Franklin County Announces September Employee of the Month

The Franklin County Commissioners on behalf of the Special Thanks And Recognition (STAR) Committee proudly present the Employee of the Month award to Ms. Lisa Souders.

Ms. Souders has been employed with Franklin County since 2012. She currently serves as a Purchasing Assistant for the Procurement Department. The selection for the September 2019 Employee of the Month was determined by the STAR Committee out of a total of fourteen nominations.

The STAR nomination form asks what recent event or occurrence prompted you to select Lisa and the answers stated:

“I have worked in two departments within the County. Lisa has continuously made herself available and patiently assisted County employees more than what you would realize. Her assistance has been consistently gracious and patient as well as helpful. She is a one-person machine who serves the over 53 departments within the County humbly and efficiently.

It is difficult to choose which of the Franklin County SERVICE Values Lisa demonstrates the best because, quite simply, she exemplifies them all! It is also difficult to use a specific anecdote to speak to her incredible personality, because it is clearly so fundamentally ingrained within her character. The reason why I am nominating her now is because, despite a vacancy in the department, she has been serving the County employees in an effective and timely manner. 

What I find most remarkable about Lisa is that she demonstrates each value on a consistent level. Whether she is interacting with me or a Division Leader, she conducts her work with

the utmost professionalism and integrity. From my observations, she always maintains a calm composure when facing challenges or handling the frustrations of other people. Anytime I have needed assistance through the procurement process, I knew that if I called Lisa she would help me to the best of her ability and provide me with a quality product or quality feedback. 

I remember once asking Lisa a question, embarrassed because I knew I had asked her before, and when I apologized she told me there was no need. She consoled me by reaffirming that the process could be difficult when you rarely do it, and that she was there to support me. She even went one step further by helping me to develop a chart for my department’s procurement process. It would have been easier for Lisa to provide me with the basic answer to my question and return to “her” work. However, she took her response to the next level by treating me with compassion and respect. She treats people like “people,” not projects or problems or metrics. 

Lastly, I want to talk about my absolutely favorite quality about Lisa--her humility. Rarely, do you find people who are genuine and caring, with no ulterior purpose or pretense. Lisa goes above and beyond in all that she does without the expectation of recognition or praise. In essence, we could use more people like Lisa in the world, and we are very lucky to have her.”

Ms. Souder’s outstanding characteristics are attributes that have not gone unnoticed by her peers. The nomination form describes her as being responsive; having humility and integrity, as well as being a prudent steward of resources.

We are grateful to Ms. Lisa Souders as she exudes a high standard of customer service, excellence, and respect to the employees and residents of Franklin County.

Pictured above, left to right: Commissioner Bob Ziobrowski, Lisa Souders, Commissioner Dave Keller, Commissioner Bob Thomas

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