Mayor to Present July 2024 Award of Excellence

Published on October 21, 2024

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird today will present the Mayor's Award of Excellence for July 2024 to Officer Antonia DeGeorge from the Lincoln Police Department (LPD). The award will be presented at 3 p.m. at the beginning of the City Council meeting at the County-City Building, 555 S. 10th Street. The awards recognize City employees who consistently provide exemplary service and work that demonstrates personal commitment to Lincoln.

DeGeorge was nominated by LPD Sergeants Steve Redlin and Tyler Cooper in the categories of productivity and customer relations for her investigative work to help remove a juvenile from an abusive household.

Sgts. Redlin and Cooper said Officer DeGeorge's investigative skill, attention to detail and ability to empathize with the juvenile led to the disclosure of abuse that may have otherwise gone unreported.

"While she has only been with the Department for a short time, Officer DeGeorge has already earned a solid reputation and embodies what it means to serve and protect," Redlin and Cooper wrote.

The other categories in which employees can be nominated are safety, loss prevention and valor. Consideration also may be given to nominations that demonstrate self-initiated accomplishments or those completed outside of the nominee's job description. All City employees are eligible for the award except for elected and appointed officials.

Individuals or teams can be nominated by supervisors, peers, subordinates, and the public. Nomination forms are available at lincoln.ne.gov/AwardOfExcellence or from department heads, employee bulletin boards or the Human Resources Department, which oversees the awards program.

All nominations are considered by the Mayor's Award of Excellence Committee, which includes a representative with each union and a non-union representative appointed by the Mayor. Award winners receive a $50 gift certificate, a day off with pay and a certificate. All monthly winners and nominees are eligible to receive the annual award, which comes with a $250 gift certificate, two days off with pay and a plaque.