Individuals in a row clapping, image is focused on their hands.

Employee Recognition

Display of DOAS Values Award: Highlighted Recipients

Carla Gracen

Enterprise Benefits Director

Accountable and Collaborative

Carla Gracen was recognized for displaying the DOAS values of Accountability and Collaboration.

"During her work on the NextGen project, Carla has taken ownership of resolving issues between our new GA@Work system and our benefits providers. ... Her professionalism, ownership, and collaborative spirit are a reflection of DOAS at its best and would make anyone who sees her in action proud to be part of this agency."

Emily Harris

Contract Manager, Goods, SPD

Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused

Emily Harris was recognized for displaying all six DOAS values: Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused.

"Emily consistently demonstrates the core values of professionalism, integrity, and teamwork through her work with state agencies, suppliers, and internal stakeholders. ... Emily’s unwavering commitment to excellence, responsiveness, and selfless service makes her a shining example of the DOAS Values Award."

John Kreeger

State Procurement Audit Manager, SPD

Empowering, Ethical, Collaborative, and Innovative

Sandra McCormick

General Ledger Manager, Budget and Fiscal Services

Accountable and Collaborative

Sandra McCormick was recognized for displaying the DOAS values of Accountable and Collaborative.

"During this fiscal year, Sandra, our General Ledger Manager, has been instrumental in the overall development of special projects like NextGen for many of the critical tasks such as Security Roles, interpreting communications from SAO, as well as User Testing and providing feedback for changes and edits."

Rachana Patel

Enterprise Business Analyst 2, Enterprise Learning

Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused

Rachana Patel was recognized for displaying all six DOAS values: Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused.

"Rachana has excelled and set the true example of ALL of our values. ... She has stepped up, gone above and beyond, and continues to exceed expectations. She epitomizes our DOAS values and it is nothing short of an honor to work with her!"

Lorna Sippo

Contract Management Assistant, Goods, SPD

Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, and Customer-Focused

Lorna Sippo was recognized for displaying the DOAS values of Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, and Customer-Focused.

"Lorna has worked as a part of the contract management team for some time under our Services team but moved to ... the Goods team a few months ago. I was blown away with how driven she was to complete all of her work - never hesitating to work longer hours if it meant delivering on commitments she made."

Alexandria Stewart

Senior Category Manager, SPD

Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused

Alexandria Stewart was recognized for displaying all six DOAS values: Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused.

"... [H]er outstanding leadership and commitment were instrumental in the successful execution of the Jaggaer integration workstreams across Contracts, Supplier, Portal, and Sourcing modules. ... she exemplifies the DOAS values that drive our most critical projects forward."

Kiaja Williams

IT Portfolio Manager, IT/Business Process Automation

Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused.

Kiaja Williams was recognized for displaying all six DOAS values: Empowering, Accountable, Ethical, Collaborative, Innovative, and Customer-Focused.

"Recently, the PeopleSoft system experienced significant performance issues. This issue disrupted services for both external and internal customers, creating an urgent need for swift and strategic action. ... Thanks to Kiaja’s leadership, the team was able to minimize disruption, maintain trust with stakeholders, and reinforce our agency’s commitment to excellence. Kiaja’s actions reflect the highest standards of professionalism and service and are a testament to the DOAS values in action."

The Value of Having Values

"I’ve said before that one of the pieces of advice my father always gave me was, 'Remember who you are.'
"Well, that piece of advice I often think of when I think about our agency’s vision, mission. But also our values. Our values should be our approach to everything we do – they are foundational to how we operate and make decisions and even our identity as an agency. They aren’t just window dressing. They are our agency’s guiding principles, a key part of our culture.
"And when we internalize our values and truly embed our principles into our daily behavior, it takes no special effort and people take notice. It reflects well on government."
–– DOAS Commissioner Rebecca N. Sullivan

DOAS Leadership Award

DOAS CIO John Barmann stands next to Leadership Award recipients Samuel Zirock, Kiaja Williams, Joel Wilcox, Leena Patel; DOAS Commissioner Rebecca N. Sullivan; and Leadership Award recipients Mary Chapman, Carrie Steele, and Rebecca Krystopa.

Not pictured: Leadership Award recipients Kesha Jordan and Margaret Robert.

“As the end of the fiscal year approached – a significant system issue arose. Recognizing the urgency and potential impact to our DOAS customers, a dedicated team immediately stepped up with a 'whatever it takes' mindset to ensure our customers’ needs remained front and center.
Thanks to the commitment and collaboration of this team, the issue was resolved far more quickly than would have otherwise been possible. This team's actions exemplify what it means to be customer-focused and team players. Their initiative, expertise, and dedication reflect true leadership and serve as a model for how DOAS supports its mission and values under pressure. They are most deserving of this leadership award.”
–– John Barmann, DOAS Chief Information Officer