Guest Column by Jenny Turner, Human Resources Director

May 1-7 was Public Service Recognition Week, a time to show appreciation to a public employee who works hard to provide services that we sometimes take for granted.

When I think of excellent public service, the face of Ed Mora comes to mind. Since 2011, Ed has been a Derby police officer. While he is good at his job, he is known for much more than that. Officer Mora led the creation of the Derby Shop with a Cop program to provide Christmas gifts to underprivileged children in Derby.

Last fall, he spent several evenings visiting with senior citizens at the Senior Center (he even danced a few dances!) and made it known he is available to answer their questions and concerns. Officer Mora embodies what Community Policing is all about and is a dedicated public servant.

Two other city employees also come to mind: Agustin Hernandez, our project inspector, and Ky Louanghaksaphone, one of our civil engineers. In October 2015, Ky was contacted by a Derby resident who had just discovered her new home’s cul-de-sac was scheduled to be repaved at the same time she was trying to move in. Ky coordinated with the contractor to ensure her moving vehicles would have access during the times she needed.

Agustin was instrumental in making the move go smoothly, like when he noticed the resident was unable to pull her vehicle into the driveway since the street was well below curb level. He got a make-shift ramp made so vehicles could get in and out of the driveway. When he saw the resident struggling to get vehicles unloaded before the PODS arrived, Augustin helped carry boxes into the home. Both Ky and Agustin make us all proud.

These are just a few of the countless examples I can think of where City employees have gone out of their way to make a difference to the people they encounter. Do you have a story of a positive experience with a public employee who made a difference in your life? Let me know at JennyTurner@derbyweb.com or send it to the Derby Informer so everyone can read your story.

Published in the Derby Informer on May 4, 2016.