happen day or night and at any time. She is our highest Responder for callouts, details, and trainings.
“Tracey also is our most active Responder, and we can always count on her. She has earned the respect of every member of our agency through her accomplished training and work effort and treats everyone as she would want to be treated. Tracey is always calm and straight forward, showing the utmost respect for her team members and the general public.
“The definition of Identity is Tracey Henson, who comes from a Public Safety family and carries on the tradition with great pride and enthusiasm. From within our building, to details on the street, or in public, Tracey is an EMA model employee and always goes above and beyond with her duties and responsibilities at EMA. Tracey co-chairs the Monee L.E.A.D. and spends her own time gathering raffle prizes for our police officers. She cooks, decorates, and then cleans up after the L.E.A.D event. This alone shows her work commitment. Tracey has become one our leaders and requires minimal supervision.”
Youdris also praised Police Officer Christian Schabacker as a “credible officer,” who is “consistent, reliable, and honest. Christian meets deadlines with his incident and accident reports, maintains open lines of communication with his sergeant, and is transparent about his capabilities and limitations. If he discovers a limitation, he takes it upon himself to seek to educate and then returns to the subject to apply what he learned.”
“He is a person his colleagues turn to for advice and is respected for his knowledge and integrity. For example, he is the subject matter expert in the operation and application of ‘DACRA,’ a ticket-writing system inside the patrol vehicles. He takes the time to answer questions about ‘DACRA’ and is willing to take the next step and correct any system shortcomings or spend time with fellow officers to explain the details of the system,” Youdris continued.
“Christian consistently respects command staff and patrol colleagues and listens attentively to concerns and acknowledges their ideas and contributions to patrol or directions given by command staff. He treats everyone with kindness and consideration, regardless of their roles or status within the Monee Police Department.
“He is comfortable with diversity and promotes an inclusive work environment. Christian is known for being inclusive, treating everyone equally and fairly, regardless of their background or identity. He makes sure everyone feels valued and included. He also fosters fellowship by encouraging positive relationships among his shift team members and is heard encouraging high standards for his job.
“He has been heard talking about case law with his shift instead of gossiping or speaking poorly about someone and talks about ideas instead of things and people. Christian demonstrates work commitment daily when he comes in 35 minutes early to brief himself on the day’s duties and current events that can affect his shift. He goes above and beyond to learn new ways of leveraging the ‘DACRA’ ticket-writing system, often speaking with IT people from Will County. This speaks to his strong work ethic, dedication, passion for police work, and the Monee Police Department’s success.
“He performs at an above-average pace and leads in many areas of police work,” Youdris added. “He also seeks feedback and sets personal goals to align with the mission of the Monee Police Department.”
The CREW award recipients were acknowledged with applause and certificates of recognition.