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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: July 26, 2002
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM EMPLOYEES HONORED FOR OUTSTANDING WORK

PROVIDENCE - A number of Department of Environmental Management staffers were given special recognition for outstanding public service at an awards program hosted by DEM Director Jan Reitsma Friday, July 26. The awards were presented at a lunchtime celebration at DEM Headquarters in Providence.

Reitsma named Paul Jordan of Charlestown and Karl Kenyon of Wakefield as recipients of the department's Distinguished Service Recognition Awards. Their peers nominated the two for outstanding work on behalf of the state's environment and DEM's mission.

Jordan, a supervising GIS specialist with the Office of Information and Management Services, manages the Department's Geographic Information System. He was nominated for his outstanding job of integrating GIS into the mainstream of DEM and public use by developing an innovative and interactive GIS internet map server that makes GIS simple and quick to use. He adapted environmental data that was historically stored in databases with limited availability and transposed it to a visual and public format, making it easier to interpret and more readily accessible to DEM staff and others.

Kenyon, a principal forest ranger with the Division of Forest Environment, oversees four senior forest rangers, the Arcadia district's wildlife fire program, searches, and other emergency situations on state management areas. He instructs firefighters throughout the state in incident command training, wildlife fire fighting and search and rescue techniques. Kenyon has also served on Western fire crews for the past 20 years, fighting wildland fires throughout the United States, and for the past 30 years he has also been a volunteer firefighter, currently a captain, with the Dunns Corner Volunteer Fire Department, for which he has earned top awards.

Director's Awards were awarded to all staff involved in three separate projects: removal of more than 58,000 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris from the Reccia property in Johnston; creation of a 20-foot replica of the historic Hannah Robinson Tower at the 2002 Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Show; and the electronic refiling of all DEM's rules and regulations with the Secretary of State's office. In addition, four environmental police officers received law enforcement awards for distinguished service in boating and natural resources law enforcement.

Career DEM service awards were also given to two employees with 35 years of state service, five employees with 30 years of service, 23 with 25 years of service, 16 with 20 years of service, 27 with 15 years of service, and 10 with 10 years of service.

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