Even before recent news stories about the discovery of contaminants in some area residential wells, clean water was on people's minds. And one New Mexico Environment Department employee has been recognized for her role in helping get water wells tested.

Jessica Tapia, in the Environmental Health Division's Liquid Waste Program, recently was named the agency's 2009 Employee of the Year.

While Tapia's primary duties involve the program's finances, she also put in considerable volunteer time last year assisting with free water well testing. After one Water Fair alone, the program received more than 500 calls from water well users. Tapia fielded most of the calls, prepared well-testing forms for each caller, printed MapQuest directions for each well to be tested and helped out with field sampling, on top of her normal duties.

Susan Von Gonten has earned the Environment Department's Individual Honorable Mention of the Year for 2009. Von Gonten works in the Environmental Protection Division's Petroleum Storage Tank Bureau. For the past year, she has served as project manager for cleanup of the downtown construction site for the First Judicial District Court's new judicial complex.

The site was contaminated decades ago from leaking underground gasoline storage tanks. As a result, the $50 million project was put on hold pending cleanup. Von Gonten coordinates efforts by Santa Fe County, the state and private contractors. "She has shown unusual zeal in pursuing technical accuracy, understanding, timeliness ... as the central figure in assuring a coordinated cleanup," her nominators said.

The Environment Department's 2009 Group Achievement Award of the Year was presented to the Environmental Health Division's District 5 staff in northwestern New Mexico.

With five staff vacancies throughout 2009, the remainder of the team stepped in to assume critical duties. For some staff members that has meant hundreds of miles of travel on a weekly basis. "The D5 staff has performed admirably in the most difficult of times," the group's nominators said.

The District 5 staff consists of Sabrina Arthur, Veronica Barnes, Deborah Carpenter, Adrienne Coan, Jerry Ford, Linnie McClellan, Norman Norvelle, John Rhoderick, Salomon Romero, David Sanchez, Crystal Thompson, David Torres and Andrew Wilson.

Waldo Ulibarri Jr. is the latest top monthly employee in the state Transportation Department's General Office. Ulibarri, an inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, is described as "solidly dependable, consistent and seems always to be cheerful and happy with his work," his nominators said, adding: "If it was possible to clone him, it would definitely be in the best interest of the department."

Next week: Cost savings and hard work result in supervisor of the month award in the Transportation Department.

If you have news about a public employee, contact Fauntleroy at gussie7@fairpoint.net