We couldn’t do what we do without the fabulous crew. Below are some of the outstanding people of MISC recognized as the “Employee of the Quarter:”

 

April to June 2011:

Way to go! Floyd Helekahi is MISC’S Employee of the quarter. Floyd has been an asset to the miconia project in Hāna since he started over 6 years ago. Even though the work day in Hāna doesn’t start until 7am, most likely you’ll catch Floyd at the baseyard by 6:30am. Not only is he the first to arrive, he’s always motivated and ready for whatever project the day may bring. From the smallest task to the biggest project, Floyd takes a lot of pride in his work and it shows. He is valued for everything from his handyman / construction skills to his musical talents. Floyd’s attitude and numerous contributions have truly made him an example of a good work ethic and team player. Ask his co-workers what they think of Floyd and they will tell you that he’s reliable, dependable, hard working and does it all with a big smile on his face.

January to March 2011

Congratulations to MISC’s “Employee of the Quarter” – long-time plant crew member and “Pampas Queen” Stephanie Miller. Steph joined the plant crew in 2006 and assumed responsibility for coordinating pampas grass field operations in 2007. Equally at home in the backcountry or crunching data on the computer, Steph’s attention to detail, organizational skills, and cooperative attitude make her a highly valued team member. As MISC’s pampas coordinator, Steph juggles scheduling heliops and backcountry trips, spends endless hours hanging out of the helicopter spotting/spraying pampas, and roughs it in the remote Honomanū camp for on-the-ground surveys. She has recently assumed new duties helping keep MISC’s data caught up. During this quarter she helped ensure overall data quality by fixing some old and/or persistent data discrepancies and has cleared out some of the data in-boxes. Way to go, Steph, and thanks for all your hard work!

October to December 2010

Congratulations to Abe Vandenberg, MISC’s “Employee of the Quarter.”  Abe joined the vertebrate crew in 2005 and has since become MISC’s Renaissance man.  In addition to the daunting day-to-day field work involved in controlling coqui frogs, Abe is often called upon to assist with public relations projects, data processing and management, photo documentation of field activities, and preparing work plans for the vertebrate crew.  Recently he wrote an article about coqui frogs for Maui Time – an opportunity he created by casually promoting MISC’s mission with newspaper staff.  He does an exceptional job of fostering relationships (his patience with off-the-wall phone calls is amazing) and coming up with pragmatic solutions to complex problems.  And, of course, where would we be without Abe’s environmental conscience?  Somehow Abe maintains a positive, personal demeanor even when barraged with all of these requests for his time.  Never one to back away from a challenge, Abe excels on many fronts – another one of MISC’s highly valued employees.  Way to go Abe!

 July to September 2010

Congratulations to Tanya Vasquez, MISC’s “Employee of the Quarter” for July to September 2010.  The irrepressible Ms. Tanya is the queen of crew logistics and decontamination for the Hāna miconia operation.  Tanya started with the crew back in 2000 as part of the Emergency Environmental Workforce and continued on as the Miconia Decontamination Aide when the National Park  Service, DOFAW, and MISC crews were merged into a combined miconia crew.  Tanya diligently maintains the crew’s miconia field gear and ensures that decon protocols are followed.  She keeps track not only of the crew’s socks, but also of the comings and goings of her boys.  Tanya is a multi-tasking wizard and assists with everything from maintaining payroll records to inventorying gear to assisting with school programs and volunteers.  Never at a loss for words, Tanya is a strong advocate for her crew and provides a vital communication link between MISC’s Hāna and Pi‘iholo-based operations.  Tanya’s can-do attitude and energy are contagious.  Thanks for everything you do, Tanya!

 April to June 2010

Our latest “Employee of the Quarter” award goes to Dave McPherson, who has been with the plant crew since late 2007. Dave is one of those people who just see what needs to be done and either starts doing it or joins in. Case in point: Dave set the standard for being the orange-tighted, snake-threatened ‘i‘iwi in our parade floats. Over the last two years, Dave has taken on increased responsibility for managing ivy gourd and fountain grass control work on Lāna‘i. He has helped ensure consistency in our operations there and maintain positive relationships with Castle & Cooke staff. He makes sure the data collected is accurate and complete. Dave is also appreciated in remote field situations and after-hours for his cooking skills and for his ability to embrace all life has to offer. Awesome job, Dave!

 January to March 2010

The “Employee of the Quarter” was recognized at the first staff meeting in April.  Brooke Mahnken, MISC’s Data Technician, was lauded for his insightful solutions to everyday challenges along with his quirky comic additions to our newsletter.  Brooke’s organizational tendencies inspired him to create new log books for the MISC vehicles to replace the more expensive Rite-in-the-Rain versions.  His sense of order manifests in the complex (working to develop a paperless data entry system) and the mundane (keeping the dish drainer emptied and kitchen shelves organized).  Brooke regularly unshackles himself from his desk to participate in field activities, which included the role of “Winterim Czar” during the miconia field trip with Seabury students.  His data skills continue to be a resource to MISC’s partner agencies as well.  Way to go, Brooke!

October to December 2009

MISC is happy to announce the creation of a new section of our quarterly report: highlighting our Employee of the Quarter. In a unanimous decision by management staff, Carl Martin was chosen as the first recipient.  Carl was chosen for all he does to keep our baseyards and vehicles in good working order.  He keeps the trucks running and uses his many mechanical skills to make needed upgrades to our facilities, both in Hāna and at Pi‘iholo.  He was especially helpful in getting the new platform in Honomanū constructed.  The most striking aspect of Carl is his good-naturedness and cheerful willingness to fill in wherever needed. We wonder what we did before he took over these duties. A big Mahalo to you, Carl!