ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 22, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Presentations TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Christi Tenter, Human Resources Director
DATE: September 26, 2025
SUBJECT: Excellence in Action CARES Awards 2025
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BACKGROUND:
The Employee Incentive Team (EIT) is pleased to announce the 24th Annual Excellence in Action (EIA) CARES Awards.
The Excellence in Action (EIA) CARES awards recognize City employees and teams who embody one or more of the City of Bakersfield guiding principles while making a positive contribution to overall workplace success, by significantly contributing to major projects or activities started by the City or having an impact within the organization daily. The guiding principles, known as CARES, stand for Collaboration, Accountability, Resourceful, Excellence, and Stewardship. These guiding principles were developed to provide employees with a standard of values for the organization in order to represent what is important to the City. Each year, the Employee Incentive Team (EIT) seeks nominations from peers to recognize a select number of individuals and teams. In addition, the CARES Extra Mile Award is presented by the City Manager’s Office to an individual or team that has gone above and beyond! Again, this year we will acknowledge outstanding teamwork and team contributions with the CARES Shining Team Achievement Recognition (S.T.A.R) Award. This award recognizes teams that consistently work collaboratively to accomplish goals, going above-and-beyond, while recognizing and reinforcing the need for all employees to work in support of one another for the overall success of our City.
All City employees were eligible to be nominated for an EIA CARES Award. All nominations were submitted by each Department Head to the EIT and reviewed for consideration by EIT, excluding any members that were nominated. Each individual EIA CARES winner will receive a gift card and their name will be engraved on a perpetual plaque displayed in the Human Resources Department lobby. All CARES S.T.A.R recipients will receive certificate and a recognition award.
The Employee Incentive Team is pleased to announce the following recipients of the Excellence in Action CARES Awards for 2024 by Department:
Alexandra Cruz – Accounting Specialist I – Finance Department
Amy Porwoll – Police Officer – Police Department
Brandon Doyle – Senior Police Officer – Police Department
Breanne Banks – Secretary II – Public Works Department, Solid Waste
Charles Hernandez – Code Enforcement Officer I – Development Services Department
Dena Murphy – Crime Analyst – Police Department
Diante Epps – Technology Systems Technician I – Technology Services Department
Fernando Montes – Civil Engineer III – Public Works Department
Hector Hernandez – Administrative & Fiscal Services Specialist II - Public Works Department, Solid Waste
Jessie Ayala – Supervisor II – Public Works Department, General Services
Jose Fernandez – Associate Planner – Development Services Department
Julio Sepulveda – Facility Worker – Recreation and Parks Department
Moises Bibian – Light Equipment Operator – Water Department
Omar Flores Jr. – Supervisor I – Water Department
Rosario Negrete – Accountant I – Water Department
The CARES S.T.A.R.(Shining Team Achievement Recognition) Award will be presented to the Park Ranger Team. Team members include: Robert Achorn, Bertha Amaya, Frank Andrade, Jorge Banuelas -Quirino, James Brown, Michael Dobbs, Bernardo Fernandez, Jonathan Gonzales, Fernando Hurtado, David Lara, Jeffrey Martin, Ester Mc Roberts, Jennifer Montes, Arnulfo Osorio, Gloria Osornia, Juan Quezada, Juan Sandoval, Kyle Schellenberg, Candelario Sotelo Jr., Andres Torres.
The CARES Extra Mile Award, selected by the City Manager’s Office, will be presented to Amy Porwoll.
Final Nominees (Honorable Mention): Nicolas Bailey, Daniel Cestone, Derrick Clark, Christina Gulley, Raul Gurrola, Gordon Hilton, Cheril McCormick, Brittany Mesa -Bailey, Sara Perez, Louis Ramirez, Stephanie Sanchez, Dawn Tamayo, Joaquin Vallardez, Walter Villa, Kassandra West.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The action to receive this presentation will not have an impact on the City General Fund.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Innovative and Efficient City Government
ATTACHMENTS:
None