KDOC, Gov. Brownback Recognize 2016 Employees and Volunteers of the Year
Secretary Norwood presents a certificate to Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the guest speaker at the KDOC's awards ceremony Wednesday.
MEDIA RELEASE
June 15, 2017
KDOC, Gov. Brownback Recognize 2016 Employees and Volunteers of the Year
Fifty-three individuals were honored by the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) June 14 in Topeka, for having been named employees and volunteers of the year for 2016.
Honored were representatives from Kansas’ nine correctional facilities, plus the recently closed Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility, as well as from the state’s two parole regions and from the agency’s community corrections partners.
The honorees were celebrated at a lunch at KDOC’s Central Office in Topeka, at which Attorney General Derek Schmidt praised the agency for its role in ensuring safety and rehabilitating offenders. They also met with Gov. Sam Brownback at the State Capitol Building, where recipients of overall statewide awards were announced.
Recipients of the statewide annual awards were:
- Eric Spencer, El Dorado Correctional Facility, Overall Uniformed Employee of the Year
- Diana Peak, Southern Parole Region, Overall Non-uniformed Employee of the Year
- Amanda King, El Dorado Correctional Facility, Overall Contract Employee of the Year
- Lenny Ewell, Topeka Correctional Facility, Overall Volunteer of the Year
- Nassir “Matt” Hadaegh, 11th Judicial District, Adult Community Corrections Staff of the Year
- Jodi Tronsgard, Sedgwick County Department of Corrections, Juvenile Community Corrections Staff of the Year
Recognized by KDOC as the agency’s Champion of Justice was Brenton Collins of the Kansas City Parole Office.
“We have great staff and they all deserve to be recognized for the important service they provide to the state,” KDOC Secretary Joe Norwood said. “So it’s hard to pick out the ones to receive these special accolades, and it’s a real honor for the ones who were honored here today. They each play special roles in ensuring safety and providing great service to the state.”
Honored by the agency on June 14, 2017 were:
2016 Uniformed Employee of the Year
- Felix M. Arcayan, Corrections Officer II, Ellsworth Correctional Facility
- Eric Spencer, Corrections Supervisor I, El Dorado Correctional Facility (Oswego)
- Steven Anderson, Corrections Supervisor I, Hutchinson Correctional Facility
- Laura King, Juvenile Corrections Officer II, Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex
- Mark Payne, Corrections Officer I, Lansing Correctional Facility
- Tyler Clark, Corrections Officer I, Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
- Shawn Couch, Corrections Manager I, Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility
- Kurtis Shearer, Corrections Supervisor I, Norton Correctional Facility
- Angela DeVader, Corrections Officer I, Topeka Correctional Facility
- Brian Bird, Special Agent, Winfield Correctional Facility
2016 Non-uniformed Employee of the Year
- April Skelton, Quality Assurance Manager, Central Office
- Cathy S. Pflughoeft, Administrative Assistant, Ellsworth Correctional Facility
- Tina R. Jehner, Administrative Assistant, El Dorado Correctional Facility
- Jane Dickson, Accounting Specialist, Hutchinson Correctional Facility
- Larry Woodward, Correctional Industries Manager I, Kansas Correctional Industries
- Candice Byrd, Corrections Counselor II, Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex
- Phyllis Schrick, Senior Administrative Assistant, Lansing Correctional Facility
- Rey Rodriguez, Mechanic Sr., Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
- Travis Burger, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor, Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility
- Jodi Poage, Procurement Officer, Norton Correctional Facility
- Laurie Bartels, Staff Development Specialist, Olathe Parole Office
- Diana Peak, Parole Officer II, Pittsburg Parole Office
- Darrin Stevenson, General Maintenance and Repair Tech, Topeka Correctional Facility
- Monica Stricklin, Institutional Parole Officer, Winfield Correctional Facility/ Wichita Work Release Facility
2016 Contract Employee of the Year
- Allan D. Collins, Welding Instructor - Barton Community College, Ellsworth Correctional Facility
- Amanda King, Medical Services – Corizon, El Dorado Correctional Facility
- Joyce Hicks, RN – Corizon, Hutchinson Correctional Facility
- Katrina Metzger, Behavioral Health Professional – Corizon, Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex
- Jeffrey D. Richter, RN – Corizon, Lansing Correctional Facility
- Catharine Crosby, LPN – Corizon, Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
- Ann Schreiber, Westside School Secretary, Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility
- Courtney McCue, Behavioral Health Professional – Corizon, Norton Correctional Facility
- Owen McCourt, Care Coordinator - Heartland Regional Alcohol & Drug Assessment Center, Northern Parole Region
- John Agnew, Cognitive Behavioral Interventionist - Substance Abuse Center of Kansas, Southern Parole Region
- Sandi Brooks and Robyn Thorne, SAP Instructors – Heartland Regional Alcohol & Drug Assessment Center, Topeka Correctional Facility
- LaVaughan Scheurich, GED Instructor – Greenbush, Winfield Correctional Facility
2016 Volunteer of the Year
- Eric L. Austin, Ellsworth Correctional Facility
- Mandy Yager and Shelly Hill, El Dorado Correctional Facility
- Sandra Bell, Hutchinson Correctional Facility
- George Steger, Lansing Correctional Facility
- John and Donna Martin, Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility
- Roger and Joann Long, Norton Correctional Facility
- Brewel Currie, Northern Parole Region
- Marilea Blissett, Marriage and Family Therapist Intern with Friends University
- Lenny Ewell, Topeka Correctional Facility
- Don Roberts, Winfield Correctional Facility
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