So backstage Dylan, when you were introduced as an IMG model, you kind of gasped. It's like you can't believe it. What's the story? I think it's been four years now, and I'm still like, oh my god. I'm a model just the same as like every Victoria Seeker model. Like we're assigned the same agency, oh my god, that's crazy. So it's still a beautiful moment, surprise there. We're going to talk a lot about being a fashion model, how you got into fashion. First I want to start off by asking you a little bit about muscular dystrophy. Can you share with us what is it exactly, and how does it affect or not affect your life? Yeah, so I was diagnosed at a very young age that I had. My personally specific is spastic muscular dystrophy, which it varies with everyone, but for me it's just a tightening of my muscles on my tendons. So there's times where I'm nervous or at a Beyonce concert and I'm like, oh my god.  But it's not that it necessarily stops me from anything. I've just been really good at meditation and yoga and relaxing and just being in the moment and letting it happen. And that's helped a lot. What are some of the misconceptions?  Yes, so many crazy things. Let's share one or two. A perspective. I've been to Burning Man. Anyone's been to Burning Man before, but my crazy self went. And that was amazing. It was a beautiful experience because if anyone doesn't know where, it's a festival really that happens in Reno, Nevada in the desert. Nothing. In the actual desert. Not a fake desert. It's a real desert that's like 120 degrees in the day and like negative 20 at night. And I was there for seven days with this exact wheelchair in the sand. That's amazing. Tell me, how did you get into fashion? I always had fashion in me. I don't know if you ever felt the feeling where you just feel like you belong in a scenario or in a place or in a community. And I've always felt that when I was younger. My mom was a seamstress, so she constantly took work home. I used to watch her embroider baby clothes.  And instead of watching Peppa Pig. Well, we didn't have Peppa Pig back then, but I would watch her sew. And my dad, he was a shoe salesman. So I knew a lot about crocodile and snake skin and where leather jackets actually came from and all of that thing. I'm a very young agent that always like fascinated me with the colors and the designers and the fabrics. But I didn't take it seriously until I was in college. I went to FIT in New York here for four years. I studied marketing. And I noticed then how underrepresented my community, the disability community was in the fashion industry. We were just not existing whatsoever. And knowing now that one out of five people have a disability, whether it's invisible or invisible, was very concerning. To realize there were one billion people out there in the industry that I loved so much, I did not see myself. And were you on the editorial side at first? How were you discovered? So I was working with Tumblr. I don't know if you guys remember Tumblr. It's like, oh so 2008. Yeah. Silent moment for Tumblr. But I worked at their fashion division. And we had a release party. And that's where I met at the time, the editorial director, Diesel. And he was the first one. He gave me a job as a worldwide model for the face of Diesel. And it just went from there. And it went super viral. So then I still don't understand viralness, but wow, was that viral? And I was shooketh when that happened. And it just, it blew out of the water because it was the first time that they had someone with a visible disability in an ad done non-medically, if that makes sense. Yeah, that's crazy. And there was many people who would, I didn't even know you were in the chair. My chair is super visible. If you see the ad, it's extremely visible there. But they, I guess the perception of the person looking at the advertisement, wasn't looking at like a New York Presbyterian hospital ad. It was looking at a brand that they actually wear. And they're like, whoa, this is really trippy. And I've never heard of this before. And so that's where I began. And I still had the passion of being an editor, sorry. But I knew that at that moment in time I had to take on a different journey. And, you know, keep this conversation going. And, you know, I'm the kind of person that like if the opportunity shows up, take it.  No, I mean, you can do it. Yeah. Amazing the diesel came to you and you had plenty of others Nordstrom target. I mean, ton. Was the fashion world though welcoming at first? I mean, what, what were some of the challenges? Because I'm a Dominican, by the way. And we, as women, we're very sneaky sometimes.  And I did every internship you can find. So I was already in the industry, but nobody knew I was in the industry. I was like a fly on the wall stealth. Yeah, totally. Secretly wanted to be like a 007 girl from Jay's Bond. So I kind of used it in the fashion industry. And I made my way internally first so that when this happened, when the diesel thing came out, people were already used to seeing my face at Fashion Week or any party or event or whatever. But this was just like more for like the general public to see me. And it was just beautiful. And so the fashion. So yeah, so they were still going back to your questions. Yeah. So they were accepting because they already knew my face. And I do pretty great in social settings. So it's like one of my secret superpowers that it was, they were accepting that way. But there's still needs. There's so much work to be done in the street now still. Were they accommodating though? See, that's where my Latina side comes in because not so much. Thankfully, because I spoke up every Fashion Week in New York City, I can say I don't know about Milan or Paris or London. There will always be an elevator. There will always be an access because there wasn't until I spoke up about it. And I said, I'm not a chef, so I shouldn't be able to go through the back. I should be able to go through the front like everyone else. And because I did that move, they heard me and installed it. That's amazing. Thank you. So what was your favorite shoot? You've done so many cool ones. And one I think was with Beyonce. Yes. That's still, I mean, hello. It's up there. It's pretty up there. It was myself and two other models. We were on her front page two years ago, I believe. And I was just like, wow, I've made it. Okay, I can go now. I can go. This is it. My life is complete. I was her face model for her formation to our merchandise. Wow. And that was trippy. Yeah. Yeah. We've all seen homecoming, so. What kind of feedback did you get from that? Amazing. It was amazing. It was one because I was alongside pretty much the most influential artists we have in our time right now.  She deserves to be here as much as everyone. And because she understands that inclusivity and diversity is very crucial and important. And representation models a million percent like somebody can fight me otherwise. But she knew that and to have someone so influential and so big and so powerful give me that opportunity that just speaks for itself. How do you define your style? I mean, do you have a certain look that you like to go after in modeling? Oh, in modeling? Like my clothing? Yeah. Or just. I always like to push buttons in modeling, specifically like different editorials. I always like to push the narrative a little farther. So, you know, I just posted something on my Instagram a few days ago about disability and sexuality and how important that is and how we are very desistentized that it's not a thing when it's very much a thing. So I did a whole photo shoot with me looking very sexy. Pushing out the buttons. So I always like to do shoots or projects that are way beyond a photo. There's more of a conversation starter. It almost seems like you go for a very mod look. I mean, I don't know. Oh, yeah. I mean, my style changes all the time. I have pink hair, purple hair, you know, rock star, grunge, whatever. What are you doing next? I mean, are you working on any other campaigns? There's a lot of cool projects coming. I'm