Employee Excellence

April 2022 Everyday Excellence: Deputy Kiara Marshall
(Sheriff's Office)

During the Wednesday, April 27 Board of Supervisors meeting Chesterfield County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey recognized Deputy Kiara Marshall with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office as the recipient of the April 2022 Everyday Excellence for her outstanding service in assisting a neighbor and her family during a fire.

“Deputy Marshall is here today and we’re very proud of her,” Sheriff Karl Leonard told the Board of Supervisors before explaining what happened on the evening of March 22 when Marshall got a call on her way home at about 8 p.m. from her sister telling her of a house fire just up the street.

“Deputy Marshall, without hesitation, responded down the street where she found a house on fire and an adult female in the front yard suffering badly from burns and expressing concern for her three children,” Leonard recounted. “While fire crews and medics began to attend to the adult female, Deputy Marshall began to tend to the children ages 7, 9 and a 17-year-old who was autistic.”

Marshall and her sister, Jordan Coles, helped the children into the warmth and safety of Jordan’s car and comforted them, immediately building a rapport. This provided “an invaluable tool” for fire officials, Leonard explained, and assisted them in their investigation as they looked to gather information on the fire. 

Marshall’s conversations with the children led to contacts with the family and arrangements for them to have a place to stay. That was even more critical considering the father was deployed in Germany. 

Marshall, the Sheriff said, provided the transportation herself before returning the next day to see if there was more she could do.

“Deputy Marshall cleared the scene just before midnight and was there the very next morning to assist the family with any needs they had,” Leonard concluded. “She also organized efforts to help find clothes for them and other essential items for the family.”

“Well, you’ve been very busy,” Board Chair Chris Winslow (Clover Hill) jokingly told Marshall before offering his gratitude for a job well done, saying: “Here we have excellence in action…You make us all proud. Thank you very much. It’s awesome.”

“Thank you,” Vice Chair Leslie Haley (Midlothian) told Marshall. “I know that’s what you do every day when you go out there. Thank you.”

For more information, view the Everyday Excellence presentation during the April 27, 2022 Board of Supervisors meeting.

_{During the April 27 Board of Supervisors meeting Deputy Kiara Marshall, right, was recognized by County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey as the recipient of this month’s Everyday Excellence for going above and beyond in helping a neighbor following a house fire on March 22, 2022. Also pictured is Sheriff Karl Leonard.}

March 2022 Everyday Excellence: Police

During the Wednesday, March 23 Board of Supervisors meeting Chesterfield County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey recognized members of the Chesterfield Police Department for outstanding service in being chosen for three distinguished awards.

Chief of Police Col. Jeffrey Katz recognized two members of the department in attendance: Master Officer Rob Wilson, who was tabbed as the Officer of the Year, and Senior Detective Christopher Lee, who was chosen as the Detective of the Year. A third member of the department who was unable to attend the meeting, Sgt. Winfred “Lew” Lewis, was recently given the Mason T. Chalkley Award which recognizes supervisors who exhibit exemplary leadership.

“It’s my privilege and honor today to recognize two of our best personnel,” Katz said during the meeting in introducing Wilson and Lee.”

Wilson, Katz explained, is known for having an incredible work ethic and being driven to be outstanding in all facets of his job. He has led the department in total traffic stops and arrests for the last four years and also volunteers for the GR-ACY Program that partners with VCU Health. GR-ACY, which is the Get Real – Alcohol/drug choices & Consequences for You Program, takes young adults who have been charged with certain driving offenses and puts them through a “scared straight” style program.

“In December 2020, Officer Wilson had an idea to honor the memory of victims of crashes that have occurred in Chesterfield County,” Katz told members of the Board of Supervisors. “Officer Wilson presented the idea to his chain of command and then began coordinating with various parties that have a vested interest to determine design, costs, locations, and much more. Officer Wilson’s idea, after months of planning, turned into a major traffic safety campaign that was called ‘In Memory Of.’

“It was a valuable public safety and traffic safety message for education in our community,” Katz added. “And also, it honored the memory of people who tragically lost their lives on our roadways.”

The campaign was launched at the end of March 2021 and resulted in several local news stories as well as tremendous feedback on social media.

“His dedication to the preservation of life, protection of the vulnerable, development of personnel, and the building of problem-solving partnerships is the core of his work ethic,” Katz said. “In his nomination for ‘Officer of the Year’ he was described as being the best of the best. His unparalleled work ethic, commitment to his community and passion for public safety keep Chesterfield County a First-Choice community.”

Lee, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most skilled and capable investigators in the Persons Unit since he transferred to the Special Victims Section in 2018. He is also an informal leader of the Special Victims Section. 

“Detective Lee is incredibly thorough, diligent, and resourceful,” Katz said. “He’s team oriented, he’s an effective communicator, he’s the epitome of professionalism, and possesses a remarkably dogged work ethic. All these qualities are ever-present in his impeccable case work.”

As a detective, Katz explained, it is very easy and understandable to become fixated on individual pursuits, and your own personal performance. But what makes Lee an ideal representative of the Investigations Bureau is that he “has shown time and time again that he doesn’t view himself as merely a detective only concerned with investigative his endeavors, but as a member of the police department who will do whatever it takes to help other department members fulfill their mission.”

Lastly, though he was unable to attend the meeting, Lewis was also recognition for his prestigious award.

“One of the unique things about it is the fact that nominations often come from subordinates,” Katz wrote. “A true sign of the outstanding work done by all of the nominees…You would be hard pressed to find anyone within this organization who is more dedicated, genuine, or cares about their subordinates more than Sgt. Lewis.”

