May 8, 2009

Dear Friends:

This week was State Employee Recognition Week, and I was proud to honor the Department of Business and Professional Regulation employees who work so hard every day.

For the past two years, we've held an Employee Appreciation Awards Ceremony to recognize those who go above and beyond the call of duty. This Wednesday, we were surprised by our special guest, Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, who joined me to recognize outstanding public servants at DBPR.

As the DBPR leadership team handed out popcorn to employees, the Lt. Governor, Chief of Staff Charlie Liem and I presented awards to employees who were nominated by their peers, directors, Chief of Staff and me for exemplary performance.

The Secretary's Award of Merit was presented to employees for upholding the vision for the department with incredible teamwork and customer service; the Chief of Staff Award of Merit was presented to employees who do not "pass the buck," take responsibility for their work, and put the department first; the Red Rover Award was presented to employees who cross division lines in the spirit of teamwork to help another division do the best possible job.

The most highly esteemed award is the 2009 Employee of the Year, and this year's recipient was Alicia Bevis from the Office of Budget and Financial Management. Among many accomplishments, Alicia's proactive and thorough work in analyzing the postage process directly resulted in the Division of Profession recouping $142,000. Alicia is highly motivated to understand the budget process in order to make improvements. She's intelligent, resourceful and a true team player.

If you've worked with a DBPR employee who's made a difference in your life, please take the time to thank him or her. This week is a time to show Florida's public servants appreciation, and DBPR is fortunate to have such wonderful employees.

For those of you who will be celebrating your mothers, grandmothers and wives this Mother's Day, I wish you the best. This weekend is a great time to recognize the women who are committed to nurturing and guiding our children.

Sincerely,

Charles W. Drago
Secretary

Department of Business and
Professional Regulation
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
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