{"id":5724,"date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/employees-of-the-quarter-2020\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T10:50:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:50:25","slug":"employees-of-the-quarter-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/employees-of-the-quarter-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Employees of the Quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part-Time Employee of the 1st Quarter 2020: Matt LaFrenere<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As a part-time employee for over seven years, hockey coach Matt LaFrenere has been a staple within the hockey organization.  Whether leading the Moose Jaw 3v3 league or developing young goalies for our program, Matt is a true leader in the sport.  Matt also instructs the hockey lesson program which is instrumental in creating the future league players for our program.  Wherever Matt is needed, he is there to support the growth of the hockey program within HEParks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, Matt, for your commitment and dedication to the hockey program and the district.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full-Time Employee of the 1st Quarter: Katie Burgess<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Katie\nBurgess is well into her second year as the district\u2019s Communication &\nMarketing Manager.  In this role, Katie creates the social media posts to\nkeep our community engaged and informed. \nShe also writes the district\u2019s press releases which are submitted to the\nDaily Herald as another avenue by which we share updates to the community.  It is her work that really serves as the\nconduit between the district and our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie\nis recognized as the district\u2019s full-time employee of the 1st<\/sup> quarter\nfor all she has done to enhance the marketing efforts of our district.  Through Katie\u2019s efforts, The Club\u2019s marketing\nstrategy has expanded to reach new markets beyond our immediate\ncommunity.  In addition, Katie has been instrumental in leading not only\nher department, but also the district in the virtual recreation and\ncommunications provided throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie\u2019s\nwork creates our District\u2019s positive image; thank you for ensuring the district\nshines proudly, Katie! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part-Time Employee of the 2nd Quarter: Sarah Koeckritz<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sarah\nKoeckritz started working as a part-time employee with the District in August\n2008.  In Sarah\u2019s 12 year history with\nHEParks, she has established herself as a fundamental team member at The\nClub.  Sarah\u2019s infectious energy has made\nher one of The Club\u2019s most beloved and popular group fitness instructors.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah\nhas become \u201cthe face\u201d of The Club fitness and helped create the virtual fitness\nclass library.  The virtual fitness class\nlibrary was a project that came to light in response to the COVID-19 pandemic\nand it created a way for our members to stay connected with The Club during\nfacility closure.  Due to its success,\nthe virtual fitness class library will continue to be available to The Club\nmembers for future use.\n\nSarah\u2019s continued passion for fitness, learning,\nand sharing her knowledge, makes her a key member of The Club team and very\ndeserving of the part-time employee of the 2nd<\/sup> quarter award. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full-Time Employee of the 2nd Quarter: PJ Bugay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PJ\nstarted working part-time for the district in 1997. Through his hard work and\ndedication to the district, he earned his current role as the full-time Golf\nCourse Assistant Superintendent in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ngolf industry has been one of the most in-demand activities during the pandemic\nand it has had to adapt with every release of golf-related COVID-19\nguidelines.  PJ is being honored for his\nwork at the Bridges of Poplar Creek Country Club throughout the duration of the\nCOVID-19 pandemic.  He was an integral\npart of the success of the golf course maintenance program while working with\nextremely limited staff due to staff layoffs and furloughs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He takes tremendous pride in Bridges and the course conditions. His willingness to go above and beyond for the facility is a treasured attribute in an employee.  Whether it is helping clubhouse staff for events, or even learning to climb for tree maintenance, PJ does whatever is needed to benefit the district.  PJ is a true representation of what the Employee of the Quarter award exemplifies.  He is an asset to the golf course and an asset to the District. We thank you for your commitment and dedication to the golf course and the park district. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part-Time Employee of the 3rd Quarter: Ted Korth<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ted Korth starting working at Bridges of Poplar Creek Country Club in 2007 as a part-time Cart Attendant. Early on, Ted showed a willingness to help in any way possible at the course which quickly led him to working on the grounds team, as well.  Ted is the part-time Employee of the 3rd<\/sup> Quarter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ted\nis by far one of the Park District’s most valuable unnoticed assets.  