WASHINGTON, D.C., May, 2008 - GEICO President and CEO Tony Nicely will lead the recognition ceremony for the five winners of the company's Public Service Awards for 2007 on Monday, May 5, 6:30 p.m., at the National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. This is the 28th year that the company has honored federal employees for their outstanding contributions to their communities.
The awards honor four civilian federal employees and one retired federal employee for outstanding achievements in the following areas:
Recipients were chosen through a worldwide selection process involving the federal government, nationally recognized experts in each of the four fields, and other distinguished citizens. Award nominations came from federal departments, independent agencies and offices in the executive branch. Civil service employees making contributions in any of the designated fields were eligible. Nominations of retired federal employees making contributions in any of the four fields were submitted through the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.
Jennie Allies, recipient of the 2007 GEICO Public Service Award for Physical Rehabilitation, works for the Northern Cheyenne Service Unit in rural Lame Deer, Montana. GEICO's Public Service Award recognizes her long-time commitment to patients and for promoting physical therapy services for rural area residents.
Allies is the sole staff member in the physical therapy department for the Northern Cheyenne Service Unit, where she works with patients ranging from infants to the elderly, dealing with a myriad of conditions including those associated with stroke, pediatric neurology and cardiac rehabilitation.
While Allies' daily duties would be enough work for anyone, she also works with local high school and college students to develop internship programs so that physical therapy resources can be more plentiful.
On her own time, Allies contributes numerous hours of pro bono physical therapy services for people who have no health insurance or access to care, a true reflection of her dedication to her community.
Two years ago, Allies took on the duties of Service Unit Safety Officer. She worked diligently to establish a safety program and developed four subcommittees to work on this venture, including life safety, emergency preparedness, infection control and the National Patient Safety Goals.
Allies has become a true patient advocate, working with her patients and providers to offer the best quality rehabilitation. As a mentor and leader to her colleagues, Allies is a most deserving recipient of the GEICO Public Service Award.
Allies and her husband, Randy, reside in Forsyth, Montana, with their two sons on their family ranch.
Joseph R. Baker, recipient of the 2007 GEICO Public Service Award for Fire Prevention and Safety, is the deputy fire chief at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. The GEICO Public Service Award recognizes his distinguished career in the United States Army Civil Service, where he has provided the highest quality safety and fire prevention services for soldiers, their families and the community.
As a member of the Fort Campbell Fire and Emergency Services for 14 years, Baker has developed major programs related to Fort Campbell's Fire Prevention Week, considered one of the best in the Department of Defense. Baker's program features comprehensive drills practiced by more than 4,000 children.
Baker is responsible for 74 child development and family care centers, serving over 1,300 children. His personal attention to details resulted in these facilities exceeding every National Fire Protection Association inspection standard with 100 percent accuracy.
Over the years, Baker has focused increasingly on fire extinguisher readiness. He instituted a fire extinguisher exchange program so that Fort Campbell would always be prepared, and he created a bar code tracking system to accurately assess the service life of each fire extinguisher. Baker also developed a monthly fire extinguisher training course that is available for all soldiers, civilians, contractors, NAF personnel and military dependents.
As the senior fire prevention officer and inspector at Fort Campbell, Baker has responsibility for safely housing the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the U.S. Army Garrison and several tenant organizations. He personally ensures that the 4,200 existing homes and all new construction meets or exceeds National Fire Protection Association standards for fire safety and fire apparatus clearance lanes.
Baker has received numerous awards during his 14-year career in the U.S. Army Civil Service, including the South East Region Organization's Army Fire Officer of the Year in 2002 and the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service in 2006 for fire prevention and protection measures during a vice presidential visit.
Baker and his wife, Tricia, were married in 1988 and they have a son, Jeremy.
Joseph W. Hafner, recipient of the 2007 GEICO Public Service Award for Traffic Safety and Accident Prevention, is the safety and occupational health specialist at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. GEICO's Public Service Award recognizes his outstanding commitment in providing soldiers with the best possible safety and auto crash prevention information. Before taking on his current assignment, he served for more than 20 years as a highly-decorated member of the U.S. Army.
Hafner has earned a well-deserved reputation for his profound impact on the safety of soldiers and in the process has also earned the nickname of "Safety Joe." Last year he led safety briefings for more than 7,500 soldiers with his hard-hitting talks about safe work environments and safe driving habits. His lectures are sought after by unit commanders at all levels.
