San Gabriel recognizes long-serving staff and honors departing public works director

City Manager Mark opened the special meeting's presentations by recognizing employees who reached service milestones in 2024 and by presenting category awards for leadership, customer service, innovation, teamwork, emergency response, community service, part-time employee and overall work performance.

Mark named milestone honorees across 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-year categories, including Jessica Zhao (administration), Cecily Ramirez (police), John Atkins (fire, 30 years) and Liz Mendoza (fire, 30 years). He described category winners and cited specific contributions: Matthew Morales Stevens was recognized with the leadership award for coordinating the Discover San Gabriel publication and the bridal SG program; the facilities team (Rick Villareal, Steve Mancias, Gary Velar and Jaron Shedrick) received customer service recognition; Alan Mai (Public Works) was given the innovation award for pump-station redesign that saved consultant costs; the wastewater division received the emergency response award for 24-hour service; and Jessica Zhao and Marilyn Bonas tied for outstanding overall work performance.

Later in the meeting City Manager Mark invited departing public works director Greg Devink to the podium. Councilmembers praised Devink for improving infrastructure and street conditions, noting increases in a paving condition index (PCI) during his tenure. "You turned it around at a really, how can I say, way under budget than we ever expected," Vice Mayor Menchaca said. Devink thanked staff and council, said he viewed his time with the city as the best six years of his career and noted the public works department remained staffed and productive.

The awards presentation emphasized peer recognition and cross-departmental collaboration; the council and city manager used the occasion to publicly thank many long-serving employees for sustained service to San Gabriel.