not sure I can say that. Can you share a few? But I am. It's very, very, very, very, very beginning stages. But I am writing a book, which I'm really excited about because it's pretty much me and a book and talking about how I got to where I got spiritually, mentally, and physically. Wow. Yeah. So what is it like being a trailblazer? I mean, I don't know. It's a little pressure. Do you feel pressure? It's a responsibility. I think that we're all given things that we can handle even if we don't feel like we can handle it. They're there for a reason. And I think I was given this journey because it was bigger than itself and I am able to talk about it and do it in its full potential. But it's a huge responsibility to take because you want to make it right for the one billion people out there who have always been invited to the kick-up but never had a chance to eat. And what does it feel like being first? And do you have peers now? I mean, has the new face of fashion grown? Yeah, so much. I mean, we live in a beautiful time where social media connects us with everyone and we're able to shout our differences and we're able to make it known that we are here and we are present and our opinions matter. It's not about the corporations. It's not about the CEOs. It's about the people who are actually going out there and buying. We are the narrative and we should be able to speak on it. And it's beautiful that I'm able to talk to people around the world who may have differences but we can all come together that we all live in one planet and we should act like we do. Yeah. So what else is going on? Do you think that you'd get into entertainment at all? Like some models make that. Oh, totally. Oh, I'm here. Astronaut, let's go. Oh, yeah. I'm here to do anything. Movies, TV. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's another big issue. I think that the media has a really interesting tendency of hiring non-disabled actors to play disabled roles and just kind of screwing up our whole narrative to the point that we're so brainwashed about what it is to live with a disability without asking a person who is actually living a disability. Are there any shows or any movies that have done it right? There's actually, yeah. I actually met the person who, in this show, it's a Netflix show called Special and it's so good. It's so good. It's so funny. Yeah. And it's done so perfectly. And the main character actually has CP. The new place, the person who has CP, which is amazing. And until we don't get that right, I think no one's allowed to play a role if you're not that person. So on the activism front, what are you, are you literally active on the activism front? 100%. Okay, what are you doing? It's the point where I post so many things on my Instagram and I'm like, oh my God, now I've become this person. Like, I'm AOC now. But I think it's crucial. I always say when you have a big platform, when you have audiences staring at the screen at what you're going to do next, I think it's important to take that opportunity and talk about the things that actually matter that can affect thousands of people. So I'm very vocal. Like, I will fight you. I will fight you on social media if you come after me. No, I tend not to fight people. But I am. I am very active on social media when it comes to activism and especially women's rights, disability rights and being Latin in this country. And what kind of advice would you give to women here that are blazing trails in different ways? Any good advice that you got that you want to share? Yeah, I think the best advice I've ever received is to be very patient and very persistent because if you're not patient, you will lose yourself. And if you're not persistent, you'll never get there. So that's the biggest advice I can give anybody and that has worked for me as well because I am the most patient person you can ever, ever meet. Ever. And it's gotten me to where I am today. Excellent. Well, enough from me asking questions. I want to open it up to the audience for a few minutes. Would anyone like to ask a question? Anyone? Okay. Please. We're going to get you a mic. Oh, I'm going to ask you a mic. Yeah. We want you to hurry. I'm not going to take her. Was there a time when you felt something had happened and you just felt so challenged in what you were trying to do that you thought there's an easier path. You just do that instead of constantly bashing my head against a wall. Yes. I mean, I think we all have those moments when you're trying to do something so apparently out of the norm that you get hit with these walls and you're like, oh man, if I just turn to the left, I'll get there quicker, but my story won't be told in the way that I want it to be told. But if you turn to the right, that's going to take me a bus ride, a bike ride, a ferry, a plane ride to Ting Book 2 until I get there. Honestly, I always choose that route because at least my story is being told through me and not through someone else. But yeah, those challenges come every single day. You just have to be persistent in knowing that you're going the right path through what your heart says to do, if that makes sense. Anyone else? Hi there. I follow you on Instagram. It's gorgeous. I'm obsessed. Thank you so much for being here. One question I had is, I would assume for every Jillian Mercado there's a million more that we don't know about in this room. I would love to hear who else, from an advocacy perspective, from a modeling perspective, from an IG perspective, who else should we be following and engaging with? The first person that came into my mind because I'm obsessed with her and now we're friends, so yay, is this girl named Nora, N-O-R, and she gives me such a perspective of what it is living as a journalist and being Muslim as well.  What's going on here? But she's very informative as far as what it is being her and living, her truth and her journey. There's also another amazing disability activist called Mama Cox. Literally, M-A-M-A-C-A-X. She's amazing. She's an amputee and she's my sister because I love her so much. But she also gives a narrative and a storyline of what it is being her. And she's from Haiti, so she's like my sister country, which makes it kind of cooler. I'm Dominican, she's Haitian, so it's like... But she's somebody else that I follow. Pretty much, honestly, everyone that I follow on my Instagram is somewhere another activist or a good activist in their own field. And you have to follow people that will uplift you because if you keep following people that don't, you'll just end up in a whole trap. You don't want to get there. So, yeah. That's a good question. Anyone else? I think we're... Good. Oh, wait. One in the back. Hello. I'm also a huge fan. How has your background, because I'm a black girl, so I know how it is, especially with families of color, how has your background definitely helped to propel you to where you are today because I know as being a woman of color, we have so many battles that we have to fight. And so, I can't even imagine the type of battles that you have to fight as well on top of being a woman of color. So, just can you just explain how that has helped you to reach the point where you are today? So, it's a great question because that happens all the time and you end up in a room and you're like, why am I the only person here? Although, there's like 60 people there. You're always the only one. And I feel like that's always been me in some way or shape or form. Luckily, I use what they call weakness as strength. So, I'm loud. And so, if I don't see someone in a room that's like me or I can kind of relate to, I make it known that this is not going to end well if I'm the only one here. And there's like a billion people out there and how am I the only one representing my community? So, yeah. People might say I'm too loud but I'm just trying to help my brothers and sisters out get further along. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. I think we're out of time. Please join me once more. Thanking Jillian for coming today. This is awesome. Thank you.


