2021 Nixa Employee Recognitions

2021 Nixa Employee Recognitions

December 25, 2021

Every year, the City of Nixa recognizes four employees who have stood out over the past year. The Innovation Award recognizes an employee who has gone above and beyond in bringing more efficiency to city processes. The Team Player Award recognizes an employee who works well with fellow employees and the public to get his or her job done well. The Customer Service Award is awarded to an employee who takes interactions with our citizens seriously and exceeds the normal standard. The Employee of the Year Award recognizes an employee who exhibits all these qualities combined and has proven to be an excellent member of city staff. 

The City of Nixa is proud of all the hard-working staff that keep the city functioning. Thank you for your service to our community!

Employee of the Year:

Nate Miller, Assistant Public Works Inspector 

Nate’s role is to be both the inspector and the point of contact between contractors and the city for construction projects in Nixa. During a busy year in 2021, Nate rose to the occasion and routinely worked extra hours to make sure the projects were done with accuracy and ran smoothly. His positivity and good attitude have gained him a high level of respect amongst his co-workers and the contractors he works with. He works hard to offer the best solutions for issues that come up, giving contractors confidence in the decisions he makes. In this line of work, Nate interacts with concerned citizens often. The empathy he shows helps the citizen, contractor, and city staff work through problems to ensure the best work is done.

Innovation Award:

Laurie Wilkerson, Accounting Clerk

Laurie’s attention to detail has helped ensured the city’s finances are accurate, timely, ethical, and exceed the expectations of our citizens. She goes above and beyond to research procedures and software to make the Finance Department’s workload easier. She recently implemented online signing of invoices, as well as scans of every document for better organization. She find the best tools and processes to shape the changing needs of the city. 

 Team Player Award:

Ari Juhala, Parks Building & Grounds Maintenance 

Ari is a tireless worker and is constantly working to ensure our parks are the best they can be. He works closely with our Master Gardeners to ensure they have the resources they need to assist us with the numerous flowerbeds within the parks, and you can always rely on Ari to lend a hand. He is a true example of the city’s internal culture of DISCOVER Greatness: Dependability, Integrity, Supportiveness, Communication, Optimism, Visibility, Excellence, and Responsibility. 

Customer Service Award:

Varian Plank, Water System Operator

In Feb. 2021, after the temperature dropped below freezing, many people in the area called the Water Department to report frozen water meters and pipes. Varian, despite having frozen pipes at his own home, came in after hours to respond to the calls. His customer service skills were exceptional, keeping a positive attitude and performing his job with excellence. Varian responded to a call at Blu Current Bank, and after his job was complete, the manager expressed how professional, respectful, and helpful Varian was.