Because the number one killer of soldiers in non-combat situations is vehicle fatalities in privately-owned cars and trucks, Hafner incorporates driving safety as a major part of his courses. Hafner's contributions as a member of the Fort Bragg Safety Team have directly impacted more than 140,000 personnel at the base and have resulted in a significant reduction in vehicle crashes and fatalities over the past 12 months.
In 2007, Hafner was the primary point of contact for the Installation Safety Fair, a trade show attended by more than 6,000 people that focused on educating soldiers, civilians and family members on accident prevention and protection.
Hafner began his military career in the Infantry where he served the majority of his time in the Airborne and Special Operations community and supported critical research, development, testing and evaluation of parachute systems. He also served as test officer for the Land Warrior System.
Hafner has attended numerous military schools including Military Free-Fall and Static Line Jumpmaster courses, Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Test and Evaluation Basic Course, Pathfinder Course, Air Assault Course and Ranger Qualification Training.
His decorations include three Meritorious Service medals, nine Army Achievement medals, Saudi-Arabia-Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, two National Defense Service medals, Southwest Asia Service Medal (Bronze Service Star), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal and numerous others.
Hafner and his wife, Elizabeth, have been married for 18 years and they have one son, Joseph Jr.
Ileen Wong, recipient of the 2007 GEICO Public Service Award for Physical Rehabilitation, is retired as nuclear director for crane and rigging operations at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. GEICO's Public Service Award recognizes her continued desire to serve others after 34 years of service with the U.S. government.
Wong has earned a reputation for her dedication and outstanding service to the public, and in 2007 she was named Federal Manager of the Year.
Today Wong is a board member of the Manawale'a Riding Center in Hawaii, which was created to serve children with special needs and is run entirely by volunteers. Through therapeutic horseback riding and one-on-one attention, children can begin to walk, talk, and gain a sense of pride and self-confidence. The riding center offers special sessions with children from special education classes, Shriner's Hospital for Children, Easter Seals of Hawaii, Variety Club Schools, the Lion's International Youth Camp and visually-impaired students statewide. Wong works with other volunteers and encourages them to cheer on the young participants of the Center.
Wong has often been recognized for delivering excellent and innovative services to the base she serves and to her own community. She recently received the President's Volunteer Silver Service Award from the President's Council on Service and Civic participation for her extensive volunteer time.
In addition to her work at the riding center, she is the treasurer for the Federal Managers Association and secretary for her church council. Wong is also involved with the Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" event, Special Olympics, and is a member of the Lions Club, which hosts an annual picnic for the blind in Hawaii.
In her free time, she has shared her Hawaiian culture by riding horses in authentic Hawaiian attire in parades in California, Oregon, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Ohio and more.
Wong is the mother of five, grandmother of 17 and great-grandmother of three.
Gloria Jean Prince, recipient of the 2007 GEICO Public Service Award for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, is the education specialist for the U.S. Army Substance Abuse Program in Korea, which serves all U.S. soldiers assigned to units between the Demilitarized Zone and the city of Seoul. GEICO's Public Service Award recognizes her commitment to leadership and her expertise in providing prevention services for the soldiers serving in Korea.
Prince has earned a reputation for delivering innovative services to the base populations she serves. To help prevent and deter substance abuse, she identified strengths and weaknesses of existing outreach and prevention programs. Her approach led to holistic substance abuse deterrent and prevention programs that are tailored to meet the unique needs of the base populations.
Her findings led to a new policy that set limits on the blood alcohol levels for soldiers. In turn, this resulted in a significant reduction of incidents of underage drinking and other substance abuse-related incidents.
For those with existing substance-abuse problems, Prince created a specially-designed program, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Training (ADAPT), to help solve problems, rather than postponing them. She offers group meetings twice a week to ensure maximum participation and focuses on small groups to foster a more personal environment.
Prince also serves as a certified Army Family Team Building instructor and a designated mentor to female students at the Department of Defense Dependent School in Seoul. She has led community campaigns for Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention, Alcohol Abuse Screening, National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery, and Red Ribbon Month.
Prince has become the face of substance abuse prevention all across her service area and is sought out by public affairs and network news organizations serving United States soldiers in Korea.
Customer contact:
1-800-861-8380
Media contact:
Daryl Glover
Federal Liaison
1-301-986-2798 or 1-800-824-5404 ext. 2798
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