NEVADA CITY, Calif., September 8, 2026 – This year’s Employee Recognition Awards Program drew over 150 nominations for some 400 county employees by their peers. The Board Chambers was packed with county staff who came out to support the nominees, cheer for all of them and applaud this year’s winners.
Before the traditional category awards, CEO Alison Lehman recognized a young man for his “warmth, smiles, awesome customer service, and then beyond that, he helped keep our lobby tidy, he watered our plants, and then he just brought a lot of joy. So I want to recognize this special human and ask him to come up to be recognized, and that’s Trevor Emery.”
He also received a Nevada County Challenge Coin and Chair of the Board Lisa Swarthout added, “Trevor, thank you so much for your bright shining smile in the lobby every time I walked in. You made me smile, and sometimes when we get up here we’re not having a great day, so you helped us all have a great day. Thank you.”
ABOVE AND BEYOND EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
While introducing the winners, Chair Lisa Swarthout said, “That’s what I mean when I say you guys are superstars and you make us look better every day. Marion and Tiffany, thank you for stepping up in a big way during a really critical moment for the families in Nevada County. You guys are amazing. And Kathryn consistently puts client needs first and she’s probably working right now.”
Nominees:
Claire Swanson, CDA
Michael Lloyd, Clerk-Recorder/Elections
Sharon Reid, Social Services
Kyla Hamlin, Child Support Services
Fred Jefferson, Adult Behavioral Health
Susan McLendon, Planning
Rain Wrenn, CEO
Danielle Hudson, HHSA Admin
Ariel Lovett, HHSA Admin
Marta Lassen, CDA Admin
Rose Upton, Child Support Services
Matthew McDermott & Joanna George, Assessor
Arianne Duperron & Tiffani Rooney, Social Services
Erin Mettler, CEO
Danielle Rutherford, HHSA Admin
Julia Roegiers, Sheriff
Sean Scales, Sheriff
Amanda Worthy, Treasurer-Tax Collector
Kaylin Silkwood, Child Welfare
Ricky Martinez, OES
Owen Sleeth, Facilities
Megan Brooks, Sheriff-Corrections
Jesse Moore, IGS
Kathryn Kestler, Child Welfare, Public health, Probation
Dawn Graves, Public Health
John Beckett Pico, Child Welfare
COLLABORATIVE EMPLOYEE OR TEAM OF THE YEAR
Supervisor Sue Hoek listed the accomplishments of the team, “The county staff on the Tahoe Truckee Homeless Advisory Committee demonstrated exceptional collaboration and innovation in addressing homelessness across the region. After a supportive housing project was withdrawn in early 2025, this team united local agencies, healthcare partners, nonprofits. They did our faith-based groups and community members to pursue year-round shelter services. Their persistence led to— boy— to securing a site, coordinating funding, engaging neighbors, and advancing the Truckee Navigation Center with support from county procurement, physical facilities, and Truckee HHS staff. The Navigation Center opened on February 25th, 2026, providing year-round shelter and supportive services in an area that previously lacked them.”
Nominees:
Adult Services Admin-Golden Christmas
Mobile Health Clinic Team
Children’s Services Collaborative Leadership Team
Tahoe Truckee Homeless Action Coalition
Zoe Toffaleti, Social Services
Budget Team
Animal Shelter Transition Team
Medi-Cal Administrative Activities Team
Deer Creek Behavioral Health Center Team
CalAIM Justice Involved Team
Assessor PIO Team
Nevada County Mobile Health Coalition
River Shuttle Team
Matthew McDermott & Joanna George
SharePoint Team (H:Migration)
IHSS Team
Manufactured Housing & Revitalization Program Team (MORE)
Rain Wrenn
Risk Management
PIO Team (CEO)
Elizabeth Clarke-Adams
Facilities Team
Catrie Levenson
Thomas McHugh
HPO IN ACTION – EMPLOYEE OR TEAM OF THE YEAR
Supervisor Hardy Bullock introduced winner Jamie Hanf, saying, “Jamie embodies HPO principles through innovation, partnership building, and a strong commitment to expanding access to dental care in rural communities. After recognizing that hundreds of children were being screened each year without a dental home, Jamie helped launch Nevada County’s Virtual Dental Health in partnership with California North State University, bringing preventative services directly to schools through telehealth and RDHAPs. Since 2022, the program has screened over 1,500 students across 10 schools, served approximately 130 children and families, and created a model now expanding to adult populations at the Commons Resource Center. This work contributed to Nevada County receiving the 2025 CSAC Challenge Award and demonstrates Jamie’s ability to transform barriers into sustainable, community-centered solutions by uniting schools, higher education, community organizations, youth leadership, and youth leadership around prevention and long-term health.”
Nominees:
Clerk of the Board
The GOATS
Reanna Winterholler, Social Services
Behavioral Health Services Act Transition/Implementation Team
Elizabeth Clarke-Adams, CDA
Jamie Hanf, Public Health
Rain Wrenn, CEO
Kelly McKinley, Risk Management
What is HPO
DSS Food Drive (Arianne & Tiffani)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Supervisor Heidi Hall described winner Robin McFadden-Black, “Robin joined the county with strong experience from another sector and quickly became a key member of the central support and human resources teams. Helping departments operate more effectively, she brings exceptional energy, expertise, kindness, and compassion to complex performance and discipline matters, supporting managers through challenging situations while centering employee well-being. Her guidance has helped departments resolve issues more efficiently by establishing clear expectations, developing performance improvement plans, investigating complaints, and creating clearer paths for employees to thrive. Through her work, longstanding discipline challenges that once took months or years are resolved more smoothly, making her a valuable and trusted resource across the organization.”
