District honors employees with PRIDE

Jeff Benson

The pride of Newport-Mesa Unified School District was recognized at

Tuesday’s board meeting.

Five employees: Andrea Rohrer, Lisa Fertig, Linda McGuckin, Jenith

Mishne and Volkan Aginlar won the district’s top honors for its

employees, the Proudly Recognizing Individuals Demonstrating

Excellence award -- what they call the PRIDE award.

Award winners were chosen from more than 100 employees nominated

during the 2003-04 school year, said Bruce Crockard, director of

classified employees. School employees were invited to nominate

whomever they wanted to, and after extensive review, the field was

eventually narrowed to five, he said.

The award is given annually to employees who best display

outstanding service to the district, the students and the school

community.

Mishne, a teacher on special assignment at Rea Elementary School,

was selected because she was instrumental in making Rea a modern

technological school as a “tech guru,” said Jim Rogers, president of

the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers Assn.

“I’m elated,” Mishne said. “I feel really fortunate because I work

with some incredible people. I’m impassioned about what I do. It

doesn’t feel like work.”

McGuckin has served as an office manager at Corona del Mar High

School for 16 years and as a facilitator for the district.

Fertig, the Special Education Department chair at Estancia High

School, was chosen for making a significant difference in students’

lives at the school, committee members said.

Rohrer, a district personnel analyst, works closely with school

administrators in their hiring, recruiting and testing practices. A

20-year district employee, she said she started as a teacher’s

assistant, then became an office manager.

“I found out about the award a week ago,” Rohrer said. “One of the

PTA presidents showed up at my door with flowers and a letter. I’m

pleased and very honored.”

Aginlar, a district webmaster, didn’t attend the meeting.

District personnel commissioner Mark Soto called the five honorees

the “top of the line.” “There are the people who have contributed the

most excellence throughout the school year and we’re very happy to

recognize them,” he said.

The board gave each award winner a glass plaque and a $200 gift

certificate to South Coast Plaza.