photo of the Mundelein Community Center

MEDIA CONTACT: Deb Engdahl, Marketing Coordinator

847.388.5473 | dengdahl@mundeleinparks.org

Park District Employees Honored at Annual Recognition Event

MUNDELEIN, IL —Five Mundelein Park & Recreation District employees were awarded the honor of Employees of the Year at the District’s Annual Employee Recognition event last month.


Nadia Guidry was recognized by the Administration Department for her role in converting the district to a new phone system, spearheading cybersecurity training, and implementing many cybersecurity tools which will enable the district to qualify for cybersecurity insurance.


Omar Vazquez was recognized by the Parks Department for his amazing work ethic and exemplary customer service skills. Despite the overwhelming volume of work, he consistently found ways to help his co-workers with procedures and job tasks. 


Nicole Schaller was recognized by the Recreation Department for returning the Health & Fitness Center’s Group Ex program to pre-Covid numbers. By switching classes to virtual programming and engaging with our patrons on a daily/weekly basis, she kept the district’s fitness program relevant.


Rick Hanzel was recognized by Steeple Chase for his diligence in

monitoring the condition and performance of the equipment in the field and promptly servicing items that need attention to ensure that the golf course is “consistently consistent.” 


Steve Yeazel was recognized by the Board of Commissioners for his dedication to the district. More responsibilities were added to Steve’s plate when there wasn’t enough staff with facility maintenance and aquatics while the facilities became more crowded after the pandemic. He didn’t complain and just stepped up. Steve’s ability to dive into projects and fix machines saved service calls and kept fitness equipment working.

 

Also recognized were Steve Ketzner and Dawn Blough for 25 years of service, Cheri Rehor and Julie Lemmer for 20 years, Beth Barber, Rick Hanzel, Sue Poletto and Judith Sneyd for 15 years, Linda Renz for ten years, and Paul Eiserman, Christine Lopez, Laura Friedrich, Matt Laporte, Gary Gunther, and Kelli Schillaci for five years.

 

“Every year, I look forward to our event so our District can recognize outstanding performance,” said Executive Director Ron Salski. “Our district’s employees are incredibly innovative and passionate about achieving our goals and objectives. After the pandemic, we experienced a surge of residents, participants, and members in our programs, facilities, and parks, and these five employees provided leadership when necessary and worked collaboratively with fellow co-workers. Congratulations to Nicole, Steve, Nadia, Rick, and Omar!”

# # #


Photo Caption

Pictured below, left to right: Steve Yeazel, Nadia Guidry, Nicole Schaller, Rick Hanzel, and Omar Vazquez 

2023 Employees of the Year

About Mundelein Park & Recreation District

Established in 1954, Mundelein Park & Recreation District has 35 park sites offering over 735 acres of open space, playgrounds, ballfields, lakes, and trails. It offers over 650 seasonal programs, including dance, youth sports, tennis, karate, golf, adult and youth leagues, swim lessons, art, fitness and wellness, culinary, adult day trips, science classes, and day camps. In addition, it hosts over 20 annual events, many free to the public.

Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  YouTube