Classified School Employees of the Year Recognized by Orange County Department of Education

June 23, 2023

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union-sponsored program honors Orange County classified school employees who demonstrate exceptional dedication and commitment to their positions

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union serving school employees and their families, today recognized the exemplary employees from schools throughout Orange County who were honored in the annual Classified Employee of the Year program sponsored by the Credit Union. Nine finalists were selected by the Orange County Department of Education for the honor, with two of the honorees also earning the attention of California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, who included them among the 2023 California Classified School Employees of the Year. This year’s honorees were noted for their exceptional dedication to the well-being of their students and unwavering commitment to going above and beyond their assigned responsibilities.

“We continue to be inspired by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and are beyond grateful for its support of the Classified School Employee of the Year program,” said Al Mijares, Ph.D., Orange County Superintendent of Schools. “Not only does this generous sponsorship recognize and celebrate the exceptional work of our classified employees, it exemplifies SchoolsFirst FCU's broader commitment to serving, empowering and uplifting our educational community. The Orange County Department of Education is truly fortunate to have such an invaluable partnership.”

The school employees recognized as Classified Employees of the Year in Orange County include:

Emma Avalos, Family and Community Engagement Specialist, Anaheim Elementary Online Academy, Anaheim Elementary School District
Josephine Walberg, Paraeducator 4, Adult Transition Program, Capistrano Unified School District
Manjit Kaur Charaia, Senior Programmer Analyst, Garden Grove Unified School District
Karin Vizcaino, Skilled Maintenance Electrician, Los Alamitos Unified School District
Gene Martinez, Maintenance Operations Division Lead, Magnolia School District
Eddie Vey, School Bus Driver, Ocean View School District
Amira Hana, Playground Assistant, Melinda Heights Elementary School, Saddleback Valley Unified School District

In addition, two Classified Employees of the Year in Orange County were also recognized at the state level. They include:

Jaime Carranza, Senior Warehouseman at Anaheim Union High School District, won the state award for top classified employee in the Food and Nutrition Services category. As the senior warehouseman for Food Services, Carranza’s responsibilities include ensuring school sites receive their deliveries, providing technical guidance to all drivers, monitoring and maintaining warehouse inventory, receiving and storing deliveries of food and supplies, and maintaining warehouse equipment and fleet trucks. When challenges arise, he is quick to address them and offer solutions.
Adriana Ponce, Office Manager at Jordan Elementary School in the Lowell Joint School District, was recognized for her work in the Clerical and Administrative Services category. Ponce sees no limitations when it comes to serving the families, students and staff of Jordan Elementary and the Lowell Joint School District. Ponce looks for creative ways to solve problems, and during distance learning and the return to hybrid instruction she organized tasks and delegated responsibilities to classified staff members who were not able to perform their typical duties. In doing so, she took extra care to be sensitive to personal schedules and various levels of comfort when it came to interacting with others.

“We are proud to sponsor this important event again this year,” said Josh Smith, vice president, school and community relations for SchoolsFirst FCU. “SchoolsFirst FCU recognizes that classified school employees provide the foundation and structure that keep our schools running properly and create a productive learning environment for students.”

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About SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union is the fifth largest credit union in the country. Serving school employees and their families, the organization is dedicated to providing World-Class Personal Service and improving the financial lives of its Members. Today they serve more than 1.3 million Members with a full range of financial products and services. SchoolsFirst FCU was founded in 1934, when 126 school employees pooled $1,200 and established a Member-owned cooperative to help improve each other's lives. In 2022, the Credit Union reported nearly $28 billion in assets and remains the largest credit union in California. For more information about SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, visit schoolsfirstfcu.org.

Insured by NCUA.