He\ntruly exhibits a work ethic that is second to none. He is always willing to go\nthe extra mile for both customers and his coworkers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most entertaining part about Ted working at Bridges has been providing joy to many of our guests as Santa at Winterfest. So whether Ted is cleaning carts, starting a group on the tee, mowing the course, or joyfully bringing the HO HO HO spirit to Winterfest, he does it with great pride and continues to provide our customers a great experience at Bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for your years of hard work and dedication to the Bridges of Poplar Creek Country Club, Ted! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full-Time Employee of the 3rd Quarter: Natalie Wood<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Natalie Wood started working full-time for the District in October 2018 as the Early Childhood Program Manager.  She is the full-time Employee of the 3rd<\/sup> Quarter.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, Natalie is being recognized for the phenomenal job she did to keep her ELC families and the rest of the HEParks community entertained and educated during the COVID-19 shutdown through her virtual story times, virtual crafts, and virtual baking videos.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since returning to the office from the pandemic closures, not only has Natalie stepped up to expand her programming areas, Natalie has exemplified what it means to be a team player. While still operating her preschool and child care under more strict safety guidelines, Natalie has supported the Recreation Department by adding the senior programs and some special event programming to her plate without any complaints.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This quarter, Natalie took the initiative to apply for a State grant designed to support child care programs seeking relief from the hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Natalie was instrumental in obtaining over $160,000 in grant money for the District to support wages and expenses of the child care program.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for all you do, Natalie! Keep up the great work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part-Time Employee of the 4th Quarter: Jose Flores<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jose Flores has been with the District as a groundsworker\nand maintenance crew member for the Parks Department since 2009.  He is a\nvital part of the seasonal staffing and has worn many hats over the past decade\nincluding mowing, tree maintenance, filling in for custodians, and helping with\nspecial events.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, the seasonal staff is done by November of every year, but Jose stayed on in November and December 2020 to help cover custodial staffing concerns.  In addition to being a hard worker and a team player, Jose is a very kind individual and always has a bright smile on his face.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Parks Department staff look forward to his presence and help every year and, for that, we value his contributions.  Thank you, Jose!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full-Time Employee of the 4th Quarter: Humberto Padilla<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The\nCOVID-19 pandemic put a great deal of pressure on the custodial staff to ensure\nheightened cleaning protocols were met in order to alleviate the risk of virus\nexposure and spreading amongst the District staff and patrons.  The custodial staff members inevitably kept\nour facilities operational during the pandemic and a great thanks is owed to\ntheir diligent efforts.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We specifically want to honor Humberto Padilla, Building Maintenance Supervisor (WRC), for going above and beyond expectations during a very difficult time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humberto\nbegan his career with the District working seasonal pool maintenance at\nSeascape starting in 2005 and continuing through 2014.  After a brief hiatus, he returned to the\nDistrict in 2017 as a part-time foreman for Bridges of Poplar Creek Country\nClub.  Later that same year, he earned\nhis current role as the full-time Building Maintenance Supervisor for Willow\nRecreation Center.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humberto\nis an employee of many talents! In the time he has been at Willow Recreation\nCenter, he has shown his vast knowledge of building maintenance on many\noccasions.  When a problem is presented,\nhe very rarely will ask for a work order seeking additional assistance because\nhe can, more often than not, fix it himself. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humberto\ngoes above and beyond every day to help other staff, departments, and customers\nin any way he can. He is a true team player, an asset to Willow Recreation\nCenter, and an asset to the District. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for your commitment and dedication to Willow Recreation Center and the District.  Keep up the hard work, Humberto!
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Part-Time Employee of the 1st Quarter 2020: Matt LaFrenere As a part-time employee for over seven years, hockey coach Matt LaFrenere has been a staple within the hockey organization.  Whether […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_ecp_custom_2":"","wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5724"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46817,"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5724\/revisions\/46817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heparks.org\/ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}