1

Meeting the needs of

The Villages

community

Residents is our

primary objective.

PURPOSE

To provide and preserve

the lifestyle of Florida’s

Friendliest Hometown.

VISION

To be respected as the

most responsive

and responsible

Community Development

District.

MISSION

To provide responsible

and accountable

public service that en-

hances and sustains

our community.

In this Issue...

2 In the Spotlight

3 Did You Know?

4 Birthdays

5 Anniversaries

6-7 Our Core Values

In Action

7 Recreation & Parks

8-9 Public Safety

10 Risk Management

11 Community Watch

11 Community Support

12 District University

OUR CORE VALUES

Hospitality

Stewardship

Creativity & Innovation

Hard Work

August 2021 Employee Newsletter

Growth Within the District A growing and expanding community means that the District Government must always be looking for ways to enhance services and re-examine the means by which it does so. As such, I always strive to look for skills and talents to deliver these services from within the government and also strive to continuously improve the means of delivery. Examining the strategic goal areas Organizational Excellence, Communications, Customer Service, Tech-nology, People & Culture, and a Safe & Active Community, there will be several changes within our organization over the next two months. First of all, Human Resources (HR) and Strategic Planning Director Deborah Franklin will be relinquishing the HR leadership role to Pamela Webb. Mrs. Webb will head up all HR-related duties as Human Resources Director, affording Mrs. Franklin the time and attention to focus on our dynamic Strategic Planning efforts, as well as the further roll-out of the District’s Learning Management System Train-ing Platform. Mrs. Franklin will become the Director of Strategic Planning & Training De-velopment. Current employee Angela Pattillo, HR Administrator of Training will become the Manager of Training and Instructional Design, working and assisting Mrs. Franklin in the Strategic Planning & Training Development Department with the day-to-day training needs of 1,153 full and part-time employees. Within HR, current HR Administrator Tanika Clayton-Henry will become the HR Manager to assist in the daily activities and operations of Human Resources. In alignment with our ongoing emphasis on areas of Transparency, Communication, Tech-nology, and Customer Service as founded on our Core Values, there are several other chang-es. Mr. Matt Armstrong has left his many years of service within our CAPRA nationally accredited Department of Recreation and Parks to step up as Director of Customer Service and Community Standards. Mr. Armstrong’s unique experience and understanding of the District affords him the skill set to assist Mrs. Carrie Duckett, Assistant District Manager, with ongoing customer service enhancements and cross-departmental service delivery of our customer services. In vector alignment with these initiatives, our growing community and District team has continued communication needs so Mrs. Duckett is currently in the process of filling a vacant position to serve as a Public Information Officer. The ongoing branding and coordination of our District communications as well as developing additional methods of communication will be among the high emphasis areas for this position. Finally, Mrs. Brittany Wilson will be assuming additional administrative operational duties in the areas of Fleet Operations and Management inclusive of the District’s Fuel Depot, and Emergency Preparedness Planning in coordination with The Villages Public Safety Depart-ment. The areas of focus will include vehicle leases and maintenance, fuel inventory, and policy and procedure management related to emergency preparedness planning. The emer-gency preparedness duties align with her existing involvement in Information Technology, Disaster Planning and Recovery development, and management of agreements and docu-mentation via the District Clerk’s Office.

Watch for the upcoming invitation to the Momentum Meetings where we will discuss Asset Management, Utilities, Executive Golf, Public Safety, and District 14 to name a few. I look forward to seeing everyone at the meetings. Thank you all for your support, hard work, and dedication.

Richard Baier, P.E. LEED AP

District Manager

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Where were you born & raised and went to school? I was born in Gainesville, Florida, and was raised in the small town of High Springs, Florida. What was special about where you were from? The proximity to several springs and rivers. Tell us about your family, people (including pets!)…I married my high school sweetheart going on 27 years. We have four children. Amy is 23 and is a police dispatcher for the Germantown Police Department in Tennessee. Joshua is 18 and working on getting into fire and EMT school. Hannah is 10, and Arron is 7. Hobbies? Favorite activities? When time permits, I enjoy riding my motorcycle. Who has been the most influential person in your life and why? My mother taught me manners and to never settle for less. "If you want something, then work hard for it and get it." What’s the best advice you have ever received? When I was 20 years old, I was the youngest assistant manager for a lumber company called Scotty's. On my first corporate training meeting, I had the company's senior VP pull me aside and impart the best way to be a good manager. He stated that the best way to man-age people is to train your employees to be their best and then stay out of their way. What is the career & training path that led you to the District? I have worked for a few fire departments in North Central Florida that were all great places, but at the time, they were not growing, and I did not feel challenged. When I came to The Villages Public Safety in 2003, they were only four years old, and the

growth was about to explode. I wanted to be a part of building this department and the challenges that came with it. Can you tell us about your day-to-day responsibilities? In my current position, I am responsible for overseeing department policies and proce-dures, conducting hiring and promotional assessments, investigating citizen complaints and other disciplinary actions. In addition, I am the liaison for the Commission of Fire Accreditation International, ISO, and Sumter County Emergency Management Center. What is your favorite aspect of working for the District? Each day brings new challenges, and I am never bored. What is the most interesting thing you have ever seen? When on a deployment for wildfires, I witnessed a large dust devil work its way across several fields that were on fire, causing a large fire tornado. It was very impressive.

