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Richard Martinez Selected as District’s 2018 Field Employee of the Year

public affairs
Published Jan. 22, 2019
Richard Martinez, the District’s Field Employee of the Year, stands next to his truck before heading out on a site visit, Jan. 3, 2019.

Richard Martinez, the District’s Field Employee of the Year, stands next to his truck before heading out on a site visit, Jan. 3, 2019.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Richard Martinez was honored as the District’s Field Employee of the Year during the District’s 2018 Annual Award Presentations, Dec. 12, 2018.

“Thank you for the recognition. It is an honor, and a privilege, to work for the Corps of Engineers here at Cannon Air Force Base,” Martinez said.

Martinez has been a senior quality assurance representative since 2010. Working at the District’s Cannon Air Force Base Resident Office, Martinez keeps busy visiting job sites at least twice daily; preparing daily project reports; attending project-related meetings; performing quality assurance testing as needed and reviewing submittals as they come in. He also serves on Source Selection Boards as needed, and performs many other additional duties, as requested. 

In addition to his QA representative duties, due to staffing shortages, Martinez “has stepped up to perform as a project engineer on three projects, including the very complex HVAC Bldg. 848 [and the] 551st Squad Ops projects,” said District Commander Lt. Col. Larry Caswell. “Richard’s strong, well driven work ethic has allowed him to flourish in both the QA and project engineer roles. He is the ‘go to’ guy at Cannon Air Force Base.”

Not only was Martinez the project engineer for both projects listed above, he was the quality assurance representative for them as well.

“He took on all of his regular daily responsibilities, as a Quality Assurance Representative, and, essentially, took on additional responsibilities of Project Engineer,” said Fabian Lopez, Jr., acting resident engineer, Cannon Resident Office.

“When Richard is asked to help with any task, I know it's going to get done as quickly as possible, and I know that is going to be done correctly, and to the best of his ability. Richard has stepped up, in more ways than one. His efforts, and additional responsibilities, to support the mission, here at Cannon AFB, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are greatly appreciated,” Lopez said.

This year the District expanded the recognition by choosing an Employee of the Year from the District office, as well as an Employee of the Year from the field offices. The District office Employee of the Year was Joseph Hernandez, ACE-IT visual information specialist. District employees nominated for recognition this year include Chris Parrish, archaeologist; Ellen Rule, program analyst; Jennifer Lillard, biologist; Michelle Kessinger, contract specialist; Maria Romero-Wroten, accountant; and Valerie Thompson, park ranger at John Martin Reservoir.