INSIDE
CARLSBAD Team Carlsbad
By Scott Chadwick, City Manager Welcome to the latest issue of our new employee newsletter, back from hiatus and more important than ever! One of the themes to come from our recent employee survey is that of connection. As we work from different locations, our normal routines disrupted, we need to try just a little harder to stay connected as one big team. Whether you have been with the city for years or are new to the team, we are all adapting to new ways of working. This newsletter is a chance to take a step back from the day to day and appreciate the camaraderie, teamwork, personal accomplishments, friendships and connections we all share. This is your newsletter, a chance to get to know more about the exceptional people that make the City of Carlsbad the very best run city, period. Scott
FE B R UA RY 2021
New Hires
Please join us in welcoming new employees to the City of Carlsbad! COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Amy Wickerham Office Assistant
FINANCE
Marcelo Penha
Senior Management Analyst
Robert Vacchi
Assistant Director of Comm. & Econ. Development
Eric Lardy
Principal Planner
Catherine Tuper Building Technician II
Miguel Solis Office Assistant
LIBRARY & CULTURAL ARTS
Katie Nye
Deputy Library Director
Linsey Brizuela Library Technician
POLICE
Danielle Fiscal-Rajsky Library Technician
Matthew Taira Police Officer
Daniel Wahl Police Officer
NOT PICTURED: Catharine Rees Elizabeth Arthur
Communications Operator II Communications Operator II
PARKS & RECREATION
Carolina Chavez Sr Recreation Leader
Tallulah Totten Recreation Leader
Shea Vavra Lifeguard
Katrina Burritt
Recreation Program/ Services Coordinator
Madison Cobian Lifeguard
Kayla Griffin
Recreation Leader
NOT PICTURED: Joseph Marin Kaylin Moore
Grounds Aide Aquatics Instructor
Austin Picco Lifeguard Grant Simons Lifeguard
PUBLIC WORKS
Jim Milton
Traffic Systems Operations Specialist
Joshua Savini Custodian
NOT PICTURED: Fausto Vadial Perez Custodian Aide
Luis Ortiz
Custodian Aide
Neil Irani
Associate Engineer
Sean Diaz
Senior Engineer
Joey Maqueda Martinez Lifeguard
Meet the Director Suzanne Smithson
Director of Library & Cultural Arts Q. What’s new at the Library? A. I’m approaching eight months of being the new Library & Cultural Arts Department director. This has been a new and fascinating experience for me! I’m loving learning more about the “arts” side of the Library & Cultural Arts department as well as learning more about the city operations and my partner directors in other departments.
The most exciting new development at the library is having both of our new deputy library directors in place! Sheila Crosby has been with the Carlsbad City Library for slightly over a year—she came to us from the San Diego County Library last January as our principal librarian at the Learning Center. Katie Nye began her time in Carlsbad last month after relocating from the public library in Washington, D.C. Both Sheila and Katie bring a lot of experience, enthusiasm, passion and expertise to their roles here. Sheila knows San Diego libraries and communities very well but actually began her library career in Oklahoma, where she went to graduate school. Katie grew up in San Diego, so she is essentially coming home; her interesting experience in Washington, D.C. included supervising the police officers based at the libraries there!
Q. How does the Library & Cultural Arts department connect with Carlsbad? A. It is the heart of the community here. We have literature, music and musical performances, art, education, literacy instruction, film; all the things that come together as the Humanities. This is where we can focus on our humanity, or our humanness: Enriching ourselves, enriching the quality of our relationships and enriching our community. Q. What do you see as the future for your department? A. My vision for library and cultural arts is to really enhance the lives of people who live work and play here in Carlsbad. We can enhance the lives through reading, exploring literature, streaming videos, even getting a High School diploma. We provide lecture series, book clubs and all kinds of life-enriching programs. Q. What is your favorite 90s jam? A. Can I go with an 80s jam??? Anything by the Go-Go’s!! Of late, I’m partial to Our Lips are Sealed because Tom Hanks also chose that song and if it is good enough for him, it is good enough for me! But most of the time, I would choose their song, Girl of 100 Lists. Q. What show are you binging or do you want to watch again? A. Gilmore Girls – Re-watching with my youngest daughter (but she would rather be binging The Office or Brooklyn Nine-Nine). BTW, I have four kids—they range in age from 15-32—two boys and two girls. Two are still at home and two are college graduates—fully adulting on their own!
Suzanne Smithson (center) & family in 2019
Employee Corner
Get to know some of our newer team members! Keri Martinez
Senior Engineer, Utilities Department Q. What is your role, and where did you work before? A. My background has been mainly in environmental engineering and regulatory compliance, but I also owned a frozen yogurt shop for a while! Q. What do you enjoy most about your job? A. I’m really enjoying working with everyone in the department. They’re all very helpful and such a cohesive working team. It’s inspiring to listen to those people who’ve worked here for years and really enjoy their job and community. Q. How has your job changed because of COVID? A. Interviewing during COVID was interesting for sure - lots of teams meetings. Q. What do you like to do when you are not working? A. I love hanging out with my husband, 3 kiddos and 2 dogs. Q. Would you like to share anything about your family, pets or other fun facts? A. Fun fact – I served in the US Peace Corps in Jamaica for a couple of years working on trash dumps.
Keri Martinez and her family
Carson Cooper
Communications Operator II, Police Department Q. What is your role, and where did you work before? A. I’m a police dispatcher for Carlsbad PD, and I came from the San Diego Sheriffs Department. I’ve been a dispatcher for a total of six years.
