by Dennis Dalman
Kelly Hanson, communications specialist for the Sartell Police Department, was the recipient of not one – but two – awards for excellence at the July 8 City Council meeting.
The honors were presented by Sartell Police Chief Jim Hughes, who delivered bouquets of praise for Hanson’s longtime work for the department.
One award, the “Circle of Excellence,” is from the Professional Law Enforcement Assistants Association, which promotes high degrees of skill and efficiency for staff members who support law-enforcement agencies.
The other award, the Meritorious Service Award, was from Hughes on behalf of the Sartell Police Department.
“Thank you very much,” said Hanson after receiving the two awards from Hughes as the council applauded.
Hanson has worked for the Sartell Police Department for 23 years, the last 19 of them as communications specialist. She helps with walk-in calls and requests for information from the public, files records, handles a wide variety of phone calls, cross-trains a city hall staff member to help with records, works with city staff on all sorts of needs and serves as a mentor for clerical staff. In addition, Hughes noted she had given professional input when architects were designing the new records and communications center in the new police station in the Public Safety Facilities building now under construction. She has been assisting with data entry for the fire department to create a smooth transition between the two departments when the new facility opens.
“She (Hanson) come to work with a smile on her face and a commitment to the agency that any administrator would like to see,” Hughes told the council, adding that Hanson is the “backbone of our operations.”
Kelly Hanson was honored with two awards of excellence for her two decades of service as a communications specialist for the Sartell Police Department.
