Nomination Period: Monday, November 10 - Friday, December 12

THE NOMINATION PERIOD HAS ENDED

Objective

The purpose of the Employee Recognition Program is to publicly honor outstanding individual and team performance and contributions to public service in 2025. This announcement serves to solicit nominations and share important program timelines. If you would like to nominate a County employee or team, click here to access the nomination form.

 

Categories

There are five Public Service award categories, each representing a major departmental grouping. One individual winner and one team winner will be selected from each of the following five categories:

  1. Health Services - Health Services Agency.
  2. Human Services - Human Services Department.
  3. Justice - District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Sheriff-Coroner.
  4. Land Use and Regulatory - Agricultural Commissioner, Weights and Measures, Agricultural Extension, Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services, Planning, Public Works, and Animal Services.
  5. General Government - Assessor-Recorder, Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, Board of Supervisors' Office, Child Support Services, County Executive Office, County Clerk-Elections, County Counsel, General Services, Information Services, and Human Resources.

Click here to view the 2024 County Employee Recognition Winners.

Selection Committees

Each of the five award categories will have its own selection committee, appointed by the County Executive Office. Committees will be composed of six members, including:

  • Two executive management employees (one of whom will serve as the committee chair)
  • One middle management employee
  • Three general representation (or other bargaining unit) employees

Committees will meet during January 2026 to review nominations and select one individual and one team to recommend for recognition in their category. Final award selections will be approved by the County Executive Officer following committee recommendations.

Please Note:

  1. Department Heads and Assistant Department Heads may not participate as nominees in this program.
  2. Permanent County employees are eligible for recognition awards. Extra-help employees may not be nominated.
  3. You must include the names of all members of the team that you nominate, including their department, and their role.
  4. Please be as specific as possible in describing the reasons for your nomination of the employee or team. Providing examples enables the Selection Committee to better understand and prioritize all entries.
  5. Submit original entries only. Entries with duplicate wording will be considered as one entry.
  6. All nominees must be in good standing, with satisfactory performance and no disciplinary or performance issues during 2025.
 

Who Can Nominate

Any County employee, including managers, supervisors, and general employees, OR any community member, may make nominations for this award. You may nominate employees outside of your department. You may also make multiple nominations; however, each nomination must be submitted on separate forms which may be obtained online: 2025 Employee Recognition Nomination Form. If you are unable to access the online form, please contact the Employee Recognition Team at 454-2600. The nomination period is Monday, November 10, 2025 to Friday, December 12, 2025. All nominations must be received in the Human Resources Department at 701 Ocean Street, Room 510 by 12 p.m. on Friday, December 12th to be considered.

 

Awards

The County Executive Officer will publicly present the selected individual and team winners to the Board of Supervisors at the Board meeting on March 10, 2026. The Board will present a proclamation to each individual and group winner along with their awards. Three monetary awards will be given in each of the five categories:

Note:

  1. The IRS has determined that this award is considered taxable income.
  2. For team winners, monetary awards will be evenly split between employees.
 

Nomination Criteria

The Employee Recognition Program is designed to celebrate a wide range of exceptional contributions by County employees. Nominations should clearly explain how the individual or team met one of the following three criteria:

  1. Exceptional Results or Achievements
    Recognizes an employee or team who delivered significant, measurable outcomes that helped advance the County’s mission.
    • What problem or challenge was addressed?
    • What specific accomplishments were achieved?
    • What impact did this have on the department, the public, or the County as a whole?
  2. Innovation and Continuous Improvement
    Recognizes creativity, initiative, and problem-solving that improved services, processes, or outcomes.
    • What idea or opportunity was identified for improvement?
    • What changes were implemented, and how were they carried out?
    • What departments, teams, or partners were involved in making it happen?
  3. Consistent Excellence and Dedication
    Recognizes an employee who consistently performs above expectations through professionalism, dedication, or exceptional service over the past year.
    • What specific duties or projects did the employee go above and beyond on?
    • What personal qualities or work ethic stood out?
    • Who benefited from their contributions, and how?
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