LRTV Videographer Named City of Little Rock Employee of the Year

(Wednesday, April 30, 2008) – C. Steve Kendricks, a video production technician for the City of Little Rock’s LRTV operation, was named this year’s recipient of the Mahlon A. Martin Employee of the Year for the City of Little Rock. The announcement was made by City Manager Bruce T. Moore at a luncheon as a part of the City’s annual Employee Appreciation Week.

Kendricks was cited for his outstanding leadership and dedication to the City of Little Rock. As a video technician, he not only shoots footage at City events, he edits and produces the programs and has responsibilities for scheduling on LRTV, the City’s government access channel. Kendricks joined the City in 2000.

City Manager Bruce T. Moore said of Kendricks, “Steve is enthusiastic and energetic; he is conscientious and compassionate. Steve will do whatever is needed to get the job done. He views his job as a way to share the City’s information with the public. Steve realizes that many people rely on LRTV to get information about City Hall. Steve Kendricks is usually behind the camera, but today is his day to be in the spotlight.”

Assistant City Manager Bryan Day echoed Moore’s comments. “Steve works with every department at some point throughout the year. Whether it is press conferences, public service announcements, or presentation videos, Steve interacts with all aspects of City government. His positive attitude is infectious. He is a great ambassador for the City of Little Rock.”

In addition to his work for the City of Little Rock, Steve has worked with the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, Just Communities of Central Arkansas, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, and many other non-profit organizations.

The Mahlon A. Martin Award was established in 2004 by City Manager Bruce T. Moore to acknowledge City of Little Rock employees who exhibit a high quality of job performance and significantly contribute to the quality of life within the City. The recognition begins at the department level and culminates with the selection of one person from the departmental nominees to be chosen as the recipient of the Mahlon A. Martin Award.

Mahlon A. Martin was the first African-American to serve as Little Rock City Manager, Director of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, and Manager of Methods and Standards Departments of Systematics, Inc. Martin also served as President of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation until his death in 1995. Although Martin’s rise up through the ranks to become Little Rock’s first African-American City Manager is highly significant, the Employee of Year Award is named in his memory as a testament to the type of person that he was and the integrity he maintained throughout his career in government.

The other two finalists were Melinda Raley, Deputy City Attorney, and Kevin Pruett, Senior GIS Analyst in the Public Works Department. Previous recipients of the Mahlon A. Martin Award were Modena Jardina, Human Resources Department, in 2004; Linda Baer, Finance Department, in 2005; Clay Waters, Finance Department, in 2006; and Bill Mann, Chief Deputy City Attorney in 2007.

-30-