2. News Room

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 25, 2019
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
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DWD Employee Sheri Pollock Receives Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award

DWD also recognizes Honorable Mention recipients Timara Budack and Lynn Weinberger

MADISON – Governor Tony Evers, First Lady Kathy Evers, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary-designee Caleb Frostman, and dozens of state government officials and employees joined the State Council on Affirmative Action and Department of Administration Division of Personnel Management in recognizing this year's Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award Recipient Sheri Pollock during a ceremony at the State Capitol Thursday.

The Virginia Hart Award recognizes “unsung heroines” in state service who share the following qualities: esteem from peers; acceptance of responsibility beyond the limits of the nominee’s job description; sustained, extraordinary achievement of assigned tasks; performance recognition from clients; community service; self-improvement; and overcoming handicaps to performance.

Pollock currently leads DWD's Division of Operation's Bureau of Enterprise Solutions, which supports DWD's mission by providing project management, facilitation, change management, strategic planning, Lean/Continuous Improvement, business analysis, leadership training, emergency management, leadership conference planning, and much more to support our critical programs and services.

Prior to her service at DWD, Pollock was the Assistant District Attorney for Kenosha County, representing victims of various crimes, assuring justice and at the same time, supporting positive future positive outcomes for the people she served. She also served as Legal Counsel for the Department of Public Instruction, Administrative Law Judge for the Unemployment Insurance program, and Deputy Chief Legal Counsel for DWD.

Timara Budack, Section Chief in the Bureau of Human Resource Services, received an Honorable Mention for the award. Timara's first job for the State of Wisconsin was in 1988 as an Unemployment Benefits Specialist with DWD. She has since grown her career with the state and worked in several of DWD's divisions, including Equal Rights, Unemployment Insurance, and Operations.

DWD's Lynn Weinberger also received an Honorable Mention for the Virginia Hart Award. Lynn is a Financial Specialist – Senior in the Worker's Compensation Division who has taken the initiative to determine and implement best practices by creating Lean Government initiatives within her unit and has taken on additional responsibilities, such as project management, communications planning and web page design.

Several other DWD employees were also nominated for the award, including Cathy Lake, Diane Meyer, Diane Gertz, and Joette Kins.

"Sheri and the rest of the DWD employees recognized today are the epitome of what it means to be a dedicated servant to the people of Wisconsin," Frostman said. "It was my honor to celebrate their contributions to our great state."

For more information on Virginia Hart and the Virginia Hart Award, please visit the Department of Administration's Division of Personnel Management's website.