As we approach the end of our mission here in the Middle East, the Command Sergeant Major and I would like to share with you some of the highlights of the great accomplishments that our soldiers of the 28th did. But first, if you were at the dinner dance this last past year before we actually deployed, our theme was a decade of deployments. Now, over the last 10 years, multiple units within the 28th ADH Brigade, greater than 10, deployed. However, the last time the brigade deployed as a whole was in 2009. Some of the traditions to mark our presence here in the Middle East, the soldiers get together and paint up some of the T-walls used to protect our talk and our work areas. So the last time the brigade was deployed, as I said, was 10 years ago. And if you look behind me is one of the walls that was painted for OIF-0911 when the brigade was deployed. So one thing you'll notice, if you know anything about the organic units that were a part of the cab at this time, is that the 1104th ARB wasn't a part of this deployment. So after North Carolina filled the void, the 1104th wasn't able to go downrange with the brigade. The 1104th did end up deploying to Afghanistan in 2012-2013. Here in a minute before we get to the great accomplishments that our soldiers did, Command Sergeant Major will show you the great work that our soldiers did on our T-wall to mark our presence during this deployment. So this is the new T-wall. Just to look at it, it is awesome. It's probably the most beautiful thing here on Fury. These soldiers just did such a phenomenal job and this is 100% volunteer work. They did everything off duty and this is their own creativity. We collaborated on a few things that we would like to see incorporated, but the whole thing came from that handful of soldiers that's on the black belt. Which you see going across the top, each task force that was a part of the 28D cab, they had their own symbol. If you zoom in on all of those, the intricate detail that they were able to capture is just amazing. Hundreds and hundreds of hours were put into this. And right in the middle you can see the nice big keystone and it's not just a red keystone. It's all decked out with 3D and shadows and everything. Just absolutely beautiful. The scenery that you're looking at, if you don't figure it out, this one is like you're sitting in the back of a CH-47 looking out the back as you're flying. It would be something that you would see would be that flight engineer sitting on the tailgate and you'd see an aircraft or two behind you and whatever is out in the distance. This is kind of what you would see looking out the crew chief's window. You kind of see the outline of the crew chief there and then just looking out into the scenery. It even goes down, if you look at the Liberty Bell, they recreated the crack and the little bit of writing that you can almost make out. And it's just, my hat's off to them. They just did a phenomenal job of this. Thank you Command Sergeant Major, that was fantastic. Now to highlight some of our achievements over here. So as you know, our task force was made up of active duty, which we refer to as Compo 1. The National Guard, Compo 2, and the Army Reserve, Compo 3. They were scattered at 13 different locations across five different countries. Our units have flown over 30,000 flight hours. The passengers that they actually transported all through the sojo was greater than 19,000 packs. Over 190,000 miles driven. They handled over $10 million in fuel and over $13 million in ammunition. The team completed 28 aircraft phases that included 125,000 maintenance man hours and over 1,200 ground war quarters close. The cargo that our heavy lifters moved around the sojoa is greater than 2.5 million pounds of cargo. And then our Medevac had a very big mission here saving lives throughout the sojoa and they document over 220 actual Medevac missions. But we couldn't have done it without the support from our family, friends and employers back home. I can't thank you enough for all the support that you have given us over this last past year. We understand the sacrifices that you have went through and we appreciate everything you have done to support our mission. So as we transition home, all the same support that you've come to know this whole deployment isn't going to change. So if any problems arise, just reach out to that same support chain because they'll be there for you.


Today let's discuss about bilateral sagittal split osteotomy or BSSO also known as bilateral split haremous osteotomy or simply sagittal split osteotomy. Sagittal split is a versatile technique which enables movement of mandible in the anteroposterior direction. Let's see how this highly flexible technique has evolved over time. Though the technique was first described by Schuessart in 1942, it was popularized by Obwigiser in the year 1955. Dalpont has given a major modification to the procedure by extending the oblique cut to the second molar region. Hansen modified the medial cut by extending it just behind the mandibular ferramen. Epker later extended the vertical cut up till the inferior border of mandible. So this is how the technique of sagittal split has evolved over time. What are the indications of sagittal split? This technique can be used to treat both the retrognathism and prognathism of mandible. Horizontal mandibular axis, horizontal mandibular deficiency and mandibular asymmetry are few indications of sagittal split. If the mandibular advancement is to exceed 10 to 12 mm, then an extra oral approach has to be considered. Whereas if the mandibular sit back exceeds 7 to 8 mm, then intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy or an inverted L osteotomy is considered, not a sagittal split. Before moving on to the technique, let's have a quick look at the anatomy relevant to sagittal split osteotomy. This is the medial view of mandible where you can see the mandibular ferramen. It is through this mandibular ferramen that the inferior alveolar nerve enters into the inferior alveolar nerve canal. At the opening of the ferramen, there is a tongue like bony projection known as lingula. The first medial osteotomy cut is performed just superior to the lingula extending just behind the ferramen. In this lateral view of mandible, you can see the ascending ramus and the external oblique ridge. The second osteotomy cut of sagittal split is performed through this external oblique ridge extending up to the second molar or the first molar. The third vertical osteotomy cut connects the oblique cut to the inferior border of mandible. So for a better understanding of the procedure, keep this picture in your mind. Let's now move on to the technique of sagittal split. The procedure is usually done under general anesthesia with the patient in supine position. The leg solution is infiltrated into the buccal vestibule along the ramus on both the sides. The landmarks those need to be kept in mind are the anterior border of ramus, the external oblique ridge, lingula and mandibular ferramen. Coming to the incision. The incision begins at the middle of anterior ramus. This is the ascending ramus and this is approximately the mid ramus. From the middle of the ramus, the incision is extended inferiorly along the external oblique ridge towards the first molar and it then curves down to the buccal vestibule. This is the path followed by incision. Initially only the mucosa is incised. You need to retract the tissues buckly before deepening the incision to prevent any infiltration of the buccal pad of fat into the surgical site. So this is to be remembered that the tissues on the buccal side has to be retracted before deepening the incision. The incision is then cut through the submucosa, muscle and periosteum. So once the incision is completed, periosteum is elevated using a periosteal elevator. The tissues on all the three sides has to be retracted. Superiorly the tissues are retracted to expose till the tip of the coronoid. The tip has to be visible after retraction. Then retract laterally till the inferior border of the mandible. On the lateral side, you reflect the tissues till you see the inferior border of the mandible. And on the medial