Don Neebling ~ Public Safety ~ Division Chief-Administration

My favorites...Movie: Any Marvel Movies...Television Show: Game of Thrones…Vacation Spot: Home Restaurant: Pasta Faire, in Belleview...Food: Pizza...Dessert: Keylime Pie

Where were you born & raised and went to school? I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised on Long Island. I went to University of Hartford, in Connecticut. Tell us about your family, people (including pets!)…My mother lives here, have a wonderful girlfriend and some awesome friends. Hobbies? Favorite activities? Golf, bowling and playing poker with my friends. Who has been the most influential person in your life and why? My father. He was a survivor of the Holocaust. He came to the United States as a teenager and became a successful business man. What’s the best advice you have ever received? Don’t wait for anyone to pat you on the back for a job well done. You know you did a good job, pat yourself on the back. (My father). What is the career & training path that led you to the District? My career was as a Customs Broker. I helped importers get their merchandise from overseas to the United States. Talking and helping people in all different situations. Can you tell us about your day-to-day responsibilities? I answer phones and help our homeowners with questions and issues regarding their account billing and water issues. What is your favorite aspect of working for the District? Adhering to our core values of Hospitality and Stewardship. What is the most interesting thing you have ever seen? An old man trying to bring in salamis, from Italy, hanging them inside of his raincoat.

Esta Knipper ~ Finance ~ Billing & Collection Technician

My favorites...Movie: Forrest Gump and Miss Congeniality...Television Show: The Golden Girls, This is Us Sports Team: Lightening, Islanders, Buccaneers and Giants...Vacation Spot: Any cruise ship...Restaurant: VKI

Food: baked, roasted, stir fry, grilled...Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies

3

Did You Know?

Are you looking for a career change, or know someone who is seeking employment? Our current job openings include:

Budget

Budget Analyst $51,573.41 annual

Community Watch Gate Attendant-Del Mar, Red, 1500-2200 $10.49 per hour Gate Attendant-Hillsborough, Red, 1200-1800 $10.49 per hour Gate Attendant-Morse North, Blue, 0000-0600 $10.49 per hour Gate Attendant-Sanibel, Red, 1200-1800 $10.49 per hour Gate Attendant-Santo Domingo, Red, 1800-2300 $10.49 per hour Gate Attendant-Sunset Pointe, Blue, 1800-2400 $10.49 per hour

Public Safety Fire Inspector $46,346.46 - $69,177.60 annual Firefighter/EMT $13.04 per hour Firefighter/Paramedic $17.58 per hour Public Education Technician $10.49 per hour

Recreation

Fitness Assistant $9.93 per hour Recreation Assistant $9.93 per hour

Keep an eye out for emails from Terianne Carroll, HR Administrator,

for future openings within the District. Or use our internal link to apply for internal positions:

https://www2.appone.com/Search/Search.aspx?Internal=yes&ServerVar=villagescentercommunitydevelopment.appone.com.

If you have questions on job openings or how to apply, please feel free to call Terianne at 352-674-1905

or email terianne.carroll@districtgov.org.

Employees On The Move Human Resources

• Pamela Webb was promoted from Manager, Human Resources to Director, Human Resources.

• Tanika Clayton-Henry was promoted from Human Resources Administrator to Manager, Human Resources.

Strategic Planning

• Deb Franklin transferred from Director, Human Resources to Director, Strategic Planning & Training.

• Angela Pattillo was promoted from Human Resources Training Administra-tor to Manager, Training and Instructional Design.

Community Watch

• Anthony Colica, Robert Marion and John McGraw transferred from Patrol Driver Substitute to Patrol Driver.

• Georgia Becker-Scheve, Pamela Regan, Robert Horvath and Laura Doty

transferred from Gate Attendant Substitute to Gate Attendant.

• James Cote was promoted from Patrol Driver Substitute to Patrol Supervisor. Customer Service

• Matt Armstrong was promoted from Assistant Director-Recreation & Parks to Director, Resident Services.

Recreation

• Dawna Dean transferred from Recreation Supervisor-Customer Service to Recreation Supervisor-Lifestyle Events.

• Richard Spidel was promoted from Recreation Supervisor to Recreation Area Supervisor.

• Bruce Snyder was promoted from Recreation Service Representative to Recreation Supervisor-Customer Service.

• Madison Taylor was promoted from Recreation Supervisor to Recreation Area Supervisor.

• Gary Sorace was promoted from Facility Specialist to Recreation Supervisor.

Recreation & Parks Steven Brown

Gary Cook Gregory Hart Kathryn Rose Lyn Stevens

Anna Sumner Juliann Voiles Randall Voiles Mark Baugh

Thomas Hanish Todd Harper

Catherine Herrick Elizabeth Jewell

Patricia Lane Wendy Losser

Julie Mikkelsen Quick Dennis Van Nyhuis

Community Watch Kenneth Koenen Christian Traver

Charles Briel Joel Gabor

John Paul-Hilliard

Paul Dreher Recreation Assistant

Thank you for your years of service!

