Hard work recognized: Stevens named city’s Employee of the Year

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Department of Vehicle Maintenance mechanic Mark Stevens works on a police department vehicle after being named the city’s Employee of the Year Monday. He has been employed with the city for more than 15 years. (Amy Satterwhite photo)

There were at least five police cars parked outside, but Mark Stevens wasn’t worried.

It’s something he has become accustomed to after more than 15 years of working for the city. Stevens is one of four mechanics who maintain almost 200 vehicles — the reason for all the police cars — and was named Employee of the Year Monday.

An often overlooked, but integral aspect of city business, the city garage is an active place. Anything — from trash trucks to police and fire department cars — can roll in at any given time.

Stevens said mechanics may work on up to five cars per day on easy jobs or could spend a couple of days working on more difficult ones. Work ranges from engine or transmission repairs to basics like brakes and oil changes. Priority vehicles are the fire and police departments.

“It’s really hard to be specific about what I do,” he said while working on a blown heating unit for a K-9 officer’s vehicle Tuesday. “This morning it’s been two dashboards and I may not do another one for six months.”

Stevens said he made up his mind about what he wanted in a career while still in high school. After attending Nashville Auto Diesel College, he got a job with the city.

“We just try to keep everything the city’s got in the way of vehicles and equipment maintained and rolling for when they need them,” he said.

“We have police, fire, water department, public works, sanitation. I would have to say sanitation [is the most difficult to work on], the trash trucks. They’re just a little dirty these days,” he added with a laugh.

Stevens’ supervisor, director of vehicle maintenance Junior Nunley, decided Stevens deserved recognition for his hard work and recommended him for Employee of the Quarter, which put him in the running for Employee of the Year.

“We have approximately 180 to 200 vehicles before us and he can do it all. He’s a really good mechanic and a better person,” Nunley said after learning of Steven’s award, which was kept a surprise until Mayor Royce Davenport’s announcement at the employee Christmas party Monday.

Others named for quarterly awards were McMinnville Police Department Lieutenant Investigator Derwin Adcock, horticulturist Nonna Stein, formerly of urban forestry and McMinnville Fire Department fire inspector/training officer Phil Mitchell.

After taking top honors as well as the $100 cash that goes along with the award, Stevens said he was honored.

“I enjoy working with the city and I enjoy working with the people I work with and the people I’m around,” he said. “There are a lot of people who work for the city who deserve it and I’m just honored they picked me.”

Davenport also awarded service awards to the following: Carolyn Elrod, Marty Cantrell, Rusty Woodlee, Gary England, all for 10 years of service to the city; Stevens and Charles Slaughter for 15 years; Sandy Haston and Bryan Denton for 20 years; Judy Williamson, Nunley, John Hollandsworth and Bob Patterson for 25 years; and Danny Arnold and Carl Davis for 30 years of service. The city also honored retiree Solon Hayes and the memory of David Stalcup.