Lewis is known to his fellow officers to be someone with a trademark laugh but also someone who pays attention to detectives and can quickly assign cases based on availability and individual skillsets.

“His greatest strength is his ability to lead while helping you to grow as a detective and become more confident in your ability,” wrote one officer in nominating Lewis. “He is an amazing asset and a calming influence as the unit and caseload have continued to grow.”

“You make us all proud,” Chairman Chris Winslow of Clover Hill said when Katz was done with his presentation. “All of you.”

For more information, view the Everyday Excellence presentation during the March 23, 2022 Board of Supervisors meeting.

^{During the March 23 Board of Supervisors meeting, Senior Detective Christopher Lee, left, and Master Officer Rob Wilson were recognized by County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey as the recipients of this month’s Everyday Excellence for being chosen as the Detective of the Year and Officer of the Year, respectively, by the Chesterfield County Police Department.}

February 2022 Everyday Excellence: Jerry Giles
(Utilities)

During the Wednesday, Feb. 23 Board of Supervisors meeting Chesterfield County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey recognized Jerry Giles as the recipient of the February 2022 Everyday Excellence for being named the Department of Utilities 2021 Employee of the Year.

One of the county’s largest departments at more than 300 positions, Utilities regularly receives local and national recognition for its high quality and reliable water and wastewater service as well as affordable rates, solid financial position, environmental stewardship and exceptional customer service. 

Each year, the department administers an Employee of the Year program where employees nominate coworkers throughout the department. Due to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Employee of the Year nominations were based on performance for the past two fiscal years. 

In all, seven nominations were sent forward to the committee to be considered for this award.

Giles, who serves Chesterfield as the assistant chief operator and head of maintenance at the Addison-Evans Water Production and Laboratory Facility, was chosen as the 2021 Employee of the Year thanks to his consistent and continued dedication. 

Having contributed to committees and previously represented the department at job fairs, Giles has spoken to elementary schools about water treatment and was a member of the Virginia American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water for People, where he even co-starred as a character voice in an educational video for children. 

Here were two of the comments put forward in nominating Giles for the award:

“Jerry has good relationships with all members of the Addison-Evans staff,” said one coworker, “and he fosters excellent synergy between the members of his own maintenance staff. He leads his employees and encourages them to come up with alternative solutions.”

“Jerry was instrumental in keeping the plant online during periods of construction,” said another fellow employee. “In one instance, he designed and implemented a temporary tank system to feed chemical while the bulk system was out of service during replacement, thus ensuring the plant was able to remain online and in production.”

“We’ve got great leaders in Utilities,” Giles told the Board of Supervisors. “Y’all pay me and charge me with responsibilities, and I take them very serious. I just want to say thank you for taking care of us. It really means a lot. I’ll always be here for you. All you’ve got to do is tell me what you need.”

“We appreciate you and all you have done,” Chair Chris Winslow, Clover Hill District supervisor, told Giles. “We really, really appreciate the work you all do there. I know it’s hard work but the dedication shows inside your whole department.”  

For more information, view the Everyday Excellence presentation during the Feb. 23, 2022, Board of Supervisors meeting.

^{Jerry Giles, Utilities 2021 Employee of the Year}

January 2022 Everyday Excellence: Mental Health Support Services

During the Wednesday, Jan. 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, Chesterfield County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey recognized the Chesterfield Community Services Board, which functions as the Chesterfield County Department of Mental Health Support Services, as the recipient of the January 2022 Everyday Excellence for being reaccredited once again by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for a period of three years for all programs.

“This is an outstanding achievement and marks the highest standards attained for services offered, continuous improvement, and satisfaction among those served,” Dr. Casey told members of the board.

In Virginia, Chesterfield is one of only two CSBs that are accredited for all services and one of just six out of the 40 CSBs that are accredited at all.

This reaccreditation is awarded to organizations that show substantial fulfillment of the standards established by CARF, an independent, nonprofit accreditor of human-service providers in the areas of behavioral health, child and youth services, employment and community services, and medical rehabilitation. The reaccreditation indicates that current conditions represent an established pattern of total operations that is likely to be maintained and/or improved in the future.

The Chesterfield County Department of Mental Health Support Services offers comprehensive services for individuals and families with mental health needs, substance use and intellectual disabilities. The department also provides prevention and early intervention services for infants, children, and families.

Kelly Fried, executive director of the CSB, introduced Annette Stinson, who is the agency’s quality coordinator, and Jarek Muchowski, who is the assistant director for administration, strategic planning and quality and thanked them for their hard work in helping Chesterfield achieve its eighth accreditation.

“We are so proud of that,” Fried told the board on Jan. 26 of being accredited for the eighth time in a row. “It’s a three-year accreditation but each one that we go through, it’s not an easy feat. We have over 2,000 standards of quality that we are responsible for being in adherence. This is truly a whole-department effort.”

All staff are continually responsible for adhering to all standards but the reaccreditation process is an intensive one, especially this year due to COVID protocols that required the uploading of hundreds of policies and procedures.

“When I look at the amount of time that you’ve been accredited,” said Chairman Chris Winslow of the Clover Hill District, “all you can look at is a history, a generation-plus, of people who have been under accredited care in this county. You’ve really set a standard that not only our citizens have come to expect and appreciate and be the beneficiary of but also for localities that around us to say ‘That is the Gold Standard right there.’ So I can’t say enough. Thank you. Thank you to you both for all of the work you do.”

For more information, view the Everyday Excellence presentation during the Jan. 26, 2022, Board of Supervisors meeting.

^{From left: Kelly Fried, Jarek Muchowski and Annette Stinson}

Employee Excellence Archives

All previous Employee Excellence articles are available in either the 2021 archive and 2020 archive.