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                                                                         News Feature                                                            5/8/2007

The 30th Annual Civil Servant of the Year Awards Program

The 30th Annual Civil Servant of the Year Awards Program took place on Friday, May 4, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota.  This year, MN NRCS had 3 employees recognized at the Civil Servant of the Year Program; Judy Lambert, Area Administrative Coordinator, Rochester, MN; Sylvia Olson, Accounting Technician, St. Paul, MN; and Ken Luttner, Area Resource Conservationist, St. Peter, MN. 

This recognition program offers an excellent opportunity for public recognition of Federal employees who have demonstrated outstanding performance on their job and/or within their community on a sustained basis.

Judy Lambert serves 13 NRCS offices in southeaster Minnesota.  She holds the staff accountable for proper procurement procedures, timeliness of T&As (100% of employees paid timely), travel voucher claims, budgetary needs for all of our offices.  She handles controversial issues well to include:  leases, training for partners, security-fingerprinting, and landlord building issues.  Judy is a cancer fundraiser for the Relay for Life organization, serves on various church committees and the annual Wagon Train fundraiser for the Austin Boys Ranch.

Sylvia Olson serves as the primary Accounting Technician for the NRCS in Minnesota.  Sylvia puts forth extraordinary effort on a daily basis, placing an emphasis on customer satisfaction.  Her diplomatic communication skill strengthens internal and external relationships with employees, partners, and other agencies while furthering the mission of NRCS.  Sylvia routinely addresses critical vendor payment issues, contract participant questions, and employee reimbursement inquiries, all with a positive attitude and pleasant demeanor.  Sylvia represents the idea civil servant:  selfless, dedicated and trustworthy.

Ken Luttner has been with the NRCS for about 12 years.  It is not an easy job servicing 85 Farm Bill wetland issues.  Ken always maintains a professional attitude as a Biologist or Area Conservationist.  Whenever needed, Ken has filled in as Acting Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations.  He has provided training for field office staff, conducting GIS, Wetland Vegetation, Toolkit and helping with Remote Sensing/Aerial Photography Interpretation.  Ken makes himself available to help with any of the numerous programs, which NRCS offers. 

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