On September 26, 2023, Mayor Kincannon honored 24 city workers at the Employees of the Year ceremony.

Supervisors described this group of employees as compassionate, respectful, enthusiastic, positive, reliable, and motivated!


311 Center for Service Innovation

Kyle (Ryan) Noles

Ryan is the example for the highest possible level of service. Compassion, collaboration, cooperation along with empathy and professionalism make Ryan the living example of what our mission statement is all about.



Office of Community Safety & Empowerment

Hayley Howard

Hayley approaches every interaction with respect and with the goal of finding a solution. She makes sure that residents are heard and their concerns are considered, while directing residents to available resources that may address their needs.



Employee Benefits and Risk Management

Peggy Auel

Peggy is organized, considerate, and treats everyone she encounters with respect. She tracks all FMLA in numerous systems, and due to her inter-departmental collaboration and communication, most new FMLA requests are proactive.



Engineering – Civil

Peter Gerlach

Pete brings his vast network and knowledge of construction to help our team succeed on all projects. Through his leadership, he encourages each inspector to take ownership of their work and draw from their own experiences to provide useful feedback to upper management and allow the team to make the best decision when construction problems arise.



Engineering – Development Services

Noah Jarnigan

Noah is very motivated and willing to step up and take on additional tasks in areas where demand is highest. Using his computer knowledge, he generated a method for organizing and tracking field inspections allowing information to be logged quickly and track important metrics.



Engineering - Stormwater

George “Trey” Nennstiel III

Trey anticipates tasks that need to be done, does them, and follows thru with reliable accuracy. Twice in the last year he implemented and a system to increase oxygenation in area lakes to restore balance to the effected lakes and combat fish kills.

Stormwater Chief David B. McGinley, P.E., seen in the photo, accepted Trey's award during the ceremony.



Engineering – Transportation


Daniel Huffaker

Danny embodies the City's mission statement by working diligently to ensure all requests from City departments or citizens are resolved. Reactive and emergency situations arise frequently in the Sign & Markings section which require immediate attention; he has even answered calls while on vacation to ensure a problem is resolved.



Finance

Jaymee Westover

Jaymee maintains one of the largest workloads in the department and is always looking for ways to improve the processes she oversees. She works with departments that have a large amount of grant funding and is in the process of creating a manual to be used by those involved to ensure greater efficiency in the process.



Fire Department – Emergency Medical Services

Vanda Dalton

Vanda works diligently as the administrator of KFD’s CPR training programs. By managing all CPR training records and developing a comprehensive accountability system for the records, she contributes to the ability of KFD to expand their CPR training to many who would not have access otherwise.



Fleet Services

Steve Beckner

Steve has over 30 years of experience as a top tier technician at various locations. His willingness to help, advise, and teach his fellow technicians has been a vital part of the Light Shop's ability to reduce our fleet's down time, resulting in that high level of customer service the department strives for.



Law Department

Deena Chase

Deena is a great attribute to the City of Knoxville through her preparedness for situations and exercise of problem-solving skills. She has an ability to overcome any challenge and is always smiling and happy.



Municipal Court

Wardsworth Watkins

Wardsworth has a natural customer service demeanor which allows him to assist the public at an elevated level that leaves them feeling heard, but also understanding the constraints that the Court must operate within. He just seems to know what the step beyond is and brings it to the job every day.



Parks & Recreation – Administration

Beth Field

Beth’s leadership has been instrumental in our efforts to outreach to local organizations, such as collaborating with the CAC food distribution. She is an out of the box thinker, kind, generous, detailed oriented, a mentor and motivator, and will step into any role needed to accomplish a goal.



Parks & Recreation - Recreation Division

Verena B. Hadden

Verena is fluent in multiple languages and has used her language skills to continue to connect with non-English speakers to help them navigate our policies and other aspects of their life. She has also worked diligently to create a number of new programs for youth and seniors.



Plans Review & Building Inspections

Terry Walton

Terry is a wealth of knowledge regarding plumbing, gas and mechanical code requirements and always willing to educate anyone wanting to learn, whether fellow employees or contractors. He has taken on greater responsibility in his division over the past year, which includes mentoring fellow inspectors and volunteering to assist with plans review.



Police Department – Administration

Becky Kreisa

Becky exercises a high degree of professionalism and decorum while routinely dealing with sensitive or confidential information. During her tenure with the City, she has repeatedly shown a commitment to representing KPD and the City in a positive light while working with other departments or directly with members of the public.



Police Department – Investigations Unit

Renee Khan

Renee has outstanding organizational skills, leadership abilities, dedication to the job, and attention to detail. She was asked to serve as a secretary for a grant funded program entitled Take Me Home, and after two months was asked to manage the entire program. Her skills have brought this project to fruition.



Police Department – Management Services

Valerie Tanguay-Masner

Valerie takes great pride in her work as the department’s grant manager, keeping in contact with officers and civilian employees to discover what is needed to perform their tasks. Her aggressive approach to grant procurement has resulted in millions of dollars in grant funding, bolstering KPD’s ability to provide quality services to Knoxville residents.



Police Department – Technology Services

Julia Small

Julia takes great care in understanding what it takes to lead and manage her team to get the highest level of productivity from those she leads and works alongside. Recently, she has worked countless hours on a project to make sure officer’s radios are working effectively to maintain officer safety and ensure the safety of the communities we serve.



Public Service – Administration

Connie Spicer

Connie is "the backbone" of Public Service's administrative staff. She can effectively work with all 250+ personalities that make up the department, maintaining organization through extensive email chains, multiple phone calls and conversations, all with patience and grace.



Public Service – Construction

Alfred Stone III

Al's greatest asset is his unmatched work ethic and enthusiastic attitude. He has one of the hottest, dirtiest jobs in the City: Pothole Patcher Operator. Working with 300-degree asphalt on a 100-degree day seems unbearable to most, but Al always comes to work with a smile on his face, often getting kudos from residents after filling potholes.



Public Service – Horticulture

John Hooper

John is the true definition of a "working foreman." He works right beside his ten-man crew in hot, cold, and rainy conditions, never afraid to get his hands dirty. His high standards for landscaping and park maintenance result in each site he works looking its best.



Public Service – Service Area South

James Burress

James has progressed quickly within the department with his can-do attitude and positive morale; he offers to help wherever and whenever needed. He has learned to operate most of the heavy equipment the department uses on a daily basis and goes above his normal job requirements to help managers and foreman with equipment maintenance.



Office of Sustainability

Grace Levin

Grace plays a key role in the City's sustainability efforts and has jumped in to numerous cross-departmental collaborations. She demonstrates a desire to show the public how the city is meeting their needs and works with other departments to try to increase transparency of city activities and processes.