Nominees:
Shawna Brechbill, IS
Nicole Winovich, Children’s Behavioral Health
Penelope Johnson, Children’s Behavioral Health
Collin Seaman, IS
Robin McFadden-Black, HR
Sierra Wendt, IS
Nattalie Brown, Assessor
Melissa Rojko, Public Health
Rose Upton, Child Support Services
Blaine Inglis, Clerk of the Board
Siena Watson, HHSA
Patrick Eidman, CEO
Skyler Corcoran, CEO
Ambrosia Hayes, Clerk of the Board
Sierra Adams, Clerk of the Board
Whitney Youngman, Public Defender
Gregory Faber, Code Compliance
Kimmi Schott, HR
SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR
Supervisor Hardy Bullock, standing in for no-show Supervisor Robb Tucker, said about Galen Spittler, “Galen consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership, mentorship, and commitment to both his patrol team and the citizens of Nevada County. He invests deeply in developing his employees, offering guidance, building confidence, and modeling professionalism, which has strengthened decision-making, performance, and morale across the team. Employees feel supported, valued, and accountable under his leadership, resulting in higher engagement and productivity. Although he is a newer sergeant, he has quickly earned respect through his effective leadership, creating a lasting positive impact on individual deputies and the overall mission of the Sheriff’s Office to deliver excellent public service.”
Nominees:
Andrea Lehmkuhl, HHSA
Katherine Walden, Adult Behavioral Health
Carissa Cyr, Clerk of the Board
Mimi Greminger, Child Welfare
Brian Foss, Planning
Michelle Carrillo, Social Services
Jane Leedy, Social Services
Jenifer Triplett, Assessor
Alex Geritz, OES
Galen Spittler, Sheriff
Brittany Thompson, Social Services
Kelly Carpenter, Adult Services
Corey O’Hayre, Elections
Priya Kanall, Behavioral Health
Elizabeth Hare, Sheriff-Corrections
Haley Wall, Sheriff-Corrections
Brittni Inks, Risk Management
Shauneen Gracey, Treasurer-Tax Collector
Lauriana Cecchi, Clerk of the Board
Colleen Hayes, Behavioral Health
Allison Dobbins, HHSA/BH Fiscal
Vanessa McLaughlin, Assessor
Jason Robertson, Social Services
Michelle Donovan, DA
Megan Murphy, Adult Behavioral Health
Casey Ayer, DA
VOLUNTEER OR INTERN OF THE YEAR
CEO Alison Lehman introduced Intern Bradley Inman, saying “Bradley focused on electrical mechanical work, consistently demonstrated a strong willingness to learn, take on challenges, and support the team. When a department vacancy created a critical need, he stepped in and performed at an exceptional level, helping maintain coverage and reliability. Bradley embodied CDA values by helping design and implement an alarm notification system for Lake Wildwood lift stations, working with wastewater staff to create a system that alerts county employees and residents to pump issues, reducing spill risk and strengthening environmental protections. Throughout his internship, he maintained professionalism, a positive attitude, and a commitment to serving the community, collaborating effectively across departments, asking thoughtful questions, and applying new skills to real projects to improve the operations reliability, leaving a meaningful and lasting impact on the county and the community. Congratulations Bradley.”
Bradley Inman, Sanitation
Courtney Browning, Children’s Behavioral Health
Lukas McKenzie, OES
Jenny Harvey, Social Services
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Chair Swarthout introduced the final award winner, Desiree Belding, by saying, “Desiree is an extraordinary asset to Nevada County, leading a small but highly efficient procurement until that manages a large volume of complex contracts while safeguarding county interests. She combines accountability with creativity, piloting innovative approaches like design-build for major capital projects and serving as a thoughtful, intelligent, and compassionate advisor across departments. Her work ensures that millions of public dollars are invested responsibly to strengthen infrastructure, services, and quality of life, from major public works to agreements supporting vulnerable residents. A true behind-the-scenes star, she fosters collaboration, improves efficiency, and builds strong relationships through her kindness and professionalism. Thank you for making countless county successes possible. And just as a side note, when I first came up here, I did not know who Desiree was, but her name came up in every conversation. It’s like, ‘if you want that, you have to go to Desiree.’ So I’m thinking, I need to go meet Desiree. She’s obviously a very important person in our, in our organization here. So very well deserved. Congratulations.”
Kristina Kuca, Social Services
Rachel Gicker, IGS
Christine Peters, Clerk-Recorder
Jessica Mitchell, Child Welfare
Sandy Philpott, IGS
Chelsea Prins, Social Services
Desiree Belding, Purchasing
Michael Graham, Auditor-Controller
Jenifer Triplett, Assessor
Amanda Dowd, Sheriff
Lexine Moyer, Public Works
Claire Swanson, CDA
Mandy Stewart, Clerk of the Board
Justin Howell, IGS
Sierra Adams, Clerk of the Board
Shawna Creswell, Auditor-Controller
Haley Wall, Sheriff-Corrections
Elizabeth Hare, Sheriff-Corrections
Roxanne Haines, Sheriff-Dispatch
Shauneen Gracey, Treasurer-Tax Collector
Kelly McKinley, Risk Management
Kody Kencke, Sheriff-Corrections
Joseph Douville, HHSA
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, thank you for the work you do every day for the residents of Nevada County.
