Gastonia honors city's top workers

Hundreds of people are employed by the city of Gastonia, but four of them in particular have been singled out for their stellar job performance last year.

The city’s 2018 Employee Awards were distributed to a quartet with a combined total of 79 years of experience as Gastonia municipal workers. The three men and one woman were recognized by City Council members during their regular meeting Tuesday.

Deputy City Manager Todd Carpenter said Gastonia has a number of employees who go above their required duties every day to deliver outstanding customer service in a cost-effective and professional manner. But Edward Stroud, Debby Cloninger, Jimmy Lineman and Wayne Bay shone brightest out of a pool of nominees.

“More than 30 of our employees were nominated by their colleagues this year for a city award,” said Carpenter. “Each nominee and winner exemplifies the city’s ongoing commitment to quality, safety and excellence.”

The Extraordinary Service Award was presented to Edward Stroud, a field supervisor in the public works department. Stroud oversees asphalt and right of way crews. Colleagues praised him for his emphasis on personalized customer service, being a good listener to both customers and his crew members, always being willing to step up when a job needs to be done, and leading by example.

Stroud said his approach to his work is simple: perform each job as if it were in front of his house.

The Customer Service Award went to Debby Cloninger, an administrative assistant in public utilities who said she likes being part of the solution and knowing that she has helped people. She was recognized for consistently treating customers with respect, answering questions and resolving problems in a positive and supportive way, and for her knowledge of the complex issues involved with utilities maintenance.

The Leadership Award was awarded to Jimmy Lineman, an assistant division manager with public works. Each day, Lineman assigns crews to work on projects such as grading, concrete, asphalt, right of way, plowing/brining roads during the winter, and stormwater work. Hurricanes, snowstorms and similar weather events often require the city to quickly shift priorities and work assignments. Lineman was praised for his ability to rapidly pool resources and make high-stakes decisions to serve residents’ most-pressing needs first.

Lineman said adjusting priorities is the most difficult part of his job, but he focuses on being prepared and finding solutions.

Public Utilities Crew Chief Wayne Bay won the city’s Safety Award. He and his crew install, maintain and repair water and sewer lines, and Bay has completed 21 years with the city with no preventable accidents.

Bay said the biggest safety challenge is working in trenches with the risk of soil cave-ins. He conducts daily meetings with his Two Rivers Utilities maintenance crew to emphasize safety procedures and mentors new employees on the importance of safety. Bay’s colleagues commended him for leading by example.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.