Property Management Chad Fisher

Tammy Lopez

Finance Mary-Ellen Saylor

Human Resources Angelica Ortiz

Customer Service Cindy Larsen

James Brown Patrol Driver Substitute

Rose Marie Peppe Recreation Service

Representative

Kacie Linton Recreation & Parks Assistant Director-

Finance & Operations

Kevin O’Brien Boat Captain

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Barry Phillips 1 Recreation

Gary Bonnas 1 Community Watch

Linda Sojourn 1 Finance

Mitchell Leininger 1 Executive Golf

James Morris 1 Property Management

Robert Horvath 3 Community Watch

Leonard Clark 3 Community Watch

Lloyd Tarter 4 Community Watch

Jerald Goldstein 6 Community Watch

Joel Smith 6 Community Watch

Pamela Rogers 6 Community Watch

Robert Andrews 7 Community Watch

Daniel Bridgewater 7 Recreation

Michael Kroeger II 7 Recreation

Alfred Cloutier 8 Recreation

Henry Henderson 8 Community Watch

Melissa Schaar 8 Purchasing

George Bodlak 9 Recreation

Thomas McCormick 9 Community Watch

Stanley Noval 9 Recreation

Anita Graner 9 Community Watch

Mary Kulinski 9 Community Watch

Darlene Stevens 9 Recreation

Monica Lui 9 Recreation

Roger Navarro 10 Recreation

Judith Rankin 11 Recreation

Sharon Miller 11 Recreation

Pamela Gulla 12 Recreation

Steven Waitzman 13 Community Watch

Patricia Allard 13 Community Watch

Karla Coats 13 Community Watch

Ryan Founds 13 Recreation

Yajaira Perez 13 Recreation

Ralph Strickland 13 Recreation

Roger Loomis 14 Recreation

David Cole 14 Community Watch

Patricia Bruno 14 Recreation

Pamela Henry 14 Recreation

Dona Lorenzo 14 Property Management

Jaime Denton 14 Property Management

David Fitzgibbons 15 Community Watch

Gary Cook 15 Recreation

David Dutkiewicz 15 Recreation

Anne Flanagan 15 Customer Service

Juliane Day 15 Community Watch

David Weston 16 Recreation

Karla Jordan 16 Community Watch

Brittany Tuggerson 16 Community Watch

Liliana English 16 Community Watch

Frank Moravcik 17 Community Watch

Elizabeth Stone 17 Recreation

Donna Schultz 17 Administration

James Pierce 17 Recreation

Ryan Plute 17 Property Management

Karen Hollister 18 Recreation

Glen Phillips 18 Recreation

Peter Bratkovich 18 Public Safety

Colby Brown 18 Public Safety

Margarete Williams 19 Recreation

Tanika Clayton-Henry 19 Human Resources

Cheryl Bidwell 19 Public Safety

Nathan Smith 20 Public Safety

Thomas Carlyon 21 Community Watch

Jerrold Indermuehle 21 Community Watch

David Churches 21 Community Watch

Gregory Hart 21 Recreation

Donald Fitzpatrick 21 Community Watch

Cynthia Siple 21 Finance

Jack Snyder 22 Recreation

James Mosier 22 Community Watch

Josephine Romero 22 Recreation

Nichole Gonzalez 22 Property Management

Thomas Rafuse 23 Community Watch

Gary Beninson 23 Recreation

Charles Jones 23 Community Watch

Joseph Grassi 23 Recreation

James Van Dyke 23 Public Safety

Carlton Smith 23 Property Management

William Ulrich 24 Community Watch

Daniel Famularo 24 Recreation

Nancy Schaffer 24 Recreation

Julie Evans 24 Community Watch

Logan Betzer 24 Recreation

Donald Maestri 25 Recreation

Patricia Lane 25 Recreation

Vince Rados 25 Public Safety

Sheila Barnes 26 Recreation

Gary Wolfe 26 Recreation

Albert Cooper Jr 26 Community Watch

Patricia Carey 26 Recreation

Margaret Evans 26 Clerk

Shannon Mattiucci 26 80 Comm Standards

Daniel Krehl 27 Community Watch

Joseph Bagnato 27 Recreation

Dana Walker 27 Community Watch

Christopher McEntire 27 Public Safety

Robert Mlaka 28 Community Watch

Willis Jines 28 Recreation

Nehemiah Wolfe 28 Community Watch

Rodney Graham 28 Public Safety

Steven Stewart 28 Public Safety

Romayne Skory 29 Community Watch

Timothy Kinne 29 Recreation

JulieAnn Stansberry 29 Community Watch

Richard Spidel 29 Recreation

David Wilkinson 30 Community Watch

Shelli Farnsworth 30 Community Standards

Jorge Molina 30 Public Safety

Dario Marcucci 30 Community Watch

Dylan Bigard 30 Recreation

Jerry Lapham 31 Recreation

Sandra Holliday 31 Community Watch

Janet Oric 31 Community Watch

Julie Phillips 31 Recreation

Dakotah Garcia 31 Recreation

5

Happy August Anniversary! Thank You For Your Service!

