Spotlight on Milwaukee County Workers: County Executive Chris Abele Recognizes Exceptional Performance Throughout the County

MILWAUKEE – Through his performance management initiative, County Executive Chris Abele is not only transforming Milwaukee County into a model government in the way it serves residents and strengthens community, he’s helping departments and employees set goals, achieve them, and continue to aim higher. All this week, County Executive Abele will highlight the accomplishments of several County departments over the past year.

Under the county executive’s leadership, departments set one or two stretch goals — in addition to their annual performance plan — with specific targets and timelines, to adopt a best practice or remedy a significant deficit in performance. Quarterly, departments track and report on their progress, noting what’s working and identifying any gaps.

Being able to measure, track, and monitor progress is an important management tool, but the real value is for Milwaukee County residents who receive the highest possible level of service. Over the weekend, through another significant winter storm event, hundreds of County employees kept our community safe and warm, and did so more effectively than ever as a direct result of setting and meeting ambitious performance goals.

“I’d like to say a special thank you to just some of our great County employees — the hard-working snowplow drivers and highway workers who kept County roads plowed, salted, and safe; the caring staff at the Department on Aging who provided resources for our older adult friends, family and neighbors; the homeless outreach workers in the Housing Division who helped direct our most vulnerable citizens to a safe and warm place to sleep; the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services who helped people apply for energy assistance; the drivers at MCTS who kept routes running; and the dispatch operators at the Office of Emergency Management,” County Executive Chris Abele said. “Because of our performance management initiative, I don’t have to guess that our employees provide this excellent service every single day – I know it for a fact. The community might not always see the great work that our staff is doing so it’s important to remind everyone from time to time that Milwaukee County has the best workforce around.”

About Performance Management at Milwaukee County:

With an unrelenting focus on continuous improvement, Milwaukee County is well on its way to being a model government in the way that it manages its performance and delivers results to its citizens.

These disciplined efforts have already yielded significant improvements: the County’s Fleet Department has been recognized as one of the “100 Best Fleets in the Americas”; chronic homelessness in the County has dropped by over 70 percent; annual energy costs have declined by more than $3 million since launching our Office of Sustainability in 2013, even accounting for seasonal swings in temperature, and the County is improving financial support for children in the poorest neighborhoods through our Child Support Services division setting new records for families served.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.