Sarah Sukram and Ben Deal star awards
What the county recorded
This item is not from the published agenda
It is a stretch of the recording that this archive identified as a separate matter — a call to order, a recess, or something taken up that the agenda does not list. There is no official title, no staff recommendation and no disposition, because the county never recorded one. Everything below is inferred.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Feb 6, 2024
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Feb 6, 2024
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 9m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 79% of 48 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Here. Uh before we go any further, I'd like to take an opportunity to Um Recognize Sarah.
Sukram, is that the way you pronounce your name? Please come forward.
She couldn't be present at the last uh meeting because was assisting the Humane Society of Pensacola with their reorganization efforts. Um Her outstanding contributions throughout the year were gone uh unnoticed. Sarah has not been gone unnoticed. Sarah has uh constantly uh demonstrated exceptional
uh performance and above all, beyond and achieve remarkable results in her role. It's no surprise that she has been named Star Performer of the Year and we invite you uh Star Leader of the Year, uh Ben Deal to be Oh, to come up and for the photo. He didn't get uh the la at the last meeting. Okay. Welcome.
Congratulations.
I guess we'd like to hear a little something from our star performer. That's good.
I apologize for missing the first announcement of this. I was very fortunate to get to assist in another shelter up in the panhandle. So thank you all, commissioners, Mike, for taking time out today to recognize us. Really appreciate it. This has been very humbling for me, and I'll make this very quick. But first and foremost, I'd like to thank Mike for creating such a culture at animal services. where we can innovate and I feel very supported in trying new things. I have quite a few interesting ideas, I would say,
throughout the years of being at Animal Services, and he's been very supportive. Secondly, I'd like to thank Kathy, wherever she is. Um for being just the definition of a public servant and she's been a huge cheerleader for everything animal services has done. Um and and third, last but certainly not least, I really just want to thank the citizens of Pasco. We have, I say it all the time at work, uh, the best volunteers in the world. And what I get to do every day as a volunteer and foster care coordinator at animal welfare can be challenging at times, but
I work with incredible. people. I have several colleagues here today and I just wanted to say thank you so much to Pasco County. We have incredible people doing incredible things and I am very humbled to receive this but it is truly a team effort. So thank you so much. Beautiful
All right, Mike. Mike Shubay, Director of Animal Services, and I just want to present the award to Sarah on behalf of the board and behalf of the administration and all the peers. So Sarah, here is your start for the formal award 2023.
You guys never work.
Oh, we always welcome you to say anything. Mr. Chair, if I may.
Yes. Yeah. No, I would just uh again like to thank you know I think I already said some nice words about Ben, so your head's big enough. But uh Sarah again, thank you. I had the opportunity to come and present Sarah, you
know,
originally to let her know that she had won the award and got to meet the volunteers that that she helps organize and run. for our Animal Services Group. She's not kidding. Animal Services is quite innovative. And I will tell you the one thing that was very, very evident, Sarah, and I think I mentioned this in there, you guys really are efficient with our taxpayer dollars. You you take it and you stretch it. And and it's through your effective use of volunteers. And I asked her, I I mentioned that to her, and I I forget the numbers you rattled off to me, but she knows it. She really knows. Oh
yeah, we we save you uh $105,000, you know, whatever, you know, a quarter here on this. But uh they they do fantastic work and it's and it's good work and again it's innovative. So I just say thank you. It's no wonder you're the Star Performer the year. Glad that you're out there um uh teaching. others uh on on how they do the great thing. So um that that's really all I wanted to add add to that and I I guess if we could Mr. Chair unless the board has anything we can do a picture. It's up to you.
Well Mike I I you can know I'm I'm in my eighth year And when I came on board eight years ago, it really was amazing the difference between then and now. I mean, what a what a change to the department and and what great people you have working with you and the turn I guess the turnaround of all your helpers that you had from citizens that volunteer to help you, what they've done to pick up their their part of the taking care of animals and doing that
for the county. But you you're not just doing that for yourselves, you're doing that for all the citizens of Pasco and we can be grateful all the time for animal service here in Pasco County. So y'all done a great job and all y well of course you're being highlighted, but all your staff, they're all a part of a team that wins this award and y'all just shine on top of that which is great. So I thank you. Any other board members like to say something?
Just congratulations and I'm glad that you could um come in person to receive your So
So
Mr. Chair.
Yes.
Congratulations. Wanted to echo that. Are you are you happening to be a veteran? Are you a veteran? No, sir. All right. Thank you.
She look like a veteran or
Well we we someone was deployed. I'm a very proud daughter on Eric.
Yeah. She's not a staff sergeant like Sergeant uh like uh Sergeant Sergeant Starkey here. But uh Mr. Chairman
Mariano Mr. Sir I'd like to thank you. Um amazing work, congratulations and Mike with the team that you've assembled over the years and the great work you're doing, the citizens greatly appreciate it too. So thank you. Okay.
Uh if I could have uh the board members Ms um Mr Bradford if you'll stay up here with a attorney county attorney and a clerk stand here behind us, we'll go down for pictures.
That's right.
Sarah, congratulations.
And go to that percent.
Yeah, yeah
Oh my god,
Yeah, so type of resignation right.
Okay, everybody ready for you?
Okay. I mean it's good.
Sir, do you want with your team? Please team members come up. Hey, we're on a tight schedule. Let's go.
Uh uh.
She said it takes a team.
I really break your office.
Perfect. Thank you. Perfect. If I could get Ben to come up real quick.
Thank you.
Oh
See ya.
Oh yeah.
Thank you. Well done.
These chairs are so nice. Probably so.
Yeah, we're maybe old fashioned. I think this used to be on the other side.