The City also recognized the dedication of longstanding employees who celebrated milestone service anniversaries in 2023

 

The City of Farmington Hills held its 47^th annual Outstanding Employee Recognition and Service Awards at the beautiful Longacre House on Thursday, July 25. The event celebrated employees for their excellence, dedication and service throughout 2023 to the City and community.

 

“Across every department, the City of Farmington Hills team consistently delivers exceptional services for the community and I look forward to celebrating their hard work at this event each year,” said City Manager Gary Mekjian. “It is because of their remarkable efforts that the City of Farmington Hills continues to grow and thrive.”

 

Honorees were nominated by their peers based on several criteria, including outstanding job performance, service to the public, rapport with co-workers, and positive contributions to their departments and the City. The highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of the Employee, Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year, alongside four employees who received Outstanding Employee Awards.

 

Michael Presson, an information systems analyst I in the City’s Central Services Department was selected as Employee of the Year. Presson plays a pivotal role in providing IT support for all City employees, including managing approximately 1300 devices that use 200 software applications. Presson’s dedication to his profession and initiative to assist his coworkers with any task were two qualities noted by colleagues who nominated him for the award. Colleagues also noted his readiness to go above and beyond with patience and precision. Presson is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has been with the City of Farmington Hills for three years.

 

Fire inspector Sean Beacome was selected as Firefighter of the Year. In 2023, Beacome made significant contributions to the Department’s Fire Prevention Division through reinventing and relaunching its fall assembly program that had been paused due to the pandemic. Beacome was able to leverage his past experience as an educator to create age-appropriate fire safety messaging that was presented to more than 5,800 elementary school students in 2023. He was also instrumental in securing a $10,000 grant to enhance the Department’s response to electric vehicle-related emergencies. Beacome has been with the Farmington Hills Fire Department since 2015.

 

Alexander Aquiline was selected as Police Officer of the Year. In 2023, Aquiline was received two Life Saving Awards from the Farmington Hills Police Department, including in Dec. 2023 when he was dispatched to a 72-year-old man who was not breathing. Aquiline was the first on scene and was able to start CPR and regain a pulse while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. His quick action saved the community member’s life. He also received seven other commendations for his exceptional police work in 2023. Aquiline has been with the Farmington Hills Police Department for nearly two years.

 

The four employees recognized as Outstanding Employee Award winners were Paul Cischke, a video production specialist in the Communications & Community Engagement Department, Brant Klassen, an accounting specialist in the Finance Department, Barbara Smrtka, the secretary to director of the Public Services Department, and

James (Jimmy) Vayis, facilities supervisor for the Special Services Department at The Hawk.

 

The event also acknowledged the dedication and accomplishments of 58 employees from various departments who celebrated milestone service anniversaries in 2023, ranging from five to 35 years with the City of Farmington Hills. The longest serving employee honored was Elsie Hellner, a parks laborer in the City’s Special Services Department.

 

The City of Farmington Hills employs over 450 full-time and regular part-time staff, and more than 600 seasonal staff. For more information on available opportunities with the City of Farmington Hills, visit fhgov.com/employment.

Pictured above (left to right): Police Officer of the Year Alexander Aquiline, Firefighter of the Year Sean Beacome, Employee of the Year Michael Presson, Outstanding Employee Award winners: Barbara Smrtka, Paul Cischke, and Jimmy Vayis.