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Logo with the text “MY SOUTHLAKE NEWS” in bold, uppercase letters, with horizontal gold lines on each side of the word “SOUTHLAKE.”.
A simple, empty gold-outlined shield shape with a white interior, shown on a plain background.
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Logo with the text "Established 1956 SOUTHLAKE A Sweet Place to Be" in bold, stylized lettering. The background features overlapping pastel-colored circles.
City
|
May 15, 2025

Sweet Success in Southlake: Unwrapping the 2025 Employee Appreciation Winners!

Check out this candy-coated lineup of the 2025 Employee Appreciation Award Winners.

Each year, the City hosts the Employee Appreciation Celebration to recognize the incredible individuals who help make our community a wonderful place to live, work, and visit. It’s our chance to highlight the talent, heart, and dedication of Team Southlake with plenty of fun and a few well-deserved treats. As part of the event, standout employees are honored with awards that shine a spotlight on their exceptional contributions. Join us as we unwrap this year’s winners—because around here, excellence is always in good taste!

Director Awards

The Director’s Award is a real sweet deal—reserved for the standout employee in each department who exemplifies leadership, always lends a helping hand, and constantly pushes their team to be better. They’re the cherry on top that makes the whole team shine!

  • Administration – Bora Sulollari, Assistant to the City Manager
  • Community Services – Vicky Schiber, Community Relations Manager
  • Finance – Hannah Samas, Customer Service Manager
  • Fire Department – Jonathan Castro, Battalion Chief
  • Planning & Development – Melissa Burnett, Administrative Assistant
  • Police Department – David Aldridge, Police Officer
  • Public Works – Mona Hassan, CIP Engineering Assistant
A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black blazer and green top, stands smiling in a bright hallway. Text reads "Bora Sulollari, Administration Director’s Award Winner." A badge says "2025, A Sweet Place to Be.
A smiling woman with long dark hair wears a denim jacket over a floral top, standing in front of a brick building. Text reads: “Vicky Schiber, Community Services Director’s Award Winner.” A badge graphic is at the bottom left.
A woman with long blonde hair and a green blouse smiles in front of a brick building. Text reads "Hannah Samas, Finance Director's Award Winner" with a "2025 A Sweet Place to Be" badge in the corner.
A man in a white fire department shirt with a walkie-talkie stands outside, smiling. Text reads: "Jonathan Castro, Fire Department, Director's Award Winner. 2025. A Sweet Place to Be.
A woman with long blonde hair wearing a light blue blouse smiles outdoors. Text reads: “Melissa Burnett, Planning & Development Director’s Award Winner.” A logo says “2025 A Sweet Place To Be.” Green trees are blurred in the background.
A man in a police uniform stands outdoors, smiling slightly. Text reads: "David Aldridge, Police Department, Director’s Award Winner." A badge graphic says "A Sweet Place to Be, 2025." Green trees are blurred in the background.
A woman with curly hair and glasses, wearing a striped button-up shirt, stands smiling indoors. Text reads: "Mona Hassan, Public Works Director’s Award Winner." A badge says "2025 A Sweet Place to Be.
The image is entirely blank with a white background and no visible objects, text, or features.

Values Awards

Southlake’s core values are the secret ingredients that make the City so special. The Values Awards honor five standout employees — one for each core value — who exemplify what it means to serve with integrity, innovation, accountability, excellence, or teamwork.

  • Integrity – Wes Layfield, Water Quality Specialist, Public Works
  • Innovation – Julio Reyna, Streets and Drainage Supervisor, Public Works
  • Accountability – Nic Miles, Fire Driver / Engineer, Fire Department
  • Commitment to Excellence – Ruben Alvarado, Parks Supervisor, Community Services
  • Teamwork – Valerie Snyder, Community Initiatives Coordinator, Police Department
A man wearing glasses, a blue cap, and a blue "Southlake Public Works" polo shirt smiles outdoors. Text reads: "Wes Layfield, Integrity Value Award Winner, 2025, A Sweet Place to Be.
A man with a beard, wearing a navy blue Southlake Public Works polo, smiles outdoors. Text reads: "Julio Reyna, Innovation Value Award Winner" with a "A Sweet Place To Be 2025" badge in the corner.
A firefighter in uniform labeled "ENGINEER" stands outdoors, holding yellow gear. Badge reads "ENG-401 LINE SOUTHLAKE FIRE." Text overlay: "Nic Miles, Accountability Value Award Winner, 2025, A Sweet Place to Be.
A man in a navy polo shirt with the "Southlake Parks" logo stands outdoors, smiling. Text reads: "Ruben Alvarado, Commitment to Excellence Value Award Winner." A "2025 A Sweet Place to Be" emblem is in the corner.
Valerie Snyder, wearing glasses and a navy Southlake Communities shirt, smiles outdoors. A badge at the bottom reads “A Sweet Place To Be 2025.” Text: “Valerie Snyder, Teamwork Value Award Winner.”.
The image is entirely blank with a white background and no visible objects, text, or features.

