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WEEKLY BRIEFS City of Arvada internal news Feb. 20, 2023 Nominate your colleagues for Employee of the Quarter (Q1) and Team of the Year This year, the Employee Committee invites you to nominate an Employee of the Quarter (Q1) and Team of the Year that uphold the City of Arvada's Values, which are defined below: ● Innovation: “We excel in creativity, flexibility and the use of best practices while valuing diverse backgrounds, ideas and perspectives.” ● Opportunity: “We value our diversity, embrace possibilities, face challenges, persevere and take action to deliver quality results.” ● Passion: “We are a high performing, inclusive team, inspiring each other to pursue excellence.” Submit your nominations for Employee of the Quarter by Tuesday, Feb. 28. You can submit nominations for Team of the Year all year-round. Thank you for helping us honor the exceptional work of your colleagues! Celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 Let's commemorate International Women's Day, officially celebrated on March 8! To honor our women team members, we invite them to take a group photo in front of City Hall on Wednesday, March 1 at 9 a.m. The photo will be shared on the city's social media channels and Weekly Briefs. Engineers Week at the City As a part of National Engineers Week, we asked a few of our engineering leaders to share a bit about themselves. Check out what they had to say: City Engineer, Jenny Jenny grew up in Arvada looking at the Colorado School of Mines on the side of the mountain and knew she wanted to go to school there. When she got Mines she ended up changing her major at least 4 times! At the end of the day, she said it was the professors she really liked that influenced her in becoming a Civil Engineer. Today, Jenny says, “I’m glad I get to work in Arvada because I love being able to serve the community that I grew up in and still live in.” Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Floodplain Engineering Manager, Melanie Walter. Melanie found herself in engineering, in her own words, because "it was the only degree that had more math than English!" She helps with the rehabilitation of creeks, streams and other drainage facilities in Arvada. She also manages our floodplains through flood loss reduction activities and enforcement of our Land Development Code, FEMA and Mile High Flood District regulations. Assistant City Engineer, Chris Lisberg. Chris found a love for engineering during his senior year of high school physics class. He started college to become a mechanical engineer with hopes to one day work at Ford, Chevy and Dodge. After a few years of school, he realized that wasn't the right fit for him and changed to Civil Engineering where he focused on transportation and roadway design. Transportation Engineering Manager, Britton Thomas. Britton has known he wanted to be an engineer since high school. He says, mostly because he always liked math and science more than English. Today, he loves being an engineer because he spends time figuring out problems and puzzles. One thing he didn't realize would be so important to success as an engineer is the ability to manage people. Organizational Service Effectiveness Work System Here’s how to view internal job postings All internal job opportunities are posted on our internal job link and on Inside Arvada under the “Employee Resources” tab. Arvada University Update Register in advance on the Arvada University Learning Calendar. Contact Judson Smith ([EMAIL REDACTED]) with questions. Session/topic Date Time and/or resource link Evacuate, Evade, and Defend: Active Shooter (required) - Sign up quickly. This class is filling up fast! New Dates Added: March 17, March 27 and April 13 Register on ArvadaU Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Stop the Bleed March 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. Register on ArvadaU Trakstar for New Users March 16 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Register on ArvadaU DEI Learn how you can create belonging in the workplace Did you miss the Feb. 16 workshop on the topic of how to create belonging in the workplace as a public servant or policymaker at any level? You can still join in and watch the recording to learn more about how to create or further a culture of belonging in the workplace. You’ll learn how to: ● Identify why a sense of belonging is so important in the workplace ● Understand what it means to create a culture of belonging ● Recognize barriers to building an inclusive workplace culture We hope you’ll check out the video and gain some helpful knowledge! The man behind Black History Month: Carter G. Woodson Carter G. Woodson was a historian, scholar and the founder of what is known today as Black History Month. He was born to illiterate parents who were former slaves and spent most of his days helping his family on their farm and later worked in a coal mine in West Virginia to provide additional income and support to his father. In his spare time he studied common school subjects, mastering them by the time he turned 17. Woodson worked as a teacher and principal and later obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Berea College in Kentucky. After being barred from attending American Historical Association conferences, despite being a paying member, Woodson believed that the white-dominated historical profession had little interest in Black history and the work and contributions of Black Americans. In order to study and preserve Black history, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 in Chicago. The following year he started the Journal of Negro History, which is published to this day under the Journal of African American History. In February of 1926 Woodson launched Negro History Week to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both prominent figures in the abolitionist movement. This timeline later expanded into what we know today as Black History Month. You can visit the NAACP’s website to learn more about the life of Carter G. Woodson. