Orange County Insight June 2022

Orange County Insight June 2022

VIBRANT ECONOMY l EFFECTIVE REFLECTIVE GOVERNMENT l SUSTAINABLE LAND USE

INSIGHT

Remembering Janice Corbin Crockett, Former Assistant County Administrator Page 2

Orange County Wins NACo Award for Public Safety Page 6 Playin ’ in the Park Scheduled for Friday, July 1, 2022 Pages 17 - 18

JUNE 2022

Page | June, 2022

Team Orange,

All we do is Win, Win, Win!

This month we feature some of the individual, team and organizational recognitions for the championship work we are doing to serve the citizens of Orange County. As the Stanley Cup finals are underway, the College World Series continues, and the NBA playoffs are drawing to a close, it ’ s time to talk a bit about what it takes to be a champion. No surprise … its teamwork! Teamwork is our superpower and drives the accolades mentioned above. I am excited that we have kicked off our culture of teamwork initiative through organizational development sessions with our Senior Leadership, and later this week with our Key Leaders group. Here, we are learning about ourselves and each other, and what it takes to work effectively as a team. And I ’ m excited to say there is more to come. We ’ ll be able to announce another award for Team Orange next month after it becomes official. I couldn ’ t be prouder that we are being recognized by our peers and national organizations for our performance.

Let ’ s keep winning! Go Team Orange!

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Page | June, 2022 Page 1 | June, 2022

Remembering the Service of Janice Crockett, Former Assistant County Administrator

By: Orange County Communications Department Photography Courtesy of the Family of Mrs. Janice Crockett

Orange County mourns the loss of a long - time public servant with the passing of Janice Corbin Crockett on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Born March 7, 1937, in Charlottesville, Virginia, Mrs. Crockett began her service with the County of Orange in May 1974. She served our residents dutifully, in exemplary fashion, for more than 25 years until her retirement at the end of September 1999. Mrs. Crockett served as the Assistant County Administrator during the tenure of County Administrator Brenda Garton Bailey. The responsibilities of her position were wide - reaching, requiring a variety of skills ranging from finances, to human resources (as the Benefits and Personnel Officer), to public works - related functions like supervising building and grounds staff.

Though there are few current employees who had the pleasure of directly working with Mrs. Crockett, she is still regarded fondly, particularly among employees in the Administration and Human Resources Departments. In fact, her retirement letter made particular note that she enjoyed working with the employees, and she joked, “ Don ’ t think you are rid of me … I will stop by from time to time to catch up. ” True to her word, she continued to stop by the Administration Office on occasion. Karen Gibson, Human

Resources Specialist, recalled some of these visits. “ She just made you laugh and brightened the office [when she visited]. ” R. Mark Johnson, current Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, served his first term on the Board while Mrs. Crockett was serving in Administration. He recalled her as professional and detail - oriented. “ Janice was an institution in the Orange County offices and could always provide answers to questions regarding the county's finances. Back in the 1990s and before, the Board of Supervisors received a printout of every check written on County accounts as part of the monthly board meeting packet. A member might ask "What is this $88 paid to Byram's Sunoco?" Janice would quickly grab the proper file...and explain it was for a state inspection, a battery, and rear brakes, etc., ” remembered Mr. Johnson.

Mrs. Crocket participates in a Business and Professional Women Club event in September 1987. Pictured L to R: J. Clark, J. Kube, J. Crockett, and A. Busick.

Janice Corbin Crockett ’ s positive attitude and professional dedication to Orange County residents serves as an example for current and future Orange County employees. We appreciate her many years of excellent service.

Page 2 | June, 2022

Orange County Staff Earn Awards at Virginia Association of Public - Safety Communications Officials Conference

By: Holly Williams, Communications Supervisor, Orange County Emergency Communications

In May, members of the Orange County Emergency Communications team traveled to Virginia Beach for the Spring NENA/APCO Conference. This year ’ s conference had the largest number of attendees ever! During a conference luncheon, the 2021 APCO Award winners were announced and celebrated for their achievements. Orange County was the recipient of two of the awards! Cole Shifflett, Radio Systems Manager for Orange County, was awarded the 2021 Information Technologist of the Year award. Cole was chosen among the entries for his dedication to seeing the new public safety building come to life with the addition of several new systems, including the state - of - the - art P25 L3 Harris Radio

Jeremy Cole (right) receives his award.

System. This new radio system allows better coverage for first responders throughout Orange County. Cole worked tirelessly to fix the systems, which included radio consoles for the new dispatch center, mobile and portable radios in the patrol cars and fire & rescue vehicles, as well as the mobile app for the radio, which allows units to communicate on the radio system from their phones when out of the county. Cole was deserving of this award for how well he managed the systems, and for bringing everything online at the opening of our new Public - Safety Building.

