Other employees were also recognized for outstanding service.
LEWISTON – Patrolman Dan Lachance was named the city’s employee of the year for his part in a major cocaine bust this summer.
City Administrator Jim Bennett announced Lachance’s award at an employee recognition awards banquet at the Ramada Inn Thursday night. Lachance is the second employee to get the award. General Assistance Director Sue Charron received the honor last year.
Bennett praised Lachance for his work with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency federal task force.
“He helped coordinate a drug sweep in the spring that culminated in charges being filed against 25 individuals over five months,” Bennett said. “It resulted in the seizure of $50,000 and three vehicles. It went all along the coast, from Florida right up to Maine.”
Lachance receives an extra week of paid vacation for the employee of the year title.
Human Resources Secretary Doris Bergeron was named customer service employee of the year. Bennett said she was always polite and professional answering phone calls from the media last fall in response to Mayor Larry Raymond’s letter to local Somali immigrants. Raymond asked Somalis to slow their migration to the city because they were becoming a financial burden.
“(Bergeron) was an absolute customer service model during that,” Bennett said. “She was right at the front line dealing with people.”
Lincoln Jeffers, deputy director of Community and Economic Development Department, and Computer Operations Specialist Sandra Prince were named professional and technical employees of the year.
Bennett praised Jeffers for his behind-the-scenes work helping to get city development projects off the ground and Prince for keeping city computers running.
Assistant Fire Chief Paul Leclair and City Assessor Joe Grube were both also named managers of the year. Bennett praised Leclair for keeping track of daily operations and Grube for completing a city property value assessment.
Grube, Leclair, Prince, Jeffers and Bergeron all received an extra day off with their awards. Bennett also gave Police Chief Bill Welch and Assistant Chief Michael Bussiere a special award for their work organizing the city’s police response to a white-supremacist rally in January.
staylor@sunjournal.com
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