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Black History Month reading recommendations If you’re looking to learn more about African American history and contributions, consider checking out some of these books: ● Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America by Marcia Chatelain ● Caste by Isabel Wilkerson ● The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter ● How to be Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi (and the Antiracist baby book by the same author) ● The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones (now a Hulu documentary series and podcast) ● So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo These books are only a sample of excellent literature you can explore, not only this month but throughout the year. Take a look at this list for even more reading ideas! Vibrant Community & Neighborhoods Work System Park naming project closes on Feb. 27 Time is running out to help name Arvada’s newest park! Anyone who anticipates using the new park – located just north of the Van Bibber Creek Trail and southeast of the Ward Road and W. 58th Avenue intersection – is invited to take our Speak Up Arvada survey. The survey closes Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. There are three ways to participate in the survey: ● Select your preferred park name generated by the Arvada Park Advisory Committee (APAC) ● Offer up to 5 of your own idea(s) for a park name ● “Like” any of the ideas submitted by other community members After the survey closes, APAC will review feedback provided by the community and prepare a presentation with the results to the City Council on March 20. The City Council will vote on a name for the new park on April 3. Winterfest is this Saturday at McIlvoy Park - Sign up to be a volunteer! Hosted by the Arvada Festivals Commission, Winterfest is a free outdoor multi-cultural celebration on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at McIlvoy Park in Olde Town. Winterfest highlights the variety of cultures in the community, allowing attendees to learn, Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- sample and enjoy diverse arts, culture and entertainment. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, including vendors, live ice sculpting, pet parade and ugly sweater contest, carriage rides through Olde Town and a beer garden benefitting Olde Town Business Improvement District. Sign up to be a volunteer! All volunteers will be entered into a raffle to win a pair of tickets to Arvada on Tap 2023. This event is not possible without our amazing volunteers. Snacks, lunch and drinks are provided. Community and Economic Development Work System Reminder: You and the community are invited to attend the Olde Town Arvada March 8 Open House The effort to create an Olde Town Arvada Strategic Reinvestment Plan for the next 20 years is in its final phase, and the City team wants to hear from you and other community members. We invite anyone who spends time in Olde Town to attend an Open House on Wednesday, March 8 between 4 and 6 p.m. at New Image Brewery and Restaurant (5622 Yukon St.). This event offers an opportunity for community members to provide feedback on the final plan strategies and recommendations as well as design concepts for the future of the Olde Town Pedestrian Priority Zone. A corresponding online survey will be available starting on March 8 for those who cannot attend the event. Please join us to share your input and help guide the future of Olde Town Arvada! Have questions? Email Liz Johnson, Manager of Communications and Marketing, at [EMAIL REDACTED]. You can also visit the City’s website to learn more about the project. Safe Community Know someone who’s interested in a career in law enforcement? Share this video with them! Watch this new video to learn about the highlights of a career with the Arvada PD. From hired to retired, the department offers a wide variety of career choices along with some of the best pay and benefits in the metro area. For more information on careers with the Arvada Police Department, visit ArvadaBuiltBlue.org. Employee Updates Promotions Kevin Groves, Utility System Technician-Journey Level, effective 8/9/2022 Diego Ulibarri, Utility System Technician-Journey Level, effective 11/21/22 Laura Hemler, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Kylie Justus, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Jessica Morales, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Kelsy Sargent, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Daniel (Danny) Wolff, Civil Engineer II, effective 2/3/2023 Samuel Yeager, Utility System Technician-Senior Level, effective 2/7/2023 Resignations Kaitlyn Bearden, CSI Technician, effective 2/3/2023 James (Jim) Carter, Network Systems Administrator, effective 2/10/2023 Isabelle Szentmartoni, Police Officer, effective 2/10/2023 Valerie Webb, Sales Tax Auditor, effective 2/17/2023 Arvada Center City Employee Discount Get 15% off when you register for Spring Education Classes Take advantage of the Arvada Center’s City of Arvada Employee Discount for Education Classes, which go ON SALE on Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. MST. City of Arvada employees and their households are eligible for 15% off spring education classes. Take a look at the catalog of classes that are available. You Purchase through the Box Office, or by calling [PHONE REDACTED], you must state which city department you work for, and use promo code 10768. Email your news to