COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

County Manager’s Office

 

DATE:

April 26, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

May 17, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

John Maltbie, County Manager

SUBJECT:

Employee of the Month for May 2005

 

RECOMMENDATION

Honor Debora McGlynn as Employee of the Month for May 2005 and authorize the President of the Board to sign the commendation.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government

Goal 21: County employees understand, support and integrate the County vision and goals into their delivery of services.

 

BACKGROUND

The Employee of the Month program was established in December 1984 to recognize and honor County employees who consistently demonstrate an outstanding level of performance.

Our Employee of the Month for May 2005 is Debora McGlynn, Communication Dispatch Coordinator, in the Public Safety Communications Division of Employee and Public Services.

 

DISCUSSION

Debora McGlynn has been a Communications Dispatcher with the County since 1991. She was appointed to the Public Safety Communications Training Unit in 1998, where she assumed the duties of training newly-hired dispatchers. There is approximately 3 months of academic training required before a trainee can move to the next phase of on-the-job-training. Debora coordinates and is a primary instructor in the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) 120 hour-basic dispatch academy, held in San Mateo County.

One of Debora’s most prestigious achievements is attaining the title of Master Instructor from POST. This is a labor intensive program that requires each candidate to select a topic of interest, and develop curriculum using contemporary adult learning concepts. As a result, Debora created “Preparing the Public Safety Dispatcher for the next WMD/Terrorist Event” to present to dispatchers and high level commanders as well. This is the only 40-hour POST certified course of its kind, which just recently was certified by the Federal Office of Domestic Preparedness. To date, 120 emergency dispatchers have attended the course, which has received outstanding reviews. This course is high-tech, inter-active, creative and innovative. This was demonstrated when Debora accepted an invitation from the “Denver Urban Area Security Initiative” where emergency dispatchers in the greater Denver area were presented with the course.

Debora has truly become a recognized subject-matter-expert in this field and continues to attend courses that strengthen her knowledge and application. Debora received the San Mateo County Communications Managers Association Award for Special Achievement in 2002 for her accomplishment. On January 20, 2005, the POST Commission selected Debora to receive the 2004 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Individual Achievement category. These annual awards are made to recognize excellence, innovation, and impact upon law enforcement training. This year there were 39 nominations for awards in three categories: Individual Achievement, Lifetime Achievement and Organization Achievement. Debora is the first non-sworn public safety employee to be selected for one of these awards in the history of POST.

Debora was presented with a prestigious trophy during the award ceremony at the Annual Law Enforcement Legislative Day Luncheon in Sacramento on April 19, 2005. Debora has had a profound impact on the emergency dispatch profession and to the law enforcement community here and abroad.

Our County is fortunate to have Debora McGlynn as one of its outstanding employees.