City of Coral Gables

File #: 18-7337    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Presentation/Protocol Document Status: Noted and Filed
File created: 4/25/2018 In control: City Commission
On agenda: 5/8/2018 Final action: 5/8/2018
Enactment date: Enactment #:
Title: Congratulations to Elsa Fuentes who holds the title Internal Audit and Grants Coordinator, recipient of the "Employee of the Month Award," for the month of May, 2018.
Attachments: 1. Cover Memo EOM of may 2018, 2. elsy eom may 2018 letter, 3. elsy nomination
Title
Congratulations to Elsa Fuentes who holds the title Internal Audit and Grants Coordinator, recipient of the "Employee of the Month Award," for the month of May, 2018.
Body
The nomination was submitted by Keith Kleiman who stated the following:

“Elsy Fuentes has been with the City for 28.5 years; 27 of which were spent working in Finance's Accounting Division. The last 1.5 years Elsy has been working in Finance's Budget Division as the City's Internal Audit and Grants Coordinator. We selected Elsy for this position because of the incredible dedication and work ethic she displayed while working in the Accounting Division. As is normal during each budget season, Budget staff relies heavily on the Accounting Division to supply spur of the moment answers as well as ad-hoc analyses. Elsy was always willing and able to answer our questions and to prepare whatever was necessary to help the Budget staff. For this reason, as well as her accounting background, soft spoke manner, and interest in exploring the Budget side of the Finance Department, we selected her to fill the Internal Audit and Grants Coordinator position.

In the last 1.5 years since Elsy accepted the position she has exceeded our expectations. And then came Irma! Unexpected to all of us were the effects as well as aftereffects that Hurricane Irma would have on the City and specifically the workload within Finance.

Over the last several years the City has worked extremely hard to bring its emergency reserve to the 25% threshold it is at now. Irma's estimated cost to the City stands at approximately $19M; a direct hit to that reserve. If the reimbursement process is handled correctly, the City is qualified to receive reimbursement for the vast majority of these costs. However, the reimbursement process is an extremely arduous task and any misstep could cost the City greatly.

Elsy has personally taken on this process with a level of dedication that is just exemplary. Working with FEMA and Miami-Dade ...

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