side, expose the internal oblique ridge and up till the superior and posterior portion of the lingula. On the medial side, you need to expose the internal oblique ridge and the superior portion as well as posterior region of lingula. Also you need to relieve the temporalis fibers from the medial side of coronoid. As you know the fibers of temporalis muscle gets attached to the tip of the coronoid. Therefore, it is necessary to relieve the fibers from here. So once the soft tissue dissection is over, you proceed with the bone osteotomies. So before we describe each osteotomy in detail, let's have a look at what are the different osteotomies used in sagittal split. There are three osteotomy cuts used in a sagittal split. The first one is a medial horizontal cut. The medial horizontal osteotomy is performed on the medial aspect of the mandible. Then the second cut is a oblique one. It is an oblique one and it is an intermediate one. So it extends from the medial cut down towards the external oblique ridge towards the molar region. This is the intermediate oblique osteotomy. The third osteotomy is a vertical buckle cortical osteotomy which is performed from the lower border of the mandible and it connects to the oblique cut. So there are three osteotomies, basically a medial horizontal osteotomy, an intermediate oblique osteotomy and a vertical buckle cortical osteotomy. Now let's see each of these osteotomies in detail. The medial horizontal osteotomy is performed first using a reciprocating saw or a burr which is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees to the bone surface. The bone cut should extend superior to and posterior to the lingula that is about two-third the anterior posterior dimension of the ramus which should be kept in mind that the bone cut should extend into the medullary bone and not just remain within the cortical bone. Also, the cut should be made in such a way that it is parallel to the occlusion plane. The intermediate oblique osteotomy is an extension of the medial horizontal cut. This osteotomy is taken downward through the external oblique ridge towards the second molar region. This intermediate oblique osteotomy should be parallel to the lateral contour of the mandible. Remember that this bone cut should be parallel to the lateral surface of the mandible. The oblique osteotomy can also be extended towards first molar region just for better accessibility. Prior to performing the vertical buccal cortical osteotomy, protect the soft tissues at the lateral and inferior border of the mandible using a channel retractor. The vertical osteotomy should involve the lower border of the mandible. The vertical cut starts from the inferior border of the mandible. It goes up straight perpendicular to the occlusion plane. It goes for about 2 cm before joining the oblique cut. So hence all the three osteotomies are completed. The first osteotomy cut is the medial horizontal osteotomy, the second one is the intermediate oblique and the third one is the vertical buccal cortical osteotomy. Once you have performed all the three osteotomies, it is now time to complete the sagittal split. A small spatula osteotome is used to mallet from the medial to the vertical cut. That means the osteotome is used beginning from the medial horizontal cut along the oblique intermediate osteotomy and then finally to the vertical cut. Make sure that the osteotome is directed lactally towards the lateral side of the mandible and not towards the medial side. Also be careful not to damage the neurovascular bundle. Once the osteotome is used to mallet from the medial cut to the vertical, then use a smith spreader to complete the sagittal split in a prying motion. The smith spreader is used in a prying motion to complete the sagittal split. Any incomplete trying or any incomplete split can lead to adverse fracture. So keep in mind that the prying should be complete and the split also should be complete. It is important to visualize the neurovascular bundle throughout the procedure while performing a sagittal split visualize the neurovascular bundle and always maintain it in the medial or the proximal segment. What is the medial segment? The segment that contains the condylar head is known as the medial segment and the segment that bears the teeth is the distal segment. So keep in mind the one that bears the condyle is the proximal segment and the one bearing the teeth are the teeth is the distal segment. In case the nerve bundle is embedded within the bone, in the proximal segment if it is embedded within the bone it is important to relieve it. It is important to relieve it from between the bone irregularities otherwise this can lead to a nerve injury or temporary nerve damage later on. In case of advancement, in case you are advancing the mandible, separate the medial tergoid muscle from the inferior border of the distal segment. As you know the medial tergoid gets attached to the middle aspect of the mandible. So if you are advancing the mandible make sure that the medial tergoid attachment is relieved from the distal segment because we don't want any stretching of the muscle as you advance the mandible forward.  So here make sure the stripping is minimal. If the stripping is excessive there are chances that the segment will not survive and there will be necromancy. After the split is complete and the neurovascular bundle is preserved the mandible is then advanced or setback as required. It is a distal segment that is advanced forward or which is setback. In a setback the desired amount of cortical bone is removed from the distal segment. That means a desired amount of cortical bone is removed from here this aspect of the distal segment. Why is it done? So that it doesn't override with the proximal segment. When you take the distal segment behind it should not override with the proximal segment. For that reason a small amount or the desired amount of cortical bone is removed. And it is also done so that both the segments both the proximal and the distal segments maintain a cancerous bone contact. When a small portion of cortical bone is removed then it is the cancerous bone which comes in contact and this will enhance healing. So this is how the mandible is brought forward or behind following a sagittal split. Once the mandible is repositioned occlusion needs to be checked and confirmed. Then the maxillum mandibular complex is placed in an IMF. And like in any other osteotomy in sagittal split also the bony segments are fixed using either a rigid internal fixation, bone plates, a large bone plate in case of advancements or lag screws or wiring. If bone wiring is used then IMF needs to be maintained for another five to six weeks. This is how the distal and the proximal segments are stabilized and fixed. Postoperative complications like edema, diminished sensation of lips and limited jaw movements are often experienced by the patients. Few other complications include a wrong split. When a third molar is removed during the time of surgery there are chances that the sagittal split can turn into an unfavorable fracture. So it is advised to have the third molar removed at least six months prior to the surgery. Also neurosensory deficit has been observed among patients who have undergone a bisagittal split. So if a nerve is cut or transplanted during the surgery it is advised to perform a microanastomosis. Also care has to be taken while plating both the distal and proximal segments because an improper plating can either push or pull the contact into an untoward position and this can lead to TMJ problems and relapse later on. Another complication is excessive bleeding. It can be from inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle or medullary bed or even from facial vessels. So if the bleeding is from an inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle or if it is a bone bleed it can be controlled using local hemostatic measures. If the bleed is from facial vessels then the vessels have to be clamped and tied which can be done only through an incision performed extra overly. So these are the complications with sagittal split osteotomy and this is all about bilateral sagittal split osteotomy. Thank you.


