Chillicothe Correctional awards Employee and Officer of the Year
CHILLICOTHE— On May 8 the Chillicothe Correctional Institution kicked off National Correctional Officers Week with a ceremony celebrating employees and honoring the Employee of the Year and Officer of the Year. This ceremony included guests from the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections as well as former prison warden Tony Brigano.
Brigano spoke of his time in the corrections system and all the people he met. He also noted how it takes all staff members to keep the institution running and how great it for selected winners is to be recognized by their peers. He also reminded all in attendance to take their job seriously but remember what is important outside of the gates.
Warden Tim Shoop echoed the statement that the institution could not run without all of the great staff it has. He said without them nothing would be able to happen and he hopes that they take time to celebrate their hard work during the week.
During the ceremony, the institution also recognized staff who took zero sick days last year and those who had hit major career milestones.
Officer of the Year
Mike Strausbaugh is a corrections officer at CCI, where he has worked for almost seven and a half years. He had a previous career that was different from corrections before going back to school and his bachelor's degree in law enforcement and joining CCI.
Strausbaugh said he works to the best of his ability every day as do those around him, which is why he was surprised to win. Still, he said it was very humbling to be recognized and to know that his peers think highly of him.
"I appreciate them and I'm glad they appreciate me," said Strausbaugh of his peers. "To me, everyone deserves [this recognition]."
Shoop said that Strausbaugh has a positive attitude that impacts those around him. He also called him an "extraordinary" employee who goes above and beyond.
Employee of the Year
IT Specialist Micheal Reed was awarded Employee of the Year, he has worked in corrections for over 15 years. He works to ensure that cameras and systems are working correctly at all times as well as helping all system users stay connected.
Reed was also surprised to win and said that being recognized by his peