There are some new faces around the City, so please take a moment to learn a bit about these recently hired employees and welcome them when you see them!
Joining the Public Works crew as a Supervisor is Mike Moretti, who previously worked for a large, local construction firm. He is happy about the variety of work the city is involved in and the constant demand requiring his experience and expertise. Patrick Gagnon also has joined the Public Works team from the private sector. Patrick is working his way up to be a Truck Driver, so soon you may see him this winter on a plow route! The new tri-city camera operator is Mark Beaudoin. This is a shared position with the towns of Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough, so he is out with his camera truck in any one of the towns literally looking into infrastructure issues. Finally, James Ferguson has joined the City's Wastewater Treatment Plant team. He has a media and biology background, so you can expect to hear more about and from this multitalented new hire soon!
The Parks and Recreation Department also has brought some great staff in to fill their vacancies. Barry Brewster is the new Groundskeeper for the City. He worked previously at a private country club in Falmouth and has terrific knowledge of soils and plant management to share with the department and City. Steve Brown has come to Saco from Westbrook's Parks and Rec department, and is the department's new Programmer. He is excited about the growth that Saco's Recreation department has undertaken, and he will be key to planning for many great new programs in the future. Please stay tuned!
At City Hall, Gidgette Thompson has joined the Customer Service team. She brings with her great experience from working for many years for the state at Motor Vehicle for the state, as well as a great can-do attitude and a wonderful, warm smile! Also new to the downstairs crew is Katie Johnston, who is serving as Tax Collector. Katie previously worked for the Town of Gorham in Finance, most recently as the Assistant Finance Director. She is excited to broaden her experience in local government and brings great energy and enthusiasm to her new role.
Another new face is one you actually won't see but you may hear: Wendy Morrison, who has joined the Police department in Dispatch. Wendy also brings tremendous professional experience in her new role, as she previously worked in Dispatch for both York County and the Town Kennebunk. Lucky for us, Wendy loves both to talk and listen!
There are several Patrol officers for us to introduce and welcome: Theodore Gagnon and Jeremy Webber are both new to the team. However, they are now at the Police Academy, so we won't get to see them out and about until later in January. We wish them luck with their rigorous training program.
Additional people on the force include Robyn Gudaitis, who has come to Saco from Old Orchard Beach where she was a Summer Reserve Officer. Robyn is in field training now and reports she is enjoying the pace and variety of her Saco duties. Another new officer is Daryen Granata, who has joined the Saco force from the Maine Warden Service. Daryen's prior professional experience has meant he can hit the ground, and river and just about everywhere in between, running! Last but not least, late last month Rachel Horning joined the Saco Police Department. She previously worked in Wells as an officer, as well as had an earlier career in social work. Rachel has spearheaded some impressive research into issues around drug abuse, so Saco feels really fortunate to bring her on board. With these new Patrol officers, we are pleased to report that Saco's Police Department will be fully staffed for the first time in many years.
The quality of these new staff really speaks to the City's ongoing effort "to enhance our community through exceptional service." Please join us in welcoming these folks and don't forget to let us know what you think about Saco and the services provided -- we want to hear from you!