First of all, I just want to thank all of you for being here today.  So this is truly a great honor for me. Hey, Mary, keep it down over there please. For God's sake. I love Mary. She's the best. I did want to recognize there's a city counselor that comes to this event every single year, because she is so supportive of what all of you do every single day in the city. I just wanted to recognize counselor Jill Dusson. Jill, can you? Jill, thank you for all your leadership, all your support of city staff, certainly at budget time, we greatly appreciate all of the work that you do, and we'll continue for many years to come looking forward to working with you. So unless of course you leave us. There are 191 employees that are being honored today for anywhere between five and 45 years of service, and so I'll start reading lists of your names and I apologize to you in advance. If I mess up your name. I did a few years ago, I was told that there was actually a cash bet that I wouldn't be able to pronounce Andy Jigaleski's name. I actually pronounced this name correctly, and so there was a lot of money lost that particular day, so I do apologize in advance. If I do mispronounce your name, it's certainly not intended any show of disrespect, it's just because I just didn't know how to pronounce your name. I also want to acknowledge the incredible food from the Barron Center. I want to acknowledge Mary McCarthy wherever she is. Oh, there's Mary, and not just Mary because Mary gets way too much credit. But that entire group of folks right back there, who really are the ones that, not to diminish you, Mary, but they're really the superstars. Well, I'm not sure they make you look good, but I love you, Mary. So I also just want to recognize the organizing committee. There's a lot of work that goes into this event every year, and so there's a group of people who spend an enormous amount of time organizing this, getting us ready for this particular day. So Gina Tapp from the Human Resources Department, Kathy Vosmas from HR, Carleen Kessler from HR, Mary McCarthy from the Barron Center, Clarkson Woodward, there's Clarkson right there from the Police Department, Keith Hanson from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. Amy Laguerre from the Fire Department, Jessica Grondin from the Executive Department, Kathy Williams from the Public Works, Desiree Kelly from Planning and Urban Development, and this next person threatened to have my car towed when it was parked on Myrtle Street. So I'm hesitant to read her name, but Jen Hale from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. Jen now knows what my car looks like. So I did want to just move into, actually before I begin on the five-year, I did want to thank the Fire Department. Those of you who are here from Latter-Eight, I just want to thank you for making sure the truck got here in one piece, and that we did not park anywhere near a power line. So thank you so much. So if you didn't know, there's an article in the newspaper about South Portland, literally took a $1.1 million ladder truck, and before it even went out on the road, it caught on fire, and thank God it was in Portland. So now I'd like to read the list of the five-year recipients, and ask you all to stand when your name is called, and then at the very end, applause, and then just sit down as quickly as the applause subsides. Mary Albert from the Barron Center. Franco Morosa from Parking. Apparently, Frank does not want to stand. Salay Bazinga, so Chelsea Beard. Chelsea's already been very successful with the baskets, so Lauren Brislin from Special Social Services. Raeanne Burgess from the Barron Center. Marie Burke from the Barron Center. Kaitlyn Cameron from Planning and Urban Development. Tyson Quintara from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. Jason Chan from Social Services. Sam Chapin from Permitting and Inspections. Taiona Shepola from the Barron Center. Jeff Clark from Public Buildings, Waterfront. Jonathan Cacenza from the Police Department. Rose Marie Cronin from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. Anthony Dowrymple from the area. He told me he's not a Celtics fan, so that's an issue, but that's okay. Jacob Demchak from the Police Department. Jeff DeMille from Public Works. Keith Emery from Public Works. Nancy English from Legal. Daniel Fahey from Parks, Recreation. Daniel, I'll give you applause. Obviously, Shannon Farrell from Parking. John Friedman from Police. Ian Geeb from the Police Department. I'm sorry, Ian Guyb from the Police Department. Let's see, Morgan Griskwich from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. Nick Gowen from the Police Department. Jenny Hambleton from the Barron Center. Ken Hickman from the Police Department. Amanda Holivan from Social Services. Martha Hyland from Finance. Tatiana N. Jack from the Barron Center. Samuel Ishimwe from Social Services. Joseph James from the Police Department. Kai Garpu from Social Services. Jonathan Lackey from the Police Department. Megan Langevin from the Barron Center. Kathleen Lawson from the Barron Center. Amy Laguerre from the Fire Department. Karen McPhee from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. Jason Nadeau from the Police Department. Richard Newcomb from Public Works. Henry Potaki from, wait, sorry. Henry Nikoi Buffumbo from Social Services. Debra Potaki from Social Services. Ben Pearson, Edie Perkins from Health and Human Services. Matt Pryor from Social Services. Christopher Pupke from Social Services. John Rennie from Social Services. Eric Richard from the Police Department. Katherine Rothi from the Barron Center. Catlin Sawyer from Finance. Cheryl Shannon from the Barron Center. Steven Sinclair from Social Services. Corey Spalding from Public Works. Ryan Sullivan from Public Works. Henry Tarla from Social Services. Caitlin Taylor from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. Debra Toms from the Barron Center. Jeremy Turner from the Police Department. Travis Tuttle from Public Works. Emma Value from Public Works. Christopher Willett from the Barron Center. Thomas Williams from Permitting and Inspections. Jason Junkowski from Social Services. So that's all the five years, so please give all the five years a big round of applause. We'd like the 10 years to please stand so we can recognize all of you, and then we can applaud vigorously for you when I'm done reading the 10,000 names on the 10 year. So, empathy, empathy. So, Gene, I think I've been sampling as well. So, Anthony Ampason from the Police Department. Anthony, are you here? No, he's not here. Okay, because I didn't see anyone stand, Chief. So, Carol Belenso from the Barron Center. Obviously, no one cares about being here today from the 10 years. Mark Chapman from the Jet Port. Wow, okay. So next year, we're going to cut out the 10 years, Gina. Jennifer Dia from the Barron Center, yay. And you got to stand, please, please stay. No, you got to stay. No, no, no, no, no, no. You got to stay. Everyone's staring at you right now. Joe Dume. Oh, there you go. Chris Dyer from the Police Department. Chief, we'll talk after, okay. Server and Protect, I know they're all out, right? So, Catherine Ellis. I had lunch with Catherine, so, okay. Here's another name that I'm sure a lot of people didn't think I would get, Nick Gianpatruzzi. And Nick isn't even here for me to be able to, yeah, I worked like three days on that name, so. Shelly Jackson from the Barron Center. Hey, Shelly. Crystal Kendricks from the Barron Center. Ryan Luce from the Barron Center. I like how the Barron Center's representing. I really appreciate that. We'll remember that in the budget discussions, guys, so. Hear that, Chief? Greg Mitchell, Economic Development. Did someone boo Greg? Wow, what a rough crowd. You guys must live up on Munjoy Hill.  