Candice Dennis Community Standards 08/09/1999 22

David Grimes Recreation & Parks 08/14/2000 21

David Parris Community Watch 08/09/2002 19

William Poling Recreation & Parks 08/12/2002 19

Jason Weis Public Safety 08/29/2003 18

Paul Dreher Recreation & Parks 08/23/2006 15

Brian Degnan Recreation & Parks 08/01/2007 14

Michael Distefano Public Safety 08/01/2008 13

Thomas Rohan Recreation & Parks 08/04/2008 13

Richard Frette Community Watch 08/13/2008 13

David Latus Community Watch 08/05/2009 12

Robert Sondel Community Watch 08/05/2009 12

John Warner Community Watch 08/05/2009 12

Brian Twiss Public Safety 08/10/2009 12

Larry Terracino Recreation & Parks 08/26/2009 12

Barbara Lemay Community Watch 08/04/2010 11

James Brown Community Watch 08/03/2011 10

Kevin O'Brien Recreation & Parks 08/03/2011 10

Rose Marie Peppe Recreation & Parks 08/03/2011 10

Kacie Linton Recreation & Parks 08/17/2011 10

Taylor Demarchis Public Safety 08/05/2013 8

Ryan Keller Public Safety 08/05/2013 8

Robert Ramage Public Safety 08/05/2013 8

Shirley Sirkis Public Safety 08/05/2013 8

Preston Stokes Public Safety 08/05/2013 8

Thomas Carter Recreation & Parks 08/19/2013 8

Kenneth Sherfinski Recreation & Parks 08/19/2013 8

William Ulrich Community Watch 08/19/2013 8

Emily Andrews Recreation & Parks 08/04/2014 7

Robert Bogdonoff Recreation & Parks 08/04/2014 7

Dennis Costello Recreation & Parks 08/04/2014 7

Sean Garvey Recreation & Parks 08/04/2014 7

Edward Przybowski Recreation & Parks 08/04/2014 7

Thomas Villnave Property Management 08/04/2014 7

Chelsea Illeck Public Safety 08/11/2014 7

Hugo Muller Public Safety 08/11/2014 7

Eric Williamson Public Safety 08/11/2014 7

Melissa Schaar Purchasing 08/18/2014 7

Thomas Tritt Property Management 08/18/2014 7

Barry Brown Community Watch 08/03/2015 6

Dawna Dean Recreation & Parks 08/03/2015 6

Thomas McGinty Community Watch 08/03/2015 6

Lamar Oberholtzer Recreation & Parks 08/03/2015 6

Perry Sumner Community Watch 08/03/2015 6

Mark LaRock Purchasing 08/10/2015 6

Cheryl Horgan Finance 08/31/2015 6

Sherry Waller Community Watch 08/31/2015 6

Lonny Abramsky Community Watch 08/15/2016 5

Cindy Kelley Recreation & Parks 08/15/2016 5

Michael Knoch Recreation & Parks 08/15/2016 5

Douglas Lloyd Community Watch 08/15/2016 5

Anthony Valadez Property Management 08/15/2016 5

Kimberly Watts Public Safety 08/15/2016 5

Edward Woods Community Watch 08/15/2016 5

Joseph Haremza Community Watch 08/29/2016 5

David Wilkinson Community Watch 08/29/2016 5

Richard Baier Administration 08/14/2017 4

Arthur Blumberg Community Watch 08/14/2017 4

Randy Dodsworth Community Watch 08/14/2017 4

George Hatzigiannakis Community Watch 08/14/2017 4

Frances Ryan Community Watch 08/14/2017 4

Ralph Strickland Recreation & Parks 08/14/2017 4

Pamela Gulla Recreation & Parks 08/28/2017 4

Pamela Springer Recreation & Parks 08/28/2017 4

Janet Talbot Recreation & Parks 08/28/2017 4

Christopher Trace Property Management 08/28/2017 4

Joseph Cacciatore Recreation & Parks 08/13/2018 3

Doreen Rousseau-Purdy Community Watch 08/13/2018 3

Susan Armbrecht Recreation & Parks 08/27/2018 3

Ardis Barness Recreation & Parks 08/27/2018 3

Keith Gordon Community Watch 08/27/2018 3

Ronald C Kelm Community Watch 08/27/2018 3

Gordon Laughlin Recreation & Parks 08/27/2018 3

Joseph Notarianni Community Watch 08/27/2018 3

Deborah Pease-Martinez Recreation & Parks 08/27/2018 3

William Shelly Recreation & Parks 08/27/2018 3

Alexandria Allen Finance 08/12/2019 2

Ronald Fox Recreation & Parks 08/12/2019 2

Jon Kulinski Recreation & Parks 08/12/2019 2

Leslie Lavigne Recreation & Parks 08/12/2019 2

Gregory Reichard Community Watch 08/12/2019 2

Mark Bednarek Community Watch 08/26/2019 2

Margaret Johnson Community Watch 08/26/2019 2

Robert Lagerquist Community Watch 08/26/2019 2

Karen Briggs Finance 08/03/2020 1

Jaimee Friemuth Customer Service 08/10/2020 1

Josue Santiago-Reyes Property Management 08/10/2020 1

Daniel Buzzello Recreation & Parks 08/24/2020 1

Linda Dick Recreation & Parks 08/24/2020 1

Paul Hertz Community Watch 08/24/2020 1

Matthew Hobby Recreation & Parks 08/24/2020 1

Douglas Holliday Community Watch 08/24/2020 1

Karen Hollister Recreation & Parks 08/24/2020 1

Glen Phillips Recreation & Parks 08/24/2020 1

Paul Radzik Community Watch 08/24/2020 1

Margarete Williams Recreation & Parks 08/24/2020 1

Laurie Jacques Recreation & Parks 08/25/2020 1

6

Recognizing Our Core Values In Action!

