CHAMBERSBURG – The Franklin County Commissioners presented the November 2022 Employee of the Month award to Sheena Baker. Baker has been employed with Franklin County since July 2021 as the county’s communications coordinator.
November’s Employee of the Month recipient was determined by the Special Thanks and Recognition (STAR) Committee, which received 26 nominations for the November award, nine of which were for Baker. When nominating a coworker, employees are asked to cite an event or instance that elevated an individual to Employee of the Month status.
“Sheena has been such a benefit to the Sheriff’s Office since accepting her position,” said one nomination form. “From the jump, she was willing to engage our office with what we currently do by way of releasing public information. She equally came to the table to listen, learn and assist our office in enhancing our public information sharing and engagement efforts. It’s because of her efforts that our public posts reach so many people and critical information is communicated to Franklin County citizens.”
The nomination continued, “From scams to community engagement, she is always willing and able to turn around meaningful and factual information in a timely manner. From an administrative perspective, it is nice to know I have Sheena in my corner. She is always ready to assist in whatever way needed. Having a person of Sheena’s caliber only a call or message away is such a sigh of relief and peace of mind!”
“Sheena always responds and is willing to assist any time the Sheriff’s Office requests information be posted on social media and she always does it with a smile!” said another colleague. “I appreciate her as a resource and her efforts in keeping our social media presence current and relevant.”
“Sheena has done an excellent job in facilitating the website development project,” said one nomination form. “She has been open with communications and sharing information with task force members. She’s very organized in the way she shares information and provides the necessary resources to the team. I appreciate the way Sheena fosters teamwork and seeks a consensus for decisions. She also provides our office support on projects and day-to-day activities.”
“Sheena is an absolute dream to work with,” said another colleague. “She has been able to come in and, with little training, has taken over the majority of website change requests. Working on an issue with her is never stressful. Sheena can roll with the punches and we can figure out a solution together.”
One coworker said, “Sheena has continuously been responsive to my requests for changes to the website. This is especially true when I have last-minute agendas that need to be uploaded on the day of the request. Additionally, she has been dedicated to learning and understanding complex subject matter for press releases to ensure that the public has accurate and easy-to-understand information, such as funding for bridge projects or the Long Range Transportation Plan. Sheena is critical to public participation in Metropolitan Planning Organization activities and continuously rises to the occasion when asked for assistance.”
“Sheena is always willing to jump into any situation whenever asked, without hesitation,” said another employee. “Sheena’s attitude, work ethic and ability to comprehend issues, problem solve tasks and offer assistance or resources separates her from other employees. She is a dependable and reliable employee that utilizes her positive attitudes to stand out as a strong leader.”
“Part of my responsibility is to send out public notices within 24 hours of a mosquito spray,” said one coworker. “Not only is this notification a common courtesy to Franklin County residents, but it is also required by the Department of Agriculture. During the 2022 mosquito season, we conducted 15 sprays that required public notice. On some of those occasions, I was only able to give Sheena a half-day heads up to send out the notice and she did so with accuracy and a great attitude. Beyond that, she worked with me to answer citizens’ questions on social media, especially regarding concerns about insecticides. I really appreciate Sheena for this as well as many other great qualities she possesses.”
“Sheena has been a wonderful addition to the county,” said another colleague. “She has made herself available and engaged to departments across the county to assist in their communications needs. In Planning in particular, she has truly become an additional team member. She is always responsive to any requests that the department sends out and offers professional insights into our communications needs. Sheena continues to take on additional work, such as the website RFP, to make transparency and public perception even better. Whenever staff approach her, she responds quickly and in a positive manner and always goes above and beyond to accommodate deadlines and special requests.”
The nomination continued, “For the Comprehensive Plan in particular, Sheena has shown a lot of interest in the project and process. She is active in all discussions and was instrumental in the public notification process, which involved social media posts, website updates, press releases and review of materials. The effort would not have been nearly as effective without her support. We look forward to continuing to work with her on all of our projects.”
“Sheena has been helping me with an education campaign for my department. She has helped me format emails and announcements so they aren’t too technical and are understandable to others,” said another employee. “She’s been reviewing articles that will be published and suggesting ideas to help us educate other county departments about our services, plus helping me highlight project successes and presentations, both internally and externally. Sheena regularly gets tasks with little background or heads up, and she jumps in with both feet. I have seen her quick thinking and prompt actions help on various projects and prevent potential mishaps. She does so much in the background to help the county run smoothly and I don’t think people realize how much she does or is involved in.”
Baker’s outstanding characteristics are attributes that have not gone unnoticed by her peers. The nomination forms describe her as resourceful, committed, proactive, engaged and professional. She is also described as altruistic, approachable, organized and someone who has a great sense of humor, an outstanding work ethic and someone who goes the extra mile.
The commissioners congratulated Baker on her recognition and thanked her for her excellent work and for exuding such a high standard of customer service, excellence and respect to the employees and residents of Franklin County.
