“We all have a job to do and in order to do them successfully, we must collaborate and work together as a team,” shared Mabel Chow, SFPUC’s Collection System Division 2021 Employee of the Year. Chow has been in public service for the City and County of San Francisco for 21 years.

Chow said the hardest part of her jobs is bringing so many people and various departments together to be on the same page. However, she doesn’t take all the credit. Team work enabled the Collections System to put safety protocols in place during the pandemic and collaborate closer together with other departments.

“During the pandemic, we needed to come up with guidelines, safety protocols for social distancing, mask requirements, and health screening processes for staff working onsite,” she said. In collaboration with the pre-treatment team, Chow worked with the team to set up a health screening station to safely screen staff, develop walking paths for staff to follow so there is social distancing walking down hallways and around the office, ensure safety information was posted and replaced with updated posters, clean and disinfect around the office, and set up air purifiers in each part of the office. Chow is recognized for helping manage the daily office operations, including making sure staffing needs are met, health and safety guidelines are followed, and more.

Former Acting CSD Manager, Chris McDaniels recognized Chow and said she was one of the unsung heroes that everyone depends on. “When staff has a problem, everyone calls Mabel,” explained McDaniels. “Over the year she has provided stability, commitment and dependability.”

“I was pleasantly surprised for being recognized as Employee of the Year 2021,” said Chow. “I am glad to be part of the team and am grateful for the guidance and insight that I have received. The past 18 months has been exhausting to say the least and I am indebted to those who stood beside me.”