Anthony Valadez, Landscape Supervisor “Please give a big “Thank you!” to Anthony Valadez and his crew! They mowed, trimmed, and sprayed today! Wow! That was fast! Thank you, again. It looks great!” “Good morning Anthony. I have been out of town for a few weeks and just got home to see that the landscaping along the multimodal path behind my house in Chitty Chatty was addressed. My neighbor Donna told me the work had been done! I wanted to take a moment to thank you for addressing our concerns and do so in such a timely manner. I can only imagine how many phone calls/emails you must receive daily, but the fact that you listened and did what you could to improve the area is greatly appreciated. I’m hoping with all this rain that the new and old plants will continue to grow.

Steve Romanchak, Gate Attendant “Good Morning! We would like to con-gratulate and thank gate attendant Steve Romanchak. He is doing an outstanding job! Steve spends time daily, scrubbing the gate house door, windows and wall, inside and outside. The area looks better than new! He also runs the gate smoothly while smiling and making the residents feel wel-comed! Thank you for your hard work, dedication and stewardship!” Quote from Steve at the Osceola Hills Gate.

“Teamwork is not always looking at the obvious, but paying attention to details, this makes the difference.”

James Morris, Landscape Manager & the Landscape Team “Please relay my compliments for a job well done to James Morris and his staff in the landscape division. All it took was one email from me earlier this week regarding an ailing tree in Charlotte. A supervisor, the arborist, and a crew from Enviro made short work of the task to-day. Keep up the good work.”

All Village Center CDD Staff “I appreciate everything you do. You aren't told enough by our resi-dents but I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you do for our community. It can be a thankless job so just know I'm your biggest cheerleader out here in Fenney. Thanks again.”

Clyde Christian, Firefighter EMT (left), Eric McFarland, Lieuten-ant (middle), & Dalton Zink, Firefighter Paramedic/Driver Engi-neer (right) “Thank you very much for replacing the batteries and our smoke alarm. It’s wonderful to know that the people of The Villages are pro-tected by such professional and personable men and women.”

Property Management Infrastructure Division “I truly appreciate how diligent you’ve been tracking down the answer to my question. In my 3 years as a board supervisor, I'm consistently impressed by the quality of people The Villages hires to run its opera-tions. You are one such example. Thank you for getting me the answer I needed regarding original wall color. The Villages' record keeping is impressive too, sometimes just a matter of finding the right archivist in its ever expanding administrative systems.”

Cheryl Bidwell, Administrative Assistant A call was received from a resident in The Vil-lages. They wanted to express their appreciation for Cheryl Bidwell who had helped them get new replacement detectors and took the time to ex-plain all about smoke detectors with them. They are extremely grateful for the smoke detector program and employees like Cheryl .

Gayle Hutton, Recreation As-sistant (left) & Bill Neale, Recreation Supervisor (right) “We attended a neighborhood function at Fish Hawk when I saw Gayle Hutton hard at work pushing water carts to-ward the center to avoid the rain. We’ve known Gayle and Bill Neale for several years. They are a terrific team! Gayle is a hands-on operational em-ployee who is always busy making the recreation center better. You can see from her smile that she enjoys her

work. She is efficient, effective, focused, and friendly; a real asset to the Recreation Department Team.” Mike Noss, Customer & Administrative Support Representative “I am writing to compliment one of your staff. Last week I slipped and fell on my backside down the lower flight of steps from your offic-es. Mike Noss who was on the receptionist desk heard me bouncing down the stairs and came immediately to my aid. He helped me up from the floor, checked over my injuries, helped me back upstairs to put band-aids and antibiotics on my scrapes and then walked me back down the stairs where my wife was waiting. All the while he was very calm, professional and caring. I am ok now and in the last analysis only suffered scrapes and bruises for my dumb loss of balance and the fall. In a further act of kindness Mike called me a day later to check on my condition. I just wanted to let you know that you have a good man on the front desk and that his help in an emergency was much appreci-ated” Bart Graham, Water Resources Manager “Thank you for arranging to have the alligator removed.”

Trey Pent, Lieutenant (left) & Robert Smiley, Lieutenant (right) “On behalf of Hernando County Fire & Emergen-cy Services, I wish to ex-press our sincere apprecia-tion to you for allowing Lt. Robert Smiley and Lt. Trey Pent to assist with our re-cent Lieutenant Assessment Center. Let me complement the professionalism and

dedication I observed from both Lieutenants during the promotional testing event. Their per-formance and demeanor brought honor and re-spect to your organization. It will be an honor to work with them in the future.” Mike Howell, Manager-Facilities A resident called in to compliment the work that was done at the Poin-ciana postal station. The caller mentioned the painting looks very nice and professionally done.