Q. How has your job changed because of COVID? A. I’m grateful my job has not been too effected by COVID-19 and that I still get to come every day and help the residents of the city that has become my home. Q. A.
Memphis
Q. What do you enjoy most about your job? A. My favorite part of my job is being able to help people in their time of need by providing them compassion and empathy while they wait for first responders.
What do you like to do when you are not working? I am a new (2.5 years) Carlsbad resident. I enjoy the beach, lagoons, dog beaches and the village when I’m not working. I have a spunky little 7 year old Boston terrier pug named Memphis.
Q. Would you like to share anything about your family, pets or other fun facts? A. I’m a prior (very beat up) collegiate softball player and love throwing a ball around whenever I get the chance! I’m happy to be here!
Carson and her friends enjoy volunteering at the annual Baker 2 Vegas Law Enforcement Run.
Carson, her parents and brother
Phil Christman
Parks Superintendent, Parks & Recreation Department Q. What is your role, and where did you work before? A. I am the parks superintendent. Before coming to Carlsbad, I was the parks superintendent for the City of Largo, Florida. I have 20 years of experience in the parks and public works fields, previously working in St. Pete Beach, Florida, and Lynchburg, Virginia.
Q. What do you enjoy most about your job? A. My heart has always been in parks, and I enjoy working with maintenance staff solving problems and providing great parks and trails to the community. I also have vast experience in using technology in the field and look forward to the EAM implementation process.
Q. A.
How has your job changed because of COVID? Because so many people have gravitated to the outdoors, the essence of my job has remained the same. I do miss getting to know and interacting with people from other departments, which is especially challenging as a new employee during COVID.
Q. A.
What do you like to do when you are not working? I love sports (it has been a good year to be a Tampa Bay sports fan), play tennis, enjoy the beach, ride my 3-speed beach cruiser bicycle (no batteries) and explore the many facets of Southern California.
Q. Would you like to share anything about your family, pets or other fun facts? A. I had a full drum set in my office in Largo, Florida … a great stress reliever!
Phil during his first week in Carlsbad
Phil and his family
Deborah Reinhardt Gomez Records Specialist, Police Department
Q. What is your role, and where did you work before? A. I’m a records specialist and previously worked part time for the Police Department in the Professional Standards division. Q. What do you enjoy most about your job? A. Learning more about law enforcement and how much training our officers go through to serve our community. Q. A.
How has your job changed because of COVID? It really hasn’t changed much except having to take extra steps to prevent the spread of COVID such as wearing my mask ALL day, using hand sanitizer and washing my hands more.
Paree ooh laa laa
Q. What do you like to do when you are not working? A. I enjoy playing tennis with my husband and friends on the weekends, hanging out with family and traveling. Q. Would you like to share anything about your family, pets or other fun facts? A. I grew up in Colorado spending most winter weekends in the mountains snow skiing. Lift tickets were just $8 when I started skiing at age 14.
The real Matterhorn
Employee Announcements
Luisa Submitted by Frances Ballard
Leo Submitted by Drew Cook
Norafay Bobbe Submitted by Faye Escomiendo
Jack Submitted by Eleida Felix Yackel
Isabella Mae Submitted by Tye Gillespie
Lola Lyn Submitted by Christopher Glassen
Brielle Skye Submitted by Shannon Harker
Archer Sloan Submitted by Ryan Hicks
Ethan Joseph Submitted by David Hull
Alice Nicole Submitted by Chad Kantner
Dominique Stella Submitted by Marissa Kawecki
Leif Hitoshi Submitted by Taylor Larsen
Faye Everlee Submitted by Megan Powers
Francesca Submitted by Brandon Rieg
Flynn Submitted by Dan Rosales
Juniper Davey Submitted by Kylee Seal
Rose Submitted by Tim Thaxton
Ezra Submitted by Ruben Valenzuela
Jade Submitted by Darin Williamson
Eva Submitted by Danny Zimny
FUN FACT
Library employee Kylee Seal (Children’s Services at Cole) started working at the library part-time while in high school. It is there that she met her husband, who, at that time, was also working part-time at the library. A marriage and three daughters later, it is a match made “in the stacks!”
Sandra & Brendon Smith August 1, 2020
Team Carlsbad Awards (July – Dec. 2020) American Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award, Landscape Architecture, Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park Stable and Chicken Coop Project California Society of Municipal Finance Officers Excellence Award, Operating Budget Center for Digital Government Top 10 Digital Cities / COVID-19 Preparedness Circulate San Diego Momentum Connectivity Award Nominee, Carlsbad Connector Construction Management Association First Place, Public Works Under $15 million Aviara Park Phase II & Poinsettia Park Phase III Construction Management Association Honorable Mention, Public Works Under $15 million Ocean Street Beach Access
Poinsettia Park Phase III
National Association of Landscape Professionals Exterior Commercial Landscape Multi Use Property Public Relations Society of America Award of Excellence, Community Engagement in the City Budget Public Relations Society of America Award of Excellence, Carlsbad Connector media launch event Public Relations Society of America Award of Excellence, State of the City video Public Relations Society of America Award of Merit, City Manager’s Update newsletter US Department of Housing & Urban Development High Performer Award, Section 8 Rental Assistance Program
Ocean Street Beach Access
Do you have suggestions for the next employee newsletter? We want to hear from YOU! Please email communications@carlsbadca.gov