FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CITY EMPLOYEE RECEIVES OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Roslyn Gervin serves as Senior Safety Officer for Public Works

Roslyn Gervin has been named recipient of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) prestigious Robert D. House Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service.

Roslyn Gervin has been named recipient of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) prestigious Robert D. House Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service. The award is given each year during Public Service Recognition Week. Roslyn is the Senior Safety Officer with the Newport News Department of Public Works, and has worked for the City since 2006.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Roslyn Gervin working for the City of Newport News,” said City Manager Neil A. Morgan. “She exemplifies excellence in local government through her leadership, professionalism, diligence, and integrity. This award recognizes her dedication to providing outstanding services to our citizens.”

The Robert D. House Award for Outstanding Public Service is given annually to a Hampton Roads public administrator who is less than 40 years of age and demonstrates the following:

• Record of outstanding performance in public service
• Unusual leadership, creativity, integrity, and response to challenge
• Dedication to democratic ideals
• Sensitivity to the need to adapt government to changing problems
• Commitment to professionalism and development of useful skills

Since coming to the City of Newport News in 2006, Roslyn has been charged with the provision of extensive safety and professional development training to the City’s Public Works Frontline Professionals, providing leadership in Public Works Call Center, serving as a trainer with the City’s Division of Emergency Management for the Incident Command Structure training program, and much more. For her outstanding efforts she was awarded the 2008 American Public Works Association Training Award.

Prior to working for the City of Newport News, Roslyn worked for the City of Virginia Beach. Roslyn’s leadership in both cities has been demonstrated primarily through excellence as a trainer. In Virginia Beach she fulfilled the critical need as a lead trainer for Crime Scene Technicians as well as for the Department’s sworn police officers. For her work she received the “Class Act Award” from the City of Virginia Beach Police Department in 2002 and 2004.

Roslyn has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Radford University, a Master of Public Administration Degree from Troy State University, and a Master’s Certificate in Local Government Management from Virginia Tech. Roslyn has also attended Virginia Tech’s Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement’s Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Institute and will assist the City’s Public Works team with EMS implementation.

The award is named after Robert D. House, Jr. who served as City Manager of Bedford, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Portsmouth in addition to two managerial posts in North Carolina. Mr. House was tragically killed in an airplane crash in 1982.

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