2008 Overall winner:
Arizona Western College

AWC presented trophy for best place to work
BY JOYCE LOBECK, SUN STAFF WRITER

Arizona Western College not only provides education to Yuma-area residents, it also is an excellent place to work and it has the trophy to prove it.

The college was named the 2008 Workplace Excellence overall winner during the fourth annual awards luncheon Wednesday at the Yuma Civic Center.

In the Small Business Category with fewer than 15 employees, Superlite Block took first place and Core Engineering Group was the runner-up. Horizon Moving Systems won the Medium Business Category with 16 to 80 employees, and Desert Veterinary Clinic was the runner-up.

In the Large Business Category of more than 80 employees, Yuma Regional Medical Center took first place and Dole Fresh Vegetable was the runner up.

In accepting the overall winner trophy, AWC President Don Schoening said he was "overwhelmed" and honored. He thanked the community for believing in AWC enough to approve a bond issue for new facilities on the campus.

But the main credit for AWC's recognition as one of the top 10 community colleges in the nation and for the Workplace Excellence Award goes to the college's employees, he said.

"We'll have wonderful new facilities," he said, "but it means nothing without great people."

Employee nominations stated that the college strives to provide a diverse workplace where employees work hard but are encouraged to maintain a balance between work and personal lives. The college also encourages employees to pursue lifelong learning and training, and it strives to promote people from within its staff.

Furthermore, nominations stated, AWC is a place where employees are included in the decision-making processes and are invited to help shape the college's vision.

To help ensure a satisfied work force, the college offers onsite child care and fitness centers, free massages from students, Weight Watchers at Work and flextime. Soon the campus will have its own Starbucks.

"Obviously Yumans know how to provide great workplaces," said Joni Weerheim, publisher of The Sun, a founding sponsor of the event begun in 2005 to recognize employers for their workplace practices and working environment.

This year's theme was swimming in the fishbowl, noted Cynthia Marshall, human resources director for The Sun and this year's Workplace Excellence chairwoman.

The centerpiece for each table was a small fishbowl with live fish. They serve as a reminder to consider our own fishbowl and make it the best it can be, Marshall said.

"Sometimes we can see into other bowls, but you don't know what the environment is like until you jump in and you're swimming with the fish."

The variety of fish in the various fishbowls also serves as a reminder of the diversity in the workplace, she said.

To that end, a special award to recognize the culture of diversity was presented to Club Yuma Fitness Center, where employees worked hard to turn a rundown facility into a thriving business.

A year after being handed the overall winner trophy, Bill Gresser, co-owner of Papa-San, said he was still overwhelmed at the honor and the support of his employees who thought enough of the restaurant to nominate it.

"Almost every employee we had last year is still there," he said. Among them is an employee who has worked for the Gressers since before Papa-San opened is doors in 1993; others have been there eight to 10 years.

Gresser is equally as proud of the former employees who have gone on to college, to serve their country and to the police academy.

"We're all doing what the American Dream is," he told the audience. "We get up every morning and do what we do as best as we can for ourselves and for Yuma. Congratulations to all of you for being nominated. I wish you all could win."

For this year's event, employees nominated 65 employees. Of those, 39 completed applications.

Many of them were repeat nominations and some were even previous winners. Among them were Desert Veterinary Clinic, which was the overall winner, in 2005 and YRMC, which took home the trophy in 2006.

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.