Jake O'Donnell from Parks Recreation and Facilities. And Jake didn't bother to come either. So Jordan O'Donnell from Parks Recreation and Facilities. So Sally, we'll talk afterwards. Catherine O'Hara from the Barron Center. Oh, uh-oh, budget kind of starting to go down. Matthew Pavellis from the Police Department. I have no faith right now, Chief. So I may just go right over the Police Department names from now on. Eugene Pirata from Parks Recreation. Gene, sorry, Gene, sorry. Lori Pride from the Barron Center. Yep, tough budget discussions this year. Ryan. Matthew Ricks, Public Works. Definitely no 10 years next year, Gina, OK? Kayla Rood from the Barron Center. Peter Rouch from the Barron Center. Oh, hey, Peter. Peter, you saved the Barron Center. We're on our way back up now. So Nathaniel Smith from Public Works. Aaron Smith from Parks Recreation Facilities. Sally. Sam Tucker from Public Works. Sam is popular. Danielle West Chuta, Legal. So that is all of the 10 years. Let's give them a round of applause. Anyway, so we're off to the 15 years. And again, if I would just ask you to stand up so you can be recognized. And then we'll applaud for you at the end of the list. So leading off, Alita Arno from the Jetport. Cynthia Bab from Parking. John Bassett from Public Works. Michael Benes from the Police Department. Eric Colstron from Parking. Marjorie Clavitt from the Police Department. Cleve, Cleve, OK. Brian Kogel Sr. from Public Works. Susan Duty from Police. Terrence Fitzgerald from the Police. You see how I'm just going quickly over the police. Rhonda Girard from Finance. Scott Giraud from Parks Recreation Facilities. Nick Goodman from the Police Department. Jessica Gugans from the Police Department. Yay! Jessica showed up because she's got one of the greatest dads ever, so. Robert Grover from Public Works. From Public Buildings and Waterfront. Anthony Hammond from the Barron Center. Ellen Hainick from Nell Hennig from the Economic Development Department. Nell, special congratulations to you for putting up with Greg for the last 10 years. Michelle Hutton from the Barron Center. Teresa Kunz from the Barron Center. Robert Lang from the Barron Center. Rocky Littlefield from the Jet Port. Paul. Wendy Maxner from the Barron Center. Elizabeth Morgan from HR. David Mulry from the Police Department. Nathan Slokdom from Parks Recreation and Facilities. Jeff Tardiff from Social Services. Michael Tosher from Public Works. Jeff Tully from the Police Department. Hey, Jeff, see me afterwards so we can talk about a raise or something because you showed up today. Jason Tuttle from Parks Recreation Facilities. And last but not least, one of the best we have is Kathy Vosmas from HR. You may now sit back down, Jason. Oh, we have another raffle. 6, 6, 7, 8, 3, 7, 1. 6, 6, 7, 8, 3, 7, 1. Congratulations. Oh, that's OK. I believe you. Another one. 6, 6, 7, 8, 2, 6, 5. 6, 6, 7, 8, 2, 6, 5. Yeah. Yes, that is the one. I'm hearing the table would like to share that with you. That's the HR one with all the booze in it. Oh. See, there we go. So moving on to the 20 years. Again, we're going to read all the names, ask you to stand, and then we'll recognize your wonderful contributions. So first is Travis Adams from IT. Christopher Alves from the Fire Department. Christopher Baker from the Fire Department. Vicki Barre from IT. Jeff Callaway from the Police Department. Michelle Cole from the Police Department. Gene Cody from the Fire Department. Police and Fire are really doing a good job of representing. So Mary Davis, the great Mary Davis from Housing. Matthew Fernald from Social Services. Chris Fleming from the Fire Department. Chris Goodall from the Fire Department. Phil Gordon from Public Works. Steven Hale from the Fire Department. Daniel Hayden from Police. Thank you, Daniel. Andrew Hutchings from the Police Department. Roland LaChance from the Police Department. Oh, I was going to say, you 20 years are really going strong there in the Police Department. But Donna Latham from the Baren Center. John Lowe from Public Works. There he is. Mary Ann McDormand from Public Health. Glenn McGarry from the Police Department. There he is. Hey, Glenn, Janet Dago wanted me to pass on her. Congratulations. There's a whole backstory to that, but we'll, you know. Jay Mitchell from IT. One of my favorite names of all time, Linda Momaket from Health and Human Services. James Niels from Parks, Recreation, and Facilities. So we're going to go on a four-person role for the Police Department chief, so we'll see. Eric Nevins. Yay. John Nestlein. Nestlein. Yay. Very good. Aaron Pepin. And Donald Perrone. Now here's a real test, Chief Gatro. Jesse Peters. Oh, Chief Gatro. Where's Chief Gatro at? Where is he? Oh, hey. Just wanted to say hi. Ann Rand from Parking. Michael Rand from the Police Department. Annette Rodriguez from Parks, Recreation. Brad Roland from Public Works. Lawrence Smith from the Police Department. Oh boy, that's where it ended. Mark Stevens from the Jet Port. And Chief Gatro, one last one to redeem. Mark Stewart. OK, thank you very much. So let's make sure we round of applause for the 20 years. And thank you, Police Department, for the strength at the 20-year level. So thank you. So we're going to move on to the 25-year recognition. Donald Adams from Public Works. Christopher Champagne from FIRE. So, Chief, there's like four names in a row here. So this is make or break for you, man. Scott Corey. Jonathan Denham. Hey, thank you. Thank you. Anthony DePetro, FIRE. Bob Doherty from the Police Department. Joe Ezepec from the Police Department. Roxanne Gardner from the Barron Center. Paul Gilmore from Public Works. Christine Grant from the Barron Center. Alan Green from the FIRE Department. Brad James from the FIRE Department. Jeff Lamb from Public Works. Curtis Magnuson from FIRE. Craig Messenger from FIRE. Steven Knee from FIRE. Deb Smith from the Barron Center. And Lawrence Tibbets from Park Recreation and Facilities. So can all of you please come up for a photo? But there's one very special person that is not here with us who worked for this city for 25 years, gave everything to this city. Walter Seaman Jr. from the Public Works Department passed away a few months ago. Walter was an incredible, incredible human being, public servant, served out on Peaks Island and the other islands. His family is here with us. His wife, Susan, his sons, Josh, Jeremy, and Jamie, and his grandson, James. So they're over here with us. And then we have a little memorial back there. So 25 years is a long time. That's like a full career plus. And we're still going to have a decade or more to recognize after this. But one of the things that John allowed us to put in our HR budget for this year was service awards when people retire with 25 years and more. So that's going to be a new thing that anyone retiring will be getting a city gift. And we're going to have a list of probably five or six things that people can pick from when they leave this. Will be something with the city seal on it. Because we really, we can't say enough. This isn't enough, obviously, for all the service and years that people put in. So thank you. 25 years, awesome. So the next group, the 30 year, we'd like to ask all of, once your name is called, to please come up front. So you can be recognized that we can also do a photo. And I just, I've only been here three and a half years. And I have to tell you, the greatest honor, I've had opportunities in my career to work with some interesting people through the Celtics and other things. But it is the greatest honor for me to be able to work with all of you. I say this to everyone and everyone who will listen, that I am truly blessed to work with such an incredible group of folks.  You are by far the best. So thank you for everything. So starting with the 30 years, Aaron Clark from the police department, Randy Emmons. Oh, Randy's got to be here. Oh yes, there he is. Charles Frost from public buildings and waterfront. Larry Goodson from Public Works. Ginny Kasserman from the police department. Danny Knight from the police department. Jennifer Lodge, otherwise known as J. Lowe from finance. Terry Marclusli Luski from social services. Thank God they're not here, so worries. Sorry to butcher that name. James Merrill from assessors. They're hungover from that Halloween lunch that they had yesterday. The great thing. Richard Mazzerve from Parks, Recreation and Facilities. William Miller from FIRE. Jen Munson from Planning and Urban Development. Arnie Penanin? Yeah, can you just, here. It's Penanin. I knew I have.  