Hospitality ~ Creativity & Innovation

Stewardship ~ Hard Work

7

Recreation & Parks

Megan Conatser, Administrative As-sistant A call was received from a resident who lives in the Village of Del Mar. The resi-dent wanted to let us know that our Ad-ministrative Assistant Megan, went above and beyond helping her schedule her battery change. She said Megan was concerned about her husband who had difficulties being alone when they came. Megan took the time to find a

solution for her and she was very grateful.

Andy Shpur, Recreation Supervisor “I was writing to express my thanks for how Andrew at Big Cypress came to the rescue today. I took over a neighborhood ladies group and mistakenly did not look closely at the schedule set out for the year. As a result, I had 16 ladies showing up for our monthly meeting, and when I arrived, we did not have the room re-served for June. Andrew quickly realized my predicament, immediately found a solution, and I am so very grateful. The Villages is very fortunate to have some-one like Andrew managing Big Cypress. Would you please extend my thanks to him?”

Brad Koozman, Recreation Assistant A resident recently gave a PowerPoint presentation at the Savannah Center and needed help with setup. He was very thankful for the assistance he received from Brad and that he stayed over one and a half hours past his shift to ensure everything went smoothly. The resident wanted us to know how grateful he is for Brad going above and beyond!” Property Management Landscape Team A resident called in stating that he want-ed to personally thank the landscaping team for getting crape myrtles replaced. He is very excited to sit out on his patio and enjoy the view. He also appreciates the added irrigation to the new trees to ensure they will stay healthy. Jessi Evans, Landscape Supervisor “Thank you to Jessi and Brightview for taking care of the crepe myrtle sprouts and low hanging pine branches.”

Recognizing Our Core Values In Action!

On July 1st, the Rotary Club presented the La Hacienda Staff with an award of recognition for “outstanding support to our club and their willingness to serve with cheerful countenance has been an inspiration to us all.” Pictured L to R: Brian Curran, Rec-reation Assistant, Nadia Whittaker, Recreation Area Manager, and Bob Schwartz, Recreation Assistant. (not pictured: Gary Sorace, Facility Spe-cialist and Joel McKenna Facility Specialist)

Fenney Regional Recreation Complex - Grand Re-Opening The Fenney Recreation Center reopened to a “Wow” factor on Friday, July 9th, after a four-month renovation project. The additions are a billiard room, a game room with darts & a table shuffleboard, an activity room with a ballet mirror & barre, and an expanded Fit Club. Everyone was impressed with the interior design and excited about the new amenities.

Outstanding performance by all employees, as always!

8

Public Safety

Wesley Roe

Saddlebrook Recreation Center, June 29th & July 13th Austin Roberts, Lieutenant, Chris Bradford, Firefighter Paramedic, Jackson Brecklin, Firefighter EMT, Jonathan Webster, Firefighter EMT, Kelly Johns, Firefighter Paramedic, Ryan Keller, Firefighter Paramedic/Driver Engineer, Noah Hartman, Lieutenant and Robert Ramage, Division Chief /Fire Training visited with the children and their grandparents and went over the functions of the fire truck.

CAMP VILLAGES

Paradise Recreation Center - Just For Teens Archery, July 8th Nichole Leonardi, Firefighter Paramedic/Driver Engineer, Vince Walczak, Lieutenant, Matthew McCarthy, Firefighter Para-medic, Brandun Herbert, Firefighter EMT, Jason Lopez, Firefighter EMT, James Van Dyke, Firefighter Paramedic, Kara Watts, Division Chief/EMS Training visited Camp Villages at the Paradise Just For Teens Archery Range. The participants got to see the apparatus up close and to ask the Firefighters questions about what they do.

Rohan Recreation Center - Bike Rodeo, July 23rd Ron Baroni, Lieutenant, Lance Roberts, Firefighter EMT, Jonathan Hartman, Firefighter EMT, Luis Marquez, Firefighter Par-amedic, Jose Santiago Ayala, Firefighter EMT, Kimble Billingsley Professional Standards Officer and Don Neebling, Division Chief of Administration visited the Camp Villages Bike Rodeo held today at the Rohan Recreation Center. The participants and their families got to see how the vehicles worked and got to spend time with the crews of both stations. Staff that attended were

