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Oklahoma City Utilities announces first 'Utilities Best' awardees; eight employees recognized
Summary
Trustees heard a presentation on the new peer-nominated 'Utilities Best' recognition program and eight employees were introduced as the first awardees from about 117 nominations.
At the April 22 meeting the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust heard a presentation about Utilities Best, a new peer-driven recognition program, and trustees and the general manager introduced eight employees selected as the program’s first awardees.
Jasmine Morris, who presented the item, said Utilities Best recognizes employees who "go above and beyond" and embody the department's pillars of caring, creativity, resilience, safety, service and teamwork. "Utilities Best is a program that has really reflected the heart of our culture and the excellence of our people," Morris said. She said the program's nomination process is peer driven, with an anonymous peer-reviewed committee selecting finalists and winners.
Morris told trustees that the inaugural cycle yielded 117 nominations that named 170 employees, from which a committee selected 30 finalists and eight awardees. The eight awardees represent roughly the top 1% of the utility department’s workforce, which Morris said numbers about 800 employees.
The eight employees introduced themselves briefly during the meeting. Those named in the record are Kelly McDowell (water quality division; supports HR, finance and budget), Reyna Valdez (safety team; incident analysis and safety culture), Ricky Clemens (line locator, 24 years), Charles Williams (training analyst, 38 years), William "Colt" Birdsong (Southeast Water Supply/McGee Creek operations, 16 years), Jeff Baldy (enterprise application support, SAP billing systems, 10 years), Kelvin Cox (GIS editor for water/sewer maps, 18 years) and Creighton Kenny (solid waste collection, 18.5 years).
General Manager Browning congratulated the awardees and trustees offered appreciation for the program, noting the recognitions highlight the staff who maintain day-to-day utility operations. The presentation included a request that trustees continue support for the department’s culture and internal recognition efforts.
The trust took no formal action on the presentation; the item was informational.
