Politicians love to talk about cleaning up city hall but Camp Verde janitors Yolanda Trahin and Maria Urias follow through.
During the Dec. 17 Camp Verde Town Council Meeting, eleven staff members were recognized for their years of service to the municipality, ranging from five to 25 years. Among them, Trahin and Urias were awarded for their 25 and 20 years of getting the job done.
“I look forward to every Thursday for sure, because I know I get to see them,” Public Works Director Ken Krebbs said of the two
“They’re here before the sun’s up, we all get to work together with the different departments. But with them, they’re truly the only ones that affect every single person that works here. They’re the unsung heroes. Without what they do day in and day out, none of us would be able to do our job, not a single person. And so when you look at somebody that doesn’t ever get the credit that they deserve, and they work harder than anybody else, it’s these two, and they’re awesome.”
▪ 25 Years of Service Award: Yolanda Trahin, janitor
“I was lucky, because years ago, during my fire career, I also got to teach fire science at the Camp Verde High School fire science,” Krebbs said. “That’s where I first got a chance to meet some other children. And she has such a strong family and she’s the matriarch, you can tell that they’ve turned out to be really good people because of their mom, Yolanda.”
▪ 20 Years of Service Awards: Alice Gottschalk, library specialist II; Maria Urias, janitor
Library Manager Nicolas Resteiner presented Gottschalk with her award noting that she is often the first face people see when entering Camp Verde Community Library.
“If you’ve ever worked in a library, we deal with some weird stuff,” he said. “Alice does great with that too. In the last year since I’ve started, she’s also become a supervisor. … She’s stepped into it with such gusto [and] skill, that I don’t think that the library could run if she was not a supervisor. … If you see Alice, tell her ‘hi’ If you don’t, she’ll tell you ‘hi.’”
▪ 10 Years of Service Awards: Geraldine Dillinger, visitors center representative; Chet Teague, wastewater division manager
Dillinger’s “passion for this area shines through in every interaction, whether she’s helping a visitor plan their day or sharing one of her fascinating stories about Camp Verde,” Visitor Center Manager Crisi Clark said. “[She] worked for the town in the Parks and Recreation Department for six years, although we are celebrating her 10th Anniversary, [Geraldine] has been dedicated to serving the community she truly loves for 16 years, [Geraldine] is not only a wealth of information, but also a joy to work with.
▪ Five Years of Service Award: Kristin Robertson, detective; Josh Teague, property & evidence technician; Lisa Carnevale, senior library clerk; Victor Vanbuskirk, community development administrative assistant; Angela Whitman, lead dispatcher
“As a municipality, we know the importance of collaboration, respect, and integrity that all Town employees must have to represent the organization,” the town wrote in a Dec. 18 social media post. “Our employees set a high standard for all, and we couldn’t be prouder of them. We would like to recognize our dedicated, hardworking staff who are devoted not only to our organization, but to the entire community we serve. Thank you for all you do.
