Youth Corps Wins Three Awards
The work of the Boulder County Youth Corps has recently been recognized
with three awards. Nik Brockman was recognized as the Boulder County
November Employee of the Month, the role of the Youth Corps was highlighted
in the Gold Hill Community Wildfire Mitigation Project which won a
Boulder County Pinnacle Award, and the Colorado Lottery presented a
Starburst Award to Boulder County for building the Caribou Trail, which was
a Youth Corps project.
Employee of the Month - Assistant Program Manager Nik Brockman was
named the Boulder County November Employee of the Month to recognize his
outstanding efforts on behalf of the Youth Corps. The Boulder County
Commissioners presented Nik with this award because he provides excellent
public service. Program Manager Judy Wolfe commented, "Nik Brockman is a
highly competent employee who goes the extra mile to respond to the public
and program participants and help fellow employees. He strives to
continually improve the Youth Corps program and suggests new ways to
accomplish work more efficiently to provide a better experience for the
Corpsmembers."
Pinnacle Award - The Boulder County Commissioners recognized the
Youth Corps for its role in the Gold Hill Community Wildfire Mitigation
Project on December 6. This project was the winner in the "Public
Involvement" category for the annual Pinnacle Awards. “The Pinnacle Awards
celebrate what County employees do every day to promote the County’s guiding
values and our vision to provide the best in public service,” Commissioner
Ben Pearlman said. “Public Service is what our government is all about, and
these programs exemplify that ideal through innovation, collaboration,
creativity, stewardship and sustainability, and public involvement.” This
collaborative effort between Land Use, Parks & Open Space and the Youth
Corps provided support for a wildfire protection plan developed by the Gold
Hill community by helping to create fire and fuel breaks around the historic
mountain town. In addition to protecting the town of Gold Hill, the fuel
breaks improve overall forest health, assist with erosion control, and
provided 13 cords of low-cost firewood for residents, as well as organic
material for a nearby mining reclamation project.
Another project the Youth Corps was involved with was recognized as a
Pinnacle Award finalist. The Niwot Trailhead and Recycling Drop-off Project
used creativity to overcome numerous obstacles. A collaborative team of
County staff redesigned a trailhead, parking lot and recycling center in
Niwot. The Parks & Open Space Grounds team worked on this project.
Starburst Award - The Colorado Lottery presented the Boulder
County Parks & Open Space Department with two Starburst Awards on December
13. One was for excellence in the use of lottery dollars to build a trail on
Caribou Open Space, a project the Youth Corps was involved with.
Watch the award presentation here.
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