This quarter's Employee Recognition nominees are:

• Caring:
  • Jamie Denton, Fire Department
  • Julio Alcantar, ITS
  • Teri Daniel, ITS
  • Keith Arabie, Public Works & Engineering
  • Aaron Sheffield, Randy Brown, Ben Archer, and Scott Jackson, Fire Department
  • Chase Ball, Public Works & Engineering
  • Captain Jacob Griffith, Engineer Ryan Guseman, Firefighter Kurt Woolridge, and Firefighter Christopher Aston, Fire Department
• Collaboration:
  • Terry Raymond, Parks & Rec
  • Sonia Benavides, Public Works & Engineering
  • Martin Hernandez, Public Works & Engineering
• Innovation:
  • Jason Calder, Sheree Cardwell, Ryan Rawlings, Public Affairs
  • Abraham Giner, Health
  • John Barefoot, Finance
• Leadership:
  • Daniel Odom, Public Works & Engineering
  • Joey Lopez, Human Resources
  • Michael Thomas, Public Works & Engineering
  • Ana Guillot, Municipal Court
  • Teresa McKenzie, Finance
  • Dustin Sieber, Health
• Stewardship:
  • Lee Smith, Police

Congratulations to these incredible employees who bring Baytown’s mission and values to life every day. Help us celebrate the people behind the purpose - the caring hearts, collaborative spirits, innovative minds, strong leaders and trusted stewards who make Baytown more than just a workplace. Thank you for making Baytown extraordinary!

The 2024 Employees of the Year are:

Caring: April Bruno

April is a Detention Supervisor at the PD Jail and has served Baytown for over seven years. She began as an officer and quickly earned a reputation for reliability and expertise, gaining the respect of her team and leadership. She was chosen for her compassion—once administering Narcan to an inmate in crisis and another time supporting a woman in labor until EMS arrived. These moments reflect her everyday excellence. April says the best part of her job is the family she’s built at the jail. Her colleagues call her the “mother hen” for her calm leadership, support for Patrol, and the dignity she shows to all.

Collaboration: Stephany Medina

Stephany joined the City three years ago as a Community Outreach Specialist in Planning & Development Services. From day one, she’s brought heart and energy to every initiative—especially those helping families in need. She led the 2024 Back 2 School Fair to record success, coordinating donations, volunteers, and partners—all while earning her Bachelor’s in Strategic Communication with honors. Go Coogs! A Baytown native, Stephany finds purpose in giving back to the community that once supported her. She says helping others every day makes the job feel like a calling. Her team calls her “Lil Nugget,” but her impact is anything but small. Her faith, warmth, and can-do spirit inspire everyone around her.

Innovation: Alex Garza

Alex joined the City in 2017 as a PC Support Specialist and now leads as E-Business Manager. Since then, he’s streamlined operations by automating reports, workflows, and onboarding—transforming systems like Munis, EnerGov, and Laserfiche to be faster and more user-friendly. He says the people and daily challenges keep him motivated, and he loves turning complex problems into simple solutions. Known as “the GOAT” and our Munis expert, Alex brings positivity, humor, and patience—always ready to help, teach, and support his team.

Leadership: Rachel Philo

Rachel began her 14-year City career in the City Manager’s Office before moving to HR, where she helped launch leadership and process improvement programs. Now as Talent Development Manager, she leads a team focused on investing in employees and building cross-department connections. She loves working with people from all areas and finds the most reward in seeing others grow and thrive. Her co-workers say Rachel shows up fully every day—making others feel supported, seen, and heard. She’s the kind of person you feel lucky to work with—and even luckier to call a friend.

Stewardship: Aden Williams & Juan Carlos Perez

Aden joined the City in 2019 and Juan Carlos in 2018, both starting as Concrete Workers before being promoted to Concrete Finishers. Now part of the Facilities Division, they recently led a major in-house remodel—saving the City significant costs through their skill and teamwork. Aden enjoys growing his skills and making a difference, while Juan Carlos values the time he's earned to spend with family. Co-workers say they show up with smiles, share fist bumps, and bring daily positivity, integrity, and teamwork that uplift the whole workplace.

Today we celebrate what makes Baytown extraordinary – you. Your talent, your heart, your leadership. Thank you for building your impact every day!

Employee Recognition Program

How it Works:

• Employees are encouraged to nominate their colleagues who exemplify our core values
• Submit nominations year-round through the provided QR code

Selection Process:

• A dedicated subcommittee of employees review submissions quarterly
• Outstanding employees, per core value, will be selected for recognition

Recognition:

• Recognized employees are invited to a quarterly reception with the city management team to be formally recognized for their exceptional contributions

Core Values:

• Caring
• Innovation
• Collaboration
• Leadership
• Stewardship

Nominate Now and Help Us Build a Positive Workplace!

Let's build a culture of appreciation together. Thank you for making our workplace extraordinary!

Join us at the upcoming Employee Recognition Ceremony, honoring this quarter’s employees nominated by their co-workers for going above and beyond to live out our Core Values.  Celebrate with them as the winners are announced:

• Wednesday, October 29th
• 2:00pm - 2:30pm
• Lone Star Room - Community Center

A Selection Committee, made up of appointed City employees, reviewed each nomination and selected winners based on the following criteria:

• Demonstration of the nominee’s actions going beyond normal day-to-day duties.
• A majority vote of committee members in attendance after a discussion on each nominations.
  • Committee members may change the Core Value of the nomination to a more appropriate one, if deemed necessary.
  • Committee members will not vote on the item it they submitted the nomination, it they directly supervise the employee, or if they feel there is a general conflict of interest for someone nominated within their department.

• There may be more than one winner per category or no winners at all in a category, depending on nominations.

• The Selection Committee members are:
  • Mayra Torres, Planning & Development
  • Jamie Denton, Fire Department
  • Abel Leal, Health Department
  • Abinoab Delacruz, ITS
  • Jacob Boyd, Library
  • Karen Rodriguez, Municipal Court
  • Kyle Frye, Parks & Recreation
  • Jose Garza, Public Works & Engineering