Beth Pollakwen from the police department. Oh my God, a bath would not show up? Tayag Rainer from the Baron Center. OK. So let's give all of these folks a huge round of applause. So now we're moving toward a truly, truly elite group of people, folks who have dedicated their working life to the city. And we cannot thank them enough. And so I'd like to invite Dan Boodlier to come up and speak about Deb Jensen. Come on up, Deb. Deb began her career with the city of Portland in the finance department. She was hired on September 5, 1983. And she still remembers parts of the interview. We were talking about this. Her interview was done by Sally DeLuker at Anita LeChance, which are also been around for a while. She remembers as she got up to leave the interview, the door lock wouldn't work right. So she was trapped in the room with them. And Sally told her, that was part of the test. How many people think Sally was mean? Pretty funny. Now they're always looking for new challenges. Deb applied for a job in the technology department in October of 1987. She came to us as a computer operator with the Unisys mainframe. And what was the motto, Deb? Systemating Model 20, which I had forgotten. She still remembers. Deb told me a story the other day about her first week of work. She was training with one of our computer operators. And she remembered that he got called out of the office unexpectedly and never mentioned the fact that during the next series of jobs, she would have to change the paper in the big high-speed printers. He forgot to mention that. So we printed an entire run of accounts payable checks on the wrong paper. And if you work in IT, that's terrifying. During the 31 years in technology, she's worked a variety of jobs and received promotions. She's currently a network operations specialist, which is the highest technical position within the help desk. So very proud of you, Deb. Now, I asked some of the coworkers for comments. And one of them from Freeber. These are all good. Freeber's carbon on debt was, she always does her best. That's important. Joanne, Deb knows her customers. And she works hard to meet the needs with diligence and passion. Nasser, which went on for an entire paragraph, so I had to trim him down. He put lots of energy into your job. And he knows that you continue to put more energy in the coming years. Bicky said about Deb, you tirelessly tackle your job, striving to give the best possible service to your fellow city staff. And Tam, who's one of our newest members, said, being friendly is the key to success and you have it. That was good. Now, something I thought was interesting was that out of our, as we talk about, 35 years of service, how does the city workforce rate now? Over 1,400 people. A third of that number are under the age of 35. So that's, I thought, was interesting. Within the workforce, there are only 25 people who've been with us for 35 or more years. And Deb's one of those. So congratulations, Deb. Now, I have the distinct honor of introducing the next person. I'd like to ask Chris Branch to come up and speak about one of the best people that we have in the city. And I tell you, it is an incredible honor for me to be able to work with this gentleman, Maynard Sprig, from the Public Works Department. Maynard's been here a lot longer than I have. So Maynard started with the city April 18, 1978 as an equipment operator. During that time, he's had a number of promotions, a number of commendations. He was involved with the Hadlock Field Project. I think a lot of you know that a lot of the work at Hadlock Field was actually done with in-house crews. A lot of the folks from Public Works and other departments were involved in that. He transitioned to the Senior Operations Dispatcher, where I think most of us know where he serves today, in 1994. He's been selected for a number of awards over the years, received commendations in 82, 1994, 96, 2005, and again in 2015. Maynard was always been a dedicated employee no matter the assignment or task. Whenever he's been asked to do stuff, he's done it, and he's done it well. He's PW's first line of customer service. Chances are, you call Public Works during the daytime, Maynard's the one who's going to answer the phone. And as anybody who answers phones with people calling in for service-related issues, he gets to deal with a lot of very, shall we say, interesting constituents. Is it no matter what the level of complaint or language Maynard's always responded in a very professional manner? He's always done his job excellently. He has his finger on the pulse of PW operations, is willing to help out customer employees, try dealing with all those folks who want to get their street plowed in the middle of a blizzard, to accomplish all concerns, requests, and does all this in the best economical way. Maynard had just done a great job over his 40 years with the Public Works department. And we look forward to working with him over the next number of years. Maybe he'll make it to 45 or 50. Congratulations, Maynard. Thank you. You're welcome. Maynard just reminded me that he spent nine years on the islands, and he stayed around. So Maynard, thank you so much.  And so the definition of public servant equals you. So thank you for all you do. But I would also say the same thing for the next gentleman. Kim Dolbow, who has been with us for 45 years, is someone that I am incredibly honored, again, to work with, a gentleman who is so incredibly dedicated to the work that we do every single day, to the folks that we serve every single day. So Chris Branch, if you could come up and say some great words about Kim. Well, as going through my notes earlier, thank you to Mark Spiller and Kathy Williams. I said earlier, Maynard's been here a lot longer than I have, while Kim's been here even longer than that. Kim's been here since August 13th of 1973. That was the year I graduated from high school, to put that into perspective. And I sure ain't young. Maynard, over the years, has 45 years, have received 11 awards for Kim. What did I say? Oh, I'm getting old. Well, I'm staring right at him. That's the problem. Kim has received 11 awards, Employee of the Months, Commendations, including the work that he did at Hadlockfield, Excellence Awards, and Team Awards. When you talk about customer service within the Public Works crew, Kim is the person who shows up every time is one of our top customer service people within the department. He goes out of his way to help constituents on a regular basis. And he really does a great job. He's received the ACE Award. The ACE Award goes to the top performer within the department, somebody who's recognized for going above and beyond and having a thorough knowledge of their job. It just works that way. He's very knowledgeable of all types of PW operations when or in summer. He's never missed a plow season. Think about that. 45 years of being on call to come in and work in the worst conditions day or night, Kim's always there. As I said, he gives the greatest level of customer service. I think one of the great things about Kim is he's always mentoring other coworkers over the years, picks them up when they need a helping hand and making sure they accomplish their assignment. He is a team builder within the department. I just want to say thank you, Kim. You've been an excellent employee. And I'm glad that you're a member of the Public Works Department. It's proud to work with people like you every day. And I really appreciate all the work that you and Maynard and the other people do here. Thank you very much. Congratulations. So thanks, Chris, for bringing up plow season because one of the things that you all know, of course, but I'm not sure if the city of Portland residents realize how many people that work for the city that don't get the storms off or don't get the closures, you're out there working for all of us. So if you are considered essential services and you work all those storms, so like police, fire, public works, any of you that do that when there's a storm or any other 24-7 role, including the Baren Center people, would you stand up so we can see that today? OK, you guys and women, you're what keep the city going, and we really appreciate that so much. Thank you. And special awards. And just to also recognize the parking division is part of that essential services. So, Jet, yeah, I'm not essential, so I stay at home. No, never really been that essential. So a few years ago, we established a couple of new awards to recognize the amazing work that all of you were doing around customer service and innovation. And so this year, the nominating crew, I think picked one of the most important, one of those people that are just uniquely committed to customer service. And so, Lanny Dobson, could you please come forward? Where is she? Oh, so, oh, Lanny, you've got to come stand next to me, please. I don't have any candy though. Well, that's part of my remarks. So all of you, Lanny works in the IT department, but really, she's tucked away behind the scenes for most of her city hall fellow employees because of me. Unfortunately, Joanne and Lanny used to have open space, and now they're really upset with me, and they're tucked behind a door. So Lanny goes beyond, above and beyond, what anyone would expect in terms of customer service. Anyone