For Employees by Employees March 2012ManateE-zine A new ACE has been named!by Nicholas Azzara, Information OutreachEarlier this month, Suzie Dobbs readied her paperwork and prepared for a brief presentation at a Department Directors meeting on Community Development Block Grant funding. Over the past 5 years Suzie has overseen the distribution of more than $32 million in federal funding that’s dedicated to helping communities like ours develop affordable housing, and opportunities to expand economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents.

But Suzie hasn’t just overseen that the money was spent in Manatee County. Her attention to detail and keen knowledge of the rules tied to the funding has led to an absolutely flawless distribution of those federal dollars. A recent (and routine) federal audit showed that Suzie’s oversight of the CDBG program has been squeaky clean for more than a decade.

Little did Suzie know what her boss, Neighborhood Services Director Cheri Coryea, had in mind that morning at the Directors meeting. As Cheri stood to introduce Suzie, she explained the unblemished audit was the result of countless hours of extremely hard work and dedication to accountability and responsibility.

“It was no surprise to me that we received a clean audit,” Cheri said. “Suzie performs outstanding work and I’m so proud to have her on our team.”

With that, Cheri pulled out a small golden coin and a piece of parchment paper which explained the meaning behind one of Manatee County Government’s newest and most distinguished honors, the ACE Coin. Over the past 18 months only a very small handful of County employees have received these coins from their directors. Each Department Director has three coins and may award them to exceptional employees who are shining examples of the ACE Philosophy: Accountability, Civility and Ethics.

The coins have become a truly special way to recognize an elite class of employees who regu-larly go above and beyond the call of duty, who are kind and patient with their coworkers and customers and who have exactly what it takes to be an ACE.

“Suzie has exhibited leadership in areas above and beyond her main role with the County as Community Development Division Manager,” Cheri said. “She is a skilled project manager and team player in many aspects of the Department. When asked to go beyond her regular duties and manage the department role for the new Rocky Bluff Library she never hesitated and took real ownership of the project

Cheri said one of Suzie’s best qualities is her ability to plan and maintain project timelines through the complex rules of CDBG. She sees to it that the programs maintain costs within the required guidelines and always on time. This responsibility has put Manatee County on a list of distinction with the HUD Office.

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When she saw Cheri take out the coin Suzie gasped. She knew of the incredible honor she was about to receive and she began to cry.

Cheri read a brief history of the ACE Coin, about how they began at Manatee County as part of a longstanding military tradition to honor especially dignified soldiers. The tradition requires every Coin holder to have the Coin in their possession at all times. If they’re challenged by another Coin holder to present the Coin and they don’t have it on them, then they owe other Coin holders a drink or other small favor.

Cheri handed Suzie the ACE Coin before giv-ing her a huge hug. Department Directors gave a standing ovation and one-by-one came up to congratulate Manatee County’s newest ACE.

“I was in total shock when I realized what was happening,” Suzie said. “It was very emotional for me to receive this honor and to receive recogni-tion for just doing my job the best that I can. It is extremely humbling to realize how few of these coins are available considering the vast number of dedicated and hardworking County employees.

“I am still amazed by this recognition every time I look at or hold my coin,” she said. “There are not enough words to express my gratitude and thanks to my Director, Cheri Coryea, and to all the other Manatee County team members that I have the pleasure of working with everyday and without whom I would not be able to do my job.”

Employee of the Month - March 2012Jason Dunham, Public Works

What does your job entail? Why is it important? I assist senior electricians with all electri-cal systems and A/C for the Utilities Facil-ity at 66th Street West. It is important to help maintain a good working enviorment for the other employees at 66th Street.

What is the most interesting part of your job? I enjoy never knowing what I will be doing from day to day. There are always new problems to deal with.

What is the strangest thing that has happened on the job? Being named employee of the month.

Where are you from? I have lived in Manatee County since I was 5 years old.

What are your hobbies? Hunting and fishing

If you were stranded on an island and could have 3 items, what would they be and why? Fishing pole to catch fish; a knife to clean the fish; and flint to start fire to cook the fish.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? A baseball player

Do you have any pets? One dog, two rabbits and four fish

What’s your favorite song at the moment? “Red Solo Cup” by Toby Keith

ACE Coin Recipients

Suzie DobbsNeighborhood

Services

Alan Lai HippNatural Resources

Charlie Hunsicker Natural Resources

Bev ChiottiUtilities

Mike HilleshiemPublic Works

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Calendar of EventsFebruary 2012

To view the events happening in your Natural Preserves, click here.

To view Parks & Recreation programs and activities, click here.

Tech TalkTaking ShortcutsBy Mike Brown, Information TechnologyEven if you’re a genius with the mouse, keyboard shortcuts can still save you time. They’re called shortcuts for a reason—they reduce multiple clicks to a single combination of keys, like hitting a chord on a piano. They also economize hand and arm motion.

