Employee of the Year Award
Employee of the Year
This category recognizes an individual employee of an organization or business who has made a significant contribution in the region in transportation, air quality, and/or smart growth.
Selection Criteria
- Contributions to the region through professional involvement.
Sharon Scherzinger
Sharon Scherzinger has dedicated her professional life to improving transportation in California, the Sacramento region and El Dorado County through leadership positions at Caltrans and the El Dorado County Transportation Commission. While at Caltrans she has worked to implement the Public Transit Modernization Plan Improvement and Service Enhancement Act, and the 2009 Stimulus Package.
Jerry Way
Jerry Way had a distinguished 36-year long career with the City of Sacramento starting out as a parking lot attendant and concluding as Director of Public Works. With a motto of “100% of the time, it is 100% about the people,” Jerry created a culture of excellence at the city. He has the ability to bring people together toward consensus and was instrumental in steering many complex multi-layered projects to completion.
Mike Wiley
Sacramento Regional Transit
Mike Wiley believes in leading by example and listening to customers. He can frequently be found riding busses and light rail in order to talk with and hear directly from costumers on a wide range of issues. This year, he played a key leadership role in the development of legislation that would allow Federal Transit Administration funds to continue to flow to transit agencies across the state averting a funding crisis.
Ed Cox
City of Sacramento
Ed Cox has been the City of Sacramento’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator and engineer for 12 years. Under his leadership, the city has seen the advancement of multiple street retrofits to add bicycle lanes, additional crossings, increased participation in Safe Routes to School, and the development and implementation of the free bicycle rack program for businesses in downtown Sacramento.
Larry Greene
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Larry Greene has been the driving force in the many air-improving programs supported and implemented by the air district staff, including collaborative work to support local jurisdiction with toxic air contaminants, assessments of air quality impacts and benefits for infill and greenfield development, tools for residential developers to assess diesel fuel emissions, in addition to the Spare the Air and Check Before You Burn campaigns.
Jim Campbell
Yolo County
A principal engineer for Yolo County’s Department of Planning and Public Works, Jim Campbell led an 11-year effort to connect the cities of Woodland and Davis with Class-II bike lanes. The bikeway encourages bicycling as a form of transportation and recreation, creating environmental and health benefits. Wider roads also reduce the propensity for conflict between vehicles and slow-moving farm machinery traveling through the rural area.
Toni Barry
Sacramento County
For collaboration to create the Sacramento Green Partnership and its work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region.
Jim Mills
Produce Express
For creating local farm distribution to restaurants and helping to build a market for local small farms.
Janet Ruggiero
City of Citrus Heights
For exemplary leadership in planning, community development and public involvement.
Sue Heitman
Executive Director of Capay Valley Vision
Employee of the Year recognizes an employee of an organization or business that has made significant contributions to the region in transportation, land use and air quality. The 2007 SACOG Salutes! Employee of the Year is Ms. Sue Heitman, Executive Director of Capay Valley Vision.
Gene Skoropowski
For exemplary managerial achievement in the significant expansion of service without addition of any equipment or budget increase.
Steve Propst
For outstanding achievement in project delivery throughout the SACOG region as the local assistance engineer for the California Department of Transportation, District 3.
Terry Bassett
Executive Director of the Yolo County Transit District
Achievement in providing transportation services to the county and the region’s citizens as district’s top manager.
David Butler
Senior Vice President of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Liaison between the business community and public officials in transportation and air quality issues for the entire Sacramento region by leading outreach programs through the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
Maureen Daly Pascoe
Project manager for Sacramento Regional Transit District’s Transit for Livable Communities project.
Dan Shoeman
Principal Civil Engineer, County of Sacramento Public Works
Outstanding multi-modal project programming.
Amarjeet Benipal
Caltrans District 3
Exceptional coordination with local agencies to deliver projects.