9

Buddy’s Rescue On July 16th, Buddy the cat’s owners were moving back to their home state. They had their car packed and were due to be on the road by 6am. Buddy de-cided this did not work for him and jumped on top of the kitchen cabinets. At 3:30pm after trying everything they could to get Buddy down they called the Villages Public Safety Department. Bob Sjogren, Public Education Technician (right) and Kimble Billingsley, Professional Standards Officer (left) went to the home to rescue Buddy. Within a few minutes, they had him safely in his crate and on his way to his new home. Buddy’s owners were very thankful. In addition, Buddy’s sister wrote to Public Safety to thank them. “My parents

have been residents of The Villages for 12 years. The last year has been challenging with my father passing away in February and my mother recently moving closer to me (her daughter in Georgia). However, both my parents truly appreciated all the help your firemen and EMS gave them when my Dad fell in the house, which was frequent. As frequent as daily toward the end of his life. There were also multiple trips by ambulance for him. And I understand the EMS crew was very kind and calming for my Dad. Of course, my mom's departure from The Villages last week required one more call to the fire department. This time, as we were getting ready to load the cat into the car for the 6 hour drive north, the cat decided to go into hiding on top of the kitchen cabinets. We de-layed our drive by 5 hours in hopes that this animal would come to its senses. But unfor-tunately, it didn't. We are extremely grateful to both Kimble and Bob for arriving at the house and calmly herding this ill tempered beast into a pillow case and then into the crate. They were both so kind and professional and I wanted you to know that you have first class employees on the team. Again, thank you for your service and work!”

Public Safety

Lieutenant Wesley Roe On July 22nd, the Sumter Republicans held their annual Red, White and Blue Valor Awards Ceremony at Silo Oaks in Sum-terville. Valor award winners are nominated by their peers. Lieu-tenant Roe has been a member of The Villages Fire Rescue for 9 years and has continuously exhibited integrity, passion and posi-tive leadership traits of a successful Company Officer. Lieutenant Roe is currently our Department’s Safety Committee Chair, where

he and his colleagues work to ensure the safety of our firefighters. Additionally, he serves as the lead instructor for En-gine Company Operations where he teaches both seasoned and novice firefight-ers tactical fire suppression and engine company skills. Lieutenant Roe contin-ues to be an asset to our Department’s new hire orientation program, where he serves as an instructor for multiple classes and training evolutions. Lieutenant Roe also willingly mentors new Firefighters and Fire Officers to ensure they have the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform their duties in a safe and suc-cessful manner. He is also a sub-committee member for the North Central Flor-ida Fire Conference where he positively contributes and advocates for the Fire Service. As a Lieutenant, Wesley is charged with the task as serving as incident command on large incidents that he and his crew respond to; each of Lieutenant Roe’s scenes are handled precisely, safely and to the best of his ability, which contributes to the smooth scene operations and rapid mitigation of hazards on each of his incidents. Lieutenant Roe was also a member of the Department’s strike team that was deployed during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 when it made landfall in St. Augustine Florida.

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Community Watch

Community Watch Dispatch Center Accreditation On February 19, 2019, Assistant Director Juliane Day reached out to Florida Telecommunications Accreditation Commission (Fla-TAC) Executive Director Bob Brongel to inquire about obtaining accreditation status for the Community Watch Dispatch Center. Executive Director Brongel determined that due to the fact that Community Watch (CW) was not a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) that a preliminary on-site inspection was required prior to allowing permission into the process. FLA-TAC Commissioner Lisa Cahill and Assessor Quanda English came to inspect the operations and functions of the CW Dispatch Center. They determined that CW Dispatch did meet the requirements, however of the 110 standards, we were required to meet 100% of all applicable stand-ards. CW entered into a contract agreement in April 2019 to be prepared for a full inspection within two years. CW then started the process of revamping procedures and protocols to meet the standards. CW instituted State required training for the Dispatch Center staff. After notifying Executive Director Brongel that CW was ready for inspection, two certified assessors were assigned to evalu-ate CW’s compliance with the accreditation standards. On March 2, 2021, two assessors arrived at CW for the two-day evaluation. They reviewed all procedures. They asked and received supporting documentation to prove compliance with training standards. The assessors then interviewed approximately 80% of the CW Dispatch staff. Once the evaluation was completed, the assessors then compiled a final report to present to the FLA-TAC Commission. CW Administrative Staff were invited to be present at the oral re-view to defend or explain any discrepancies that the assessor team found. On June 23, 2021, Assistant District Manager Carrie Duckett, Chief Nehemiah Wolfe, Assistant Director Juliane Day, and Lead Dispatcher Accreditation Manager Deb Ballard stood before the Commission. After an oral review of the report was delivered, the Commission voted unanimously to ex-tend accreditation status to The Villages Community Watch Dispatch Center. Commissioner Lisa Cahill stated, “We held you at a higher standard because you are the first and we knew we were setting precedence. You definitely rose to the challenge”. Commis-sioner Chair Marette Sims stated, “You have paved the way for other non-PSAPs to strive for excellence through the accreditation process, Congratulations.” Community Watch will be back up for review in 2024.

It’s always nice to hear from District employees… “I love my job and the people that go through my gate. I get a kick out the dogs in the cars either on their owners or on the passenger seat. I have a funny story about a car coming down the driveway with a great dane. The dog had his head sticking out of the sunroof because the car was too small! True Story, made me laugh! Everyone is so friendly here!” ~ Kathy Delaney, Gate Attendant

Hospitality ~ Creativity & Innovation ~ Stewardship ~ Hard Work

Community Support

Community-Wide Drop Off School Supply Drive

The school supply drive is happening now and you can now help all summer long! Options to help support your local community schools.