Using keyboard shortcuts for the things you do all the time, like saving or closing files, can make computing much easier and faster. So whether you want to work more efficiently in Internet Explorer, streamline your Microsoft Office experience, or key international characters into your emails, you’ll find scores of shortcuts to speed you on your way.

The table below offers a few common standard-keyboard shortcuts, many of which work across Office applications—from Outlook to Access, from Visio to PowerPoint, from Word to Excel. You can find a more complete list of built-in keyboard shortcuts for a particular application by search-ing in Help for keyboard shortcuts. You can even peruse keyboard-shortcut lists:

Press this: To do this:

F1 Open Help

F7 Check the spelling in any Office application

Open the Start menu

Press this: To do this:

Alt+F4 Quit a program

Alt+TabSwitch between open programs or win-dows

Ctrl+N Open a new (blank) document

Ctrl+ASelect all content in a document, window, or text box

Ctrl+SSave the current file or document (works in most programs)

Ctrl+C Copy the selection

Ctrl+X Cut the selection

Ctrl+V Paste the selection

Ctrl+P Print a document or webpage

Ctrl+Z Undo an action

Ctrl+Y Redo an action

Ctrl+F Find text in a docu-ment

Ctrl+H Find and replace text in a document

Ctrl+B Boldface text

Ctrl+I Italicize text

Ctrl+U Underline text

+ F1Display Windows Help and Support

Esc Cancel the current task

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Michael Varma, ATMG, ALB, is a

member of Bergen-Meisters Toastmas-ters club in Orange,

California.

Power Speakers of MCGTips on Toasting WellDon’t burn family, friends with a shameful toast.

By Michael Varma, ATMG, ALBTwo summers ago I witnessed a truly tragic toast – and as a professional entertainer with more than 25 years of experience, I know a train wreck when I see one.

The best man at a wedding, seemingly sober, grabbed the microphone and with a booming voice launched into a notably naughty limerick: “There once was a groom from Nantucket….” The guests were not amused. The newlyweds, their parents and grandparents were mortified by the off-color verse. This soon-to-be ex-friend thought his humor would be enjoyed by all, or perhaps he crumbled under the pressure of public speaking. Whatever the case, his major faux pas reinforced my resolve to provide practical tips on toasting etiquette.

Toasting Advice The purpose of a toast is to shine a gentle spotlight and pay tribute to the honored guest or event. Toasts typically proffer well wishes, good fortune, long life, health, happiness, sage advice or other positive thoughts. Composing a toast that is elo-quent, poignant, whimsical and witty can be a challenge but worth every effort.

Begin by introducing yourself, state your first and last name for non-family mem-bers, explain how you’re related to the guest of honor, then present the toast. Follow the three Bs for delivering a suc-cessful toast – be brief, be bold, be done:

• Be Brief. “No toast except his own should last longer than 60 seconds” was Mark Twain’s golden rule. Keeping your remarks short gives your toast a greater impact and gets you on and off the stage more quickly. Well-crafted words and a succinct delivery will be appreciated by your audience and make your tribute more likely remembered for years to come.

• Be Bold. Stand proud and speak loud. Ensure that everyone in the room, includ-ing folks sitting in the back row, can hear your tasteful toast. Belting it out to the rafters may not be needed; a quick run-through before the crowd assembles in the

room will help you gauge how far to project your voice. It can also help calm your frayed nerves and provide valuable practice time.

• Be Done. When finished, sit down. Resist the urge to take a bow or return for an encore. Smile, nod and accept any applause or acknowledgements, then refocus the spotlight on the guest of honor.

A well-presented wedding toast will have every father of the bride raising his glass with glee and every mother dabbing her eyes – a true “tissue moment.” The follow-ing toast, which I wrote for my brother’s wedding, is simple yet heartfelt:

Your marriage makes a perfect start For every life is a work of art Paint a picture filled with bliss Treasured in your lover’s kiss Wedding vows are truly strong May yours last forever long

Advanced speakers can add a humorous story about the guest of honor after they explain how they know the honoree and before the actual toast. I recommend avoiding dirty jokes and risqué stories. Veer toward the white wedding light with words that praise and inspire, and you’ll never be seen in the Toasting Hall of Shame.

Following are a couple of the author’s creations:

Birthday Tenderly we joke and tease Candles blown out with a wheeze Sharing in your birthday feast We wish you 50* more – at least! *Substitute 20, 30, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90

New Year’s We greet the day with cheers galore For Father Time is at the door Now we rejoice In one clear voice Shout Happy New Year and many more

Learn tips like these and more by joining Power Speakers of Manatee County Gov-ernment.

Toastmasters Events

All events and meetings are on

Fridays from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

March 2Place: Osprey Room

March 9Place: Osprey Room

March 16Membership Drive

Place: Osprey Room

March 17Area Speech Contest

Place: Central Library

9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

March 23Place Public Works

March 30Place: Osprey Room

Learn about Toastmasters by

visiting us on the iNet!

