TRENTON, NJ – Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Gwendolyn L. Harris presented awards to seven department employees from Passaic County for individual and/or team awards this year at the State’s Public Service Recognition Program. There were 29 honorees in all from DHS.

Madeline Cinque of Totowa, Claire Brueckmann of Paterson and Tania Fernandez of Clifton all received the Co-Worker Recognition Award. Cinque and Brueckmann both work at the North Jersey Developmental Center in Totowa, Cinque in the Business Office as Administrative Analyst 4 and Brueckmann in the Medical Records Unit as a Senior Clerk Typist. Fernandez worked at the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) in Paterson as an Adoption Processor and was then assigned to the Adoption Homefinding Unit, where in 2000 she was promoted to supervisor.

Veronica Steward, Beverly Chambers, Mabel Givens, and Maurice Thompson, all of Paterson, were awarded the Team Partnership Achievement Award. All four work at the North Jersey Developmental Center (NJDC) in Totowa where in May 2002 they worked on the Groups for Environmental Management (GEM) program that incorporates a system of facilitated team meetings to promote employee empowerment, environmental awareness and quality of life improvement for their clients. An integral part of being able to hold group meetings rested on the creation of the Training Relief Team (TRT). The TRT rotates from living unit to living unit relieving staff of their client service duties so that they can attend GEM sessions together, resulting in NJDC being able to increase its staff training 200 percent. Steward is the Cottage Training Supervisor while the others are Cottage Training Technicians.

Over 1,500 state workers gathered at the Trenton War Memorial for the Annual NJ State Public Service Recognition Awards Ceremony, which included a pre-ceremony breakfast, compliments of the NJ Department of Personnel, which organizes the annual event.

Representatives from 26 state departments and agencies meet monthly throughout the year to identify programs, awards and events to recognize and honor public employees. The program culminates in an annual statewide celebration to honor public service award recipients, held during National Public Service Recognition Week in May. Program award categories include Longevity, Co-Worker Recognition; Team Work Partnership, and Customer Service Excellence. The State award categories include Heroism, Exceptional Service, Community Service, and Professional Achievement. This program also includes a national award coordinated by the National Public Service Roundtable in Washington DC.

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