Picnic Pavilion Drop Off 9am-12pm

August 4th - Lake Miona August 5th - Eisenhower August 6th - Everglades

Collection Box Drop Off August 6th-August 30th

Paradise La Hacienda Chula Vista El Santiago Savannah

Mulberry Grove

Support Students From Wildwood Elementary Bushnell Elementary Webster Elementary

Lake Panasoffkee Elementary South Sumter Middle School

Wildwood Middle High School South Sumter High School

Sumter Prep Academy

Supplies Needed Sticky Notes, Lined Notebook Paper, Composition Notebooks, Index Cards,

Highlighters, Colored Pens & Pencils, Black Pens, Pencils Pink Erasers, Crayons, Scissors, Glue Sticks, Colored Paper, Graph Paper,

3-Ring Binders, Tab Subject Notebooks, Sheet Protectors

Public Safety

Show Your Support! This window cling is aimed at showing support for The Vil-lages Public Safety Depart-ment. Villagers are being encouraged to show support for The Villages Public Safe-ty Department by putting window clings on their cars and golf carts. The window

clings are available for free at all fire stations in The Vil-lages. It is not a sticker and will not leave a glue mark. A window cling uses static electricity to affix to a window. The future of The Villages Public Safety Department is uncertain. The Sumter County Commission has appointed an ad hoc advisory committee to study the ambulance crisis. The committee is studying a variety of recommen-dations, including one that calls for the merger of The Villages Public Safety Department and Sumter County Fire Rescue. That could remove The Villages Public Safety Department from the governance of The Villages District Office and move it under Sumter County’s um-brella.

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Risk Management

Back to School Safety As schools welcome students back into the classrooms this month, you will see the back to school traffic return. Please remember the rules of the road to ensure students get to and from school safely. Safety tips to keep in mind: • If your student is going to ride their bike to and from school, make sure they have a hel-

met that properly fits. • During the first few weeks back to school, the roadways are extra busy so leave in plenty

of time to travel. • Be alert and watch for children especially near schools, bus stops, school buses and in

school parking lots. • Reduce or eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road

and your surroundings. Put the phone down; no texting and driving. • Buckle up! Make sure all passengers and drivers in a car, especially children, are buckled

up. In Florida, passengers under 18 years of age must wear a seatbelt or be restrained in a child car seat.

• Pay extra attention to when you enter and exit a school zone. • Watch for and obey signals from school crossing guards. • When a school bus stops and the red lights are flashing, traffic approaching from either

direction is required to stop. If you illegally pass a school bus on the road, here are some of the penalties you might face: Moving violation subject to citation Requirement to complete a basic Driver Improvement Course Four points on your driver license Minimum fine of $165 or if you pass on the side where children enter and exit, you

will receive a minimum fine of $265 The only time traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop, is if there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or at least five feet of unpaved space separating the lanes of traffic. However, drivers should still slow down and use caution when students are getting on or off the bus.

Keep our children, roads and yourself safe this 2021-2022 School year! Source: https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/list-back-to-school-safety-tips-rules-of-the-road/

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DISTRICT UNIVERSITY

Class Title Instructor Class Info Relevant to Date Time Location

New Hire Orientation

Varied District Staff

Welcome to the Team!

This class provides new team members with a wide range of topics to help you navigate your first 60 days as a member of the team. Topics covered include District Core Values, Mission State-ment, policy & procedures, diversity & inclusion, and safety practices.

All New Team Members

9 & 23

8:00am To

12:30pm

Colony Cottage

510 Colony Blvd.

CDD Orientation

Varied District Staff

What is a “Community Development District” & how does it operate? Attendees will gain a better understand-ing of this Special Purpose form of gov-ernment entity, along with important community information regarding the people, services & supporting entities that help make up “The Villages”.

All New Team

Members

Mandatory within

30 days of employment

5 & 19

10:00am To

12:00pm

District Offices 984 Old Mill Run

Built to Last

Deb Franklin Director, Stra-tegic Planning

& Training Development

What separates “good” organizations form “great” ones? Based on the con-cepts from the book “Built To Last”, this class reinforces how our District Core Values serve as a compass to guide each of us, regardless of position, in providing responsive, responsible customer service that sustains us as a great organization.

All New Team Members

Mandatory

within 60 days of

employment

25

9:00am To

11:00am

Laurel Manor

Recreation Center

1985 Laurel Manor Drive

Public Records &

Ethics

Brionez & Brionez

Each of us, as members of the District, are responsible in our positions to be aware of and fully understand what in-formation is protected under Public Records Law, how long to retain certain records, how to handle public records requests and Government Sunshine Laws.

Mandatory for all District

Staff. Attendees will be assigned by their

department.

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9:00am To

12:00pm

Webinar

Training & Development Programs: August 2021 All professional development training workshops are open to all

District Staff members.

Department Directors should determine which staff members should attend mandatory workshops & notify those indi-viduals so that they can register. Staff members interested in attending a workshop should request from their Department

Director or immediate Supervisor permission to attend a workshop.

To Register:

• All Community Watch staff: Contact Sharon Gwin (352-750-8203)

• All Finance staff: Contact Linda Sojourn (352-753-0421)

• All Recreation staff: Contact Lory Hatch (352-674-1800)

• All other District staff: Contact Angela Pattillo, Manager, Training & Instructional Design Angela.Pattillo@DistrictGov.org