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Florida Women in Government

General MeetingDate/Time: March

14, 2012noon

Place: Manatee Room

Guest Speaker Lynn Pierce “Delegate to

Empower” lunch presentation

Kudos CornerTo view the kudos information, click on the link which will take you to the PDF file on the iNet.

February 2012

Building & Development ServicesBarney Salmon, PlannerHildy Voorhees, Construction Investigation InvestigatorCindi Blake, Permitting/Development Services Division ManagerKatie Labarr, Principal PlannerArdath Melton, Permitting TechnicianBill Bors, Urban Forestry Manager

Information TechnologyJeff Pace, GIS Spatial Database ManagerRon Hardy, IT Telecommunication TechBill Kersey, IT Network Infrastructure ManagerLarry Colbert, IT Systems & Development Ad-ministrator

Natural ResourcesMax Dersch, Division ManagerMarcus Campion, Supervisor

Property ManagementReid Coffey, Building SupervisorPaula Pesmark, Building SuperivsorTim Funk, Building SupervisorSusan Cook, Engineering TechnicianCharlie Bishop, DirectorProperty Management Staff

Public SafetyGary Masengale, ParamedicPete McKelvey, EMTJohn Millard, Charge ParamedicTerri Anderson, EMTKris Weiskopf, ChiefBill Hutchison, DirectorJason Evans, Charge ParamedicJesse Mannix, EMT OpsJeremy Peterson, EMT

UtilitiesGwen Detone, Customer Service Center ManagerMaxine Humphrey, Manager-Collections/Bill-ingAnthony Sinopoli, Utility System Support & Train-ing

Help the Leprechaun by finding the Words

Caroline Sanchez, Utility System Support & Training SpecialistJames Riley, Utility System Support & Train-ing SpecialistMike Mathews, Utility System Support & Training SpecialistDana Catlett, Customer Service Center Assis-tant Manager

Neighborhood ServicesErin Cartwright, LibrarianCarol Parsons, Administrative SpecialistKatrina Lewin, Library AideUndine Shorey, Library AideChris Culp, LibrarianMadelene Barnard, LibrarianLinda O’Connor-Levy, Outreach Service Super-visorAva Ehde, Library Services ManagerJulie Farmer, Librarian

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The Final WordApril is County Government MonthNext month, April, is County Government Month, a National Association of Counties promotion of the great things County Governments offer to visitors and residents. This year’s theme is, “Healthy Counties, Healthy Families.” Deputy County Administrator Karen Windon is leading a small team that is organizing events and promotions to commemorate the celebration locally and if you’d like to be involved, please email Karen or call her at ext. 3799.

The “Healthy Governments, Healthy Families” theme is a perfect op-portunity to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of our team at Employee Health Benefits.

Manatee County has had a great health plan for many years, but within recent years we have transitioned into an employer that is actively taking a part in making our employees healthier. Last year, hundreds of health plan participants began monitoring their weight, Body Mass Index and cholesterol levels as part of EHB’s Know Your Numbers campaign. At the heart of Know Your Numbers and just about every other EHB initiative is the goal to become proactive about our own health. EHB urges us all to do some physical activ-ity every day, to eat well, to stop smoking and to deal with stress through healthy methods. This extends to every member of our families. The old adage of “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” has never been more true.

Employees are taking notice. Just about everyday around lunchtime and after work, you can spot people in workout clothes around the Adminis-tration Building going to the Fitness Center to take part in group exercise and fitness classes. Others take a midday break by walking downtown adoption center dogs around the block. I see employees everyday who have lost weight and who are working hard to lose even more and to become healthier. Over time, this will result in great things for Manatee County in the form of not only healthier and happier employees, but more productive employees who miss less and less work time as a result of illness.

By all accounts Know Your Numbers was a great success, and no doubt a primary reason the Tampa Bay Business Journal named Manatee County the region’s Healthiest Employer last fall. This year’s Y Weight initiative is already showing signs of improving our overall health and I’m eager to see how much weight the we’ve lost collectively after the summer weigh ins.

If you’ve had first-hand experience dealing with any of the customer service representatives or nurse advocates at EHB, you’ll know why this is an award-winning team. I never grow tired of people telling me what a positive experi-ence they had with EHB. Our EHB team consistently goes the extra mile in showing our employees they care about our health and wellbeing.

Manatee County Government services and programs play a central role in our community and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who live, work and play here. Our organization provides services and programs to help neighborhoods, to ensure we have a safe and reliable water supply and road system. And we maintain pristine natural preserves and public parks that thousands of people use every day of the year. I hope you’re talking to your friends, family members and neighbors about these vital services not only during Healthy Government Month, but throughout the year.