Douglas County Kansas

This week, we celebrated our remarkable staff with an Employee Service Awards luncheon at the fairgrounds. We honored 64 dedicated employees who reached milestone anniversaries during the past year, as well as those who retired. Collectively, they have contributed an impressive 907 years of service to Douglas County! Notably, three of our employees have each completed 30 years of service! Hats off to all of our 506 employees for their exceptional dedication and hard work!??? ??

These employees were recognized Feb. 25 during our annual Employee Service Awards luncheon for 5 years of service! Back row: Ben Harris, Zoning and Codes; Lacey McGowin and Marie Boadway, Clerk’s Office; Matt Cravens, Administration; Cristina Menjivar, Criminal Justice Services; Josh Taylor, Emergency Management. Front row: Michelle Spreer and Jay Zimmerschied, Administration. ?? ??

These employees were recognized Feb. 25 during our annual Employee Service Awards luncheon for 10 years of service! Back row: Chad Voigt and Robin Wadkins, Public Works; Capt. Chris Johnston, Sheriff’s Office; Beau Haigh, Treasurer’s Office; Richard De La Rosa, Criminal Justice Services; Brandon French, Public Works; Julie Dahlem, Clerk’s Office; Register of Deeds Kent Brown; David Beck, Maintenance; Tyler Fleming, GIS; and Isaac Smoots, Maintenance. Front row: Teresa Crosetto, Public Works; Paige Vannicola, Maintenance; and Brooke Sauer, Administration. ?? ??

These employees were recognized on Feb. 25 during our Employee Service Awards luncheon for 15 years of service: Deputy Michael Folks, Sheriff’s Office; Charlie Covert, Maintenance; Brad Eldridge, Appraiser’s Office; Eric Leuthold, Information Technology; and Stephanie Smith, Criminal Justice Services. ?? ??

Kimberly Jones, of Criminal Justice Services; Sowji Seetala, of Information Technology; and Agamani Sen, of Public Works, were recognized on Feb. 25 during our annual Employee Service Awards luncheon for 20 years of service with Douglas County. ?? ??

Doug Miller, of Buildings and Maintenance; and Brad Ayers and Nolan Packard, of Public Works, were recognized for 25 years of service this week during our annual Employee Service Awards luncheon. ?? ??

Deb Wright and Holly Myers, of Criminal Justice Services, and Vance Collins, of the Sheriff's Office, were honored Feb. 25 at our annual Employee Service Awards luncheon for 30 years of service with Douglas County. We greatly appreciate their dedication and commitment to our community! ?? ??

We were delighted to be included in Leadership Lawrence’s "Tour of Lawrence" today! Class members had the opportunity to visit the historic Courthouse and explore the newly renovated Commission meeting room. County Administrator Sarah Plinsky enjoyed interacting with them, discussing county government and sharing the courthouse’s rich history.

Are you interested in applying for a Natural and Cultural Heritage grant? Act fast — the deadline is approaching! With a total of up to $210,000 available, award amounts range from $5,000 to $75,000. Prospective applicants must discuss their project with Douglas County Heritage Conservation Coordinator Kaitlyn Ammerlaan by Feb. 21 ahead of the application deadline, which is 5 p.m. March 6. For more information: https://dgcoks.gov/hcc #grants #heritage #preservation

The Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council unanimously approved - with raised hands - a three-year strategic plan during its meeting today, Feb. 11. The strategic plan culminates about 18 months of work to align the CJCC with the National Standards for Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils. News release: https://lnkd.in/gMhK-SrU #criminaljustice