Spirit of Southlake

This award is the ultimate treat, honoring the employees who exemplify all of Southlake’s core values and serve as shining examples of the Southlake Way. They’re the total package — positive figures in the City, inside and out, and outstanding employees who truly take the cake!

  • Spirit of Southlake – Julie Kleck, Volunteer Coordinator, Human Resources
  • Spirit of Southlake – Andrew Burnett, Library Marketing Coordinator, Library
A smiling man with curly hair wearing a light gray polo stands outside with green trees in the background. Text reads: "Andrew Burnett, Spirit of Southlake Award Winner. A Sweet Place to Be. 2025.
A smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair and glasses stands outdoors. She wears a light green button-up shirt. Text reads: "Julie Kleck, Spirit of Southlake Award Winner" and "A Sweet Place to Be.

Kristin Pitzinger Customer Service Award

The Kristin Pitzinger Customer Service Award is a tribute to the late City employee Kristin Pitzinger. It honors those who go the extra mile to deliver outstanding customer service. These employees sprinkle kindness into every interaction, making Southlake a sweeter place to live and work.

  • Kristin Pitzinger Customer Service – Bayley Cavazos, Court Clerk, Finance & Technology
  • Kristin Pitzinger Customer Service –  Keith Martin, Landscape Administrator, Planning & Development
A woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a green blouse, smiles at the camera. Text reads “Bayley Cavazos, Kristin Pitzinger Customer Service Award Winner” next to a badge logo saying “A Sweet Place To Be 2025.”.
A man in a blue polo shirt stands outdoors, looking at the camera. Text reads: "Keith Martin, Kristin Pitzinger Customer Service Award Winner." A badge says "A Sweet Place to Be 2025." Trees are blurred in the background.

Tenure

These long-serving team members have been with us through thick and thin, adding their special ingredients to the mix that makes Southlake so unique. Let’s take a moment to honor the sweet success that comes with years of service and commitment to our community!

Five Years: Jerome Aldridge, Landon Bell, Dana Blankenship, Melissa Burnett, Doug Carel, Brent Carlson, Scott Cepak, Heidi Chupp, Blake Cornish, Anthony Dudley, Madisson Dunn, Catherine Eix, Christina Guzman, Jamie Hill, Cameron Jackson, Sheniqua Jones, James Lucky, Taylor McGehee, Eugenio Nunez, Hannah Nyquist, Barbara Ridenour, Brian Rodriguez, Juan Sanchez, Kim Smith, Dominique Traylor, Ben Williamson, Tandra Wilson, Charles Wright

Ten Years: Wes Adams, John Adams, Cody Brazelton, Alcides Contreras, Craig D’Amico, Micah Davis, Jose Guzman, Chad Henderson, John Jackson, Myles Jenkins, Hunter Littrell, Veronica Lomas, Kyle McAdams, Dakota Mowdy, Stefan Petrovich, Jose Rodriguez, Chase Roop, Chase Sanderson, Steven Tanner, Billy Vogler, Stacy Wells, Adam Whigham

Fifteen Years: Laura Alsina, Blas Hernandez, Jose Luna, Crystal Maddalena, Frank Molinets, Cynthia Pfledderer

Twenty Years: Johnny Lopez, Cristina McMurray, Tarl Plank, Karen Randall

Twenty-Five Years: Richard Anderson, Sharen Jackson, Trey Porter, Frank Rogers, Diana Smith, KJ Vannatta, Mike White

Thirty Years: Mike Bedrich, Dennis Killough

From outstanding service to everyday dedication, our employees make this city a truly special place. Thank you to every member of our team for making Southlake the sweetest place to be, year after year!

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A circular logo for the City of Southlake’s 70th anniversary (1956–2026) is on the left, next to an under-construction brick building with scaffolding and a crane on the right.