Four earn Madison Employee of the Year awards
Richard Ennis, second from left, accepts the Firefighter Employee of the Year award from Mayor Paul Finley, third from left. Also congratulating Ennis are Marc Jacobson, at left, with Rotary Club of Madison and Richard Cooper, at right, with Madison Optimist Club. CONTRIBUTED
Mia Powers, second from left, and Megan Zingarelli, second from right, are 2018 Employees of the Year recipients for the City of Madison. Assisting with the awards presentation were City Council President Tommy Overcash, from left; Marc Jacobson, Rotary Club of Madison; Mayor Paul Finley; and Richard Cooper, Madison Optimist Club. CONTRIBUTED
Richard Ennis, second from left, accepts the Firefighter Employee of the Year award from Mayor Paul Finley, third from left. Also congratulating Ennis are Marc Jacobson, at left, with Rotary Club of Madison and Richard Cooper, at right, with Madison Optimist Club. CONTRIBUTED
Mia Powers, second from left, and Megan Zingarelli, second from right, are 2018 Employees of the Year recipients for the City of Madison. Assisting with the awards presentation were City Council President Tommy Overcash, from left; Marc Jacobson, Rotary Club of Madison; Mayor Paul Finley; and Richard Cooper, Madison Optimist Club. CONTRIBUTED
Rotary Club of Madison, in conjunction with the City of Madison, has recognized outstanding public servants in Madison for 18 years. In addition, Optimist Club of Madison endorses the exemplary employees with a cash donation.
Supervisors or the employees’ peers select the honorees.
* Richard Ennis, Firefighter of the Year — Ennis’ colleagues know about his willingness to go beyond the call of duty. With 12 years’ experience, he works as a driver and stand-in captain on C shift. He teaches classes and assists with EMS needs.
“Richard performs many roles for Madison Fire,” Fire Chief David Bailey said. “Routinely, he serves as a paramedic and driver of our large apparatus.”
“Richard is one of our ‘go-to’ guys. He helps to keep his crew and other shifts (updated) with current protocols and serves on the Technology Research Program committee,” Bailey said. “Often, the first time I hear of an issue is when I learn how Richard has already fixed it.”
* Jeremy McKinney, Police Employee of the Year — As Patrol Office, McKinney has succeeded in removing impaired drivers from the streets. In 2017, he made 20 Driving-Under-the-Influence (DUI) arrests and 14 drug-related arrests.
McKinney has been instrumental in implementing community policing and established personal relationships with employees and managers. In October 2017, McKinney and another officer identified a burglary suspect who burglarized churches and a high school.
“Officer McKinney has displayed true leadership and has proactively embraced the Community Policing initiative,” Police David Jernigan said. “Officer McKinney identifies problems, recommends a course of action and chooses an action plan to resolve the issue. He sets the example.”
For the first time, two City Hall workers received “Employee of the Year” awards.
* Mia Powers, Employee of the Year — Powers, Senior Human Resources Coordinator, has worked for the city for 14 years. Powers manages medical, life and dental insurance; AFLAC; unemployment; deferred compensation plans; and retirement for city employees.
In 2018, Powers identified procedures to avoid premium increases for most employees. Powers earned a bachelor’s degree in HR and two subsequent HR certifications. She and her husband are parents of two daughters.
* Megan Zingarelli, Employee of the Year — Zingarelli advanced to Acting City Attorney in 2016; Madison City Council named her City Attorney in 2017. As Department Head, Zingarelli exemplifies critical values for timely customer service, collaboration with internal departments and external partners and management of risk and reward.
Zingarelli multi-tasks to manage multiple, complex contracts and negotiations simultaneously. She is a key asset in negotiations to secure minor league baseball in Madison and Town Madison infrastructure agreements. She constantly focuses on supporting Council and City Clerk for contracts and paperwork at regular and called meetings.