Jeremy Brown, a Communications Supervisor with the Orange County Emergency Communications Center was the recipient of the 2021 Nicholas Stepaniak Trainer of the Year award. This award is named in memory of Nicholas Stepaniak who was an Assistant Director for Stafford County that lost a brave battle to cancer. Despite the diagnosis, Nick showed up each day to make sure his team was trained adequately and had the resources needed to do the job. Nick was caring, passionate, and dedicated. Jeremy was chosen for displaying the same qualities that Nick embodied. Jeremy has been with Orange County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) for about two and a half years, working through the ranks and embracing the necessary training required of a 9 - 1 - 1 dispatcher. As a trainer, Jeremy is extremely patient with new hires, taking the time to

Brandy Stepaniak visits with Jeremy Brown at the Public Safety Building Open House.

show them the processes and make sure they understand. Recently, Jeremy took a new hire from another agency and helped rebuild her confidence in herself and her ability to do the job. Jeremy is dedicated. He has not missed a single day since he started in 2019, ensuring trainees never had to go without him on a shift. To make this award a little sweeter, Brandy Stepaniak, widow of Nick, came to the Public Safety Building Open House to meet Jeremy. She was thrilled to hear how similar Jeremy was and learn about his dedication to training new hires.

Orange County Staff earn APCO awards. Pictured L to R: C. Cord, J. Brown, C. Shifflett, H. Williams

Both Cole and Jeremy were very deserving recipients this year. Please congratulate them on this amazing accomplishment. On hand to cheer them on when receiving these awards were Chris Cord, Director of the Emergency Communications Center and Holly Williams, Communications Supervisor of the Emergency Communications Center.

Page 3 | June, 2022

Page 4 | June, 2022

Public Safety Building Open House Event Welcomes Residents for Tours, Information, and Lunch

By: Orange County Communications Department

Orange County ’ s Public Safety Building is designed to serve residents around the clock, sending support when help is needed during emergencies. However, for a few hours on May 24, the building served in a new way, inviting residents inside to learn more about the staff housed onsite and to enjoy a free hotdog lunch! Despite rainy weather conditions, dozens of folks ventured out to receive a behind - the - scenes tour guided by public safety personnel. Since construction began, residents have been curious about the facility, which offers new and award - winning (see next page) capabilities. With that in mind, staff organized the open house event with the intent of

County Administrator T. Voorhees and Deputy County Administrator G. Bradley (pictured) served as grill masters for the event.

highlighting the great folks who work there. Guided tours left approximately every half hour, beginning with the Sheriff ’ s Office (led by Sheriff Mark Amos), followed by the Emergency Communications Center (led by

Emergency Communications Director Chris Cord), continuing through Information Technology (led by IT Director Larry Clement), and finishing in the Fire & EMS Department (led by Asst. Chief / Fire Marshall Mike Throckmorton).

While awaiting a tour, visitors were able to talk with staff at informational booths set up in the rotunda. Tables included representatives from Communications, the Litter Control Committee, Triad, Emergency Communications, the Office on Youth, the Extension Office, the Animal Shelter, the Library, Social Services, and Parks & Recreation. This exhibition provided a valuable opportunity for staff to discuss upcoming programs and services, and for residents to share their ideas. A slideshow ran continuously in the Board of Supervisors ’ meeting room featuring pictures of the Public Safety Building from the beginning of construction to the ribbon cutting on December 21, 2021. Orange County staff help prepare the Public Safety Building for visitors. Pictured L to R: J. Lohr, J. Walker, C. Hawkins

Lunch was provided for all open house guests courtesy of our grill masters, County Administrator Theodore “ Ted ” Voorhees and Deputy County Administrator Glenda Bradley. Along with a hotdog, lunch included chips, a cookie, and a drink. Participants remarked that it was great to get the opportunity to see how Orange County ’ s public safety agencies operate, and staff were excited to share the new facility with the public.

Sheriff Amos collects visitors to begin a tour.

Page 5 | June, 2022

Orange County ’ s Connected Public Safety Advancements Earn National Association of Counties Achievement Award

By: Orange County Communications Department

Orange County recently earned nationwide attention, focused on the related projects of our “ Connected Public Safety Advancements. ” After reviewing our nomination, the National Association of Counties (NACo) determined that the effective implementation and revolutionary nature of our Public Safety Building, P25 Digital Radio infrastructure, and Computer - Aided Dispatch system were worthy of recognition with a 2022 Achievement Award. NACo Achievement Awards are given in 18 different categories that reflect the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents. Orange County ’ s “ Connected Public Safety Advancements ” certainly fit that bill.

While the Public Safety Building is the largest physical component of our advancements, there are two (2) key supporting technologies that have recently been adopted. Interwoven into the larger plan, they are the

Computer - Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and the P25 Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system. Each provides breakthrough advances compared to prior solutions, but working together and coupled with the aforementioned infrastructure of the new building, the improvement is revolutionary.

The Computer - Aided Dispatch (or CAD) system allows our Emergency Communications (E - 911) staff to access additional resources and transmit information to first responders. The system is intelligent enough to automatically cross reference and correlate previously disconnected information points from cross - departmental >Page i Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37

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