who calls the city, C-click, fix, you name any type of interaction. Lanny is there providing unbelievable customer service. I mean, she is, her patience and her care eliminates a lot of the frustration our constituents have at times when they call city hall upset about something. The great way in which she handles people is something to be marveled at. So Lanny, I just want to thank you for all that you do. I do just want to mention one thing that I do have a problem with Lanny about if that's OK. So I was hired in 2015, in June, actually, of 2015. I ran the Boston Marathon in April of 2015 and finished. No, no, no gloves. But it's because of Lanny is the reason I look the way I do today. I could not run around the friggin' block right now because Lanny likes to give out candy and cookies. And I have a notorious sweet tooth. So Lanny, thank you for the girth that has been added. I would not say that's excellent customer service, what you've done to me. But thank you so much for everything. So we also created this other award, which I had mentioned before, is the Innovator of the Year Award. And this goes to two individuals who have, again, gone above and beyond certainly what was expected of them to create one of the most innovative programs that we've launched in the city in many, many years to the point of having national recognition for this program. So I'd like to ask Aaron Geer and Matt Pryor to come up. So Aaron, would you mind doing me a favor in explaining to everyone what the Portland Opportunity Crew does and the real, so any of us who love public service and that's the reason why we're in this profession, this program is exactly why we love public service. So do you mind? So we're really fortunate to have support from John and city leadership in the council. So what we're able to do with that support is go out to medians and do outreach for individuals who are engaged in panhandling. And we're able to offer them employment seasonally from May through October. And Matt takes the crew out to a variety of different sites throughout the city, and we pick up trash and do beautification projects. I think this year we visited 47 different sites and had the crew work, I think it was like 1,245 hours that they put in throughout the city, beautifying, picking up trash from East End Beach through the old port down to Batcove. And so just a really great program, especially a program that when you're out there with the crew seeing the effects is fabulous. And I'll tell you a quick story. A couple of weeks ago I was out with my family at an event and one of the participants who was a participant that's worked with Matt since the middle of summer was actually employed at the place that we were attending the event at. And it was just so nice to see that an individual who Matt had engaged on the medians back in 2017 who didn't wanna participate in the program, Matt continued to outreach and engage that individual offering him services politely each time, came in middle of this season, participated for a few weeks and is now employed. And so it's those sort of stories that I like to tell people that I think the city should be really proud of. And if I could just tell one more story.  And that's what this is all about and what we do. So thank you guys for everything you do. So we also have one other leadership award before we get to the Ganley award. There is a person, and this is the municipal leadership award that we started and created last year, which Anita Lachance was the first person to receive this award. You've heard from him earlier, but Dan Boudlier, where's Dan? So Dan, you are the 2018 municipal leadership award winner. And it's because I've rarely met an individual in my career who is so passionate about what he or she does. And Dan fits that criteria completely. Whether it's talking to me about something called the dark web or many other IT related matters, Dan is passionate and he is caring and he really is someone that has spent an enormous amount of his career. In fact, consistently, he's worked for us for 31 years, but he also, before that, I think he went to the county or somewhere. I can go to Unum. Unum, yeah, and then 10 years before he went to Unum to make the big money, he worked for the city and then came back to the city to work another 31 years for the city. And so Dan started in the IT department in 1976 as a computer programmer, which I did not know we had computers back in 1976. I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding.  And then became a computer programmer in 1987 and then he became the IT department director in 2013. So Dan, thank you for your commitment to the city of Portland, all that you've done to make the city what it is today. And honestly, we couldn't thank you enough for everything that you do. So the next award is the Robert Ganley Award. This is the highest public service award you can receive in the city of Portland. Mr. Ganley unfortunately passed away in December of 2000 when he had served as city manager for 14 plus years. This award is annually given to an employee of the city of Portland who exemplifies the dedication, knowledge and passion for municipal public service, which characterized city manager Ganley during his lifetime. We recognize an employee whose work for the citizens of Portland demonstrates over a period of years characteristics such as efficient and economical use of city resources, a mastery of skills and judgment required for successful performance of their duties, a commitment to share knowledge and skills with coworkers, freely committed themselves, real concern to improve the common good, respond to genuinely to respond to the concerns of individual citizens, to be attentive to the voices not usually heard in city hall, and it hears to Bob Ganley's maxim that good public services recognized by the substance of the performance, not by the style in which it is carried out. The selection committee comprised of previous award recipients, Keith Cattrow, Barbara Barhite, Mary McCarthy, Paul Bradbury, as well as HR staff Gina Tapp and Carline Kessler and communications director Jessica Grondin. The committee received seven nominations for the 2018 award and all of the nominees were quite worthy and incredible and so it was a very, very difficult decision that the committee came up with. So this will be the 17th winner of this award. The first winner was in 2002. So with that, I would like to ask Lisa Littlefield from the Barron Center. Lisa injured her back in service to all of us and so that is why she is sitting. So I honestly, I'm so thrilled that the committee picked Lisa. I have been so fortunate to work with Lisa over the last three and a half years. Again, she has contributed greatly to the girth around my middle in addition to Lanny with some of the best food I've ever had in my life. So Lisa has been an employee at the Barron Center since June of 1976. She was hired as a support team worker in the Nutrition Services Division. In 1979, she was promoted to a Cook Two and in 2017 she was once again promoted to the Food Production Coordinator. Her fellow employees and Barron Center residents have their own title for her, the best cook and best baker in the state. And if there was a James Beard Award presented for public employees, Lisa would win it every single year. Lisa has an excellent work ethic and always goes above and beyond what is asked of her. She helps with the hiring process of new employees and trains them in the use of city equipment and the day-to-day routine of nutrition at the Barron Center. She is always professional, has excellent attendance and is committed to nutrition, the nutrition needs of the residents. Lisa sought out to be the cook at the Barron Center Flamingo Breakfast. I'm not sure we wanna know what a Flamingo breakfast is, but it's held every Tuesday morning and the residents love her cooking and demand that she preside over those breakfasts. Even to the point where they have special requests of Lisa, which she of course works with them on. Many city council meeting or budget meetings have been discussed over one of Lisa's home cook meals. Mr. Ghandley himself was a big fan of Lisa's homemade two-night noodle casserole. And the people and people seek out her special whoopie pies. And I know this from my own experience, her chocolate chip cookies. So Lisa, I cannot think of a person who deserves this more than you. Thank you for everything that you do for the city of Portland. Lisa's parents are here. Could we have them come forward please? Where are Lisa's parents?