Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims May 1 - 7, 2011 Public Service Recognition Week

Pat Nelson

1.  What's your name?
Pat Nelson
 
2.  Where do you live?
I live in Shorewood, MN

3.  What do you do for work?
I am a police officer for the City of Minneapolis

4.  What do you like most about your job?
I like the variety of the job and the ability to help those that need me the most.

5.  Why are you working in public service?
I have always wanted to work in public service and feel that being a public servant is the best use of my skills

Video contest - Partnership for Public Service

The Partnership for Public Service is sponsoring a Public Service Recognition Week video competition. The task is to produce a video up to five minutes in length that communicates the value of public servants, or addresses the question of what life would be like without public servants. 

Students in the MPA program at the University of Central Florida got together to design, select, and produce two videos.

If one of the videos wins the $1,000 prize, the students have agreed to donate it to establish a scholarship fund in partnership with Central Florida ASPA for high school students who choose a public administration major in college.

Please click on the links for our two videos below. To “like” a video, you must register on the vimeo website. Once registered, you will see a button to “like” the video on the upper right of the video display. Your deadline is April 25!

http://vimeo.com/groups/psrw/videos/22525835

http://vimeo.com/groups/psrw/videos/22525647 

Ellen Dosdall

1. What's your name? 

Ellen Dosdall

2.  Where do you live? 

Edina, Minnesota

3.  Which Minnesotan do you most admire, and why?

Donald Fraser.  I had the opportunity to work with him when he was Mayor of Minneapolis. He tackled tough issues with thoughtfulness and integrity. He treated all citizens and city employees with respect.  

 

4.  What do you do for work? 

I am a Manager in Public Works at the City of Minneapolis.

5.  What do you like most about your job?  

I feel most satisfied when I can talk with citizens directly and help them resolve their problems.  Also, public service is never boring - every day is a new adventure! 

 

6. Why are you working in public service?  

The ideal of providing for the public good and the opportunity to be part of an effort to attain this ideal inspires and motivates me.

Chris Pennington

1.  What's your name?

Chris Pennington

2.  Where do you live?

St. Paul, Minnesota

3.  Which Minnesotan do you most admire, and why?

I could say Prince.  I could say Bob Dylan. I could even say Garrison Keillor. I think I am going to say the Doomtree Collective! 

4.  What do you do for work?

I am a special education teacher for the Minneapolis Public Schools.

5.  What do you like most about your job?

I am never bored and I feel like I help people every day. 

6.  Why are you working in public service?

I love people, and I love when people work together as a community.

Jan Elftmann

1.  What is your name?
Jan Elftmann

2.  Where do you live?
Warehouse District in Minneapolis on the oldest street in Minnesota, Washington Ave.

3.  Which Minnesotan do you most admire, and why?

Ann Bancroft.  She is an adventurer, she loves the great outdoors especially winter, she works with young students to educate them about nature, she overcame audio dyslexia and she inspires young girls to dream big!

4.  What do you do for work?

Visual artist, educator of art and science and engineering, curator of 801 Art Gallery, Director of the ArtCars of Minnesota

5.  What do you like most about your job?

Being creative on a daily basis, sharing my art with the public and inspiring young students to be creative.

6.  Why are you working in public service?

I want to inspire people to be creative with everything in their life.

MnDOT Snow Plow Operator Training (SPOT)

Team members:

Brian Barott

Marv Hayes

Wayne Tennison

Ryan Fredrickson

Laura Alberg

Rick Shomion

What does the team do? What are its goals? What are some achievements of the team?

We train new snow plow operators on the safe, efficient and effective operation of a single axle dump truck (snow plow). The goal is to make our operators more comfortable manipulating the controls and operating their trucks. We have successfully completed our seventh year of training. During that time, we have trained a total of 894 employees, 863 Mn/DOT and 31 external agencies (cities, counties, etc.)

How does this team contribute to public service (in this case, also public safety)? 

We are making our operators safer so that when they are out on the road, both they and the motoring public are safer.

Greg Lindsey

1.  What's your name?

Greg Lindsey

 

2.  Where do you live?

St. Paul, Minnesota
 

3.  Which Minnesotan do you most admire, and why?

Hubert H. Humphrey.  Humphrey was an optimistic man of action who inspired many people to become engaged in public affairs and to work for the common good for all, regardless of race, creed, or class. 

 

4.  What do you do for work?

Associate Dean and Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
 

 5.  What do you like most about your job?

I enjoy working with students, faculty, and staff who are committed to public service and public affairs.
 

6.  Why are you working in public service?

I believe public service provides an excellent opportunity for one to align one's personal interests and values  and to join with others in pursuit of the common good.

James W. Antonen

1.  What's your name?

James W. Antonen

 
2.  Where do you live?

Maplewood, MN

 
3.  Which Minnesotan do you most admire, and why?

Paul Wellstone - One of the most sincere and compassionate persons I had the pleasure of knowing.

 
4.  What do you do for work?

City of Maplewood.

 
5.  What do you like most about your job? 

The diversity of challenges facing local government and the ability to help people.

 
6.  Why are you working in public service?

I have been involved in public service in one form or another for the past 45 years.  It has been a good life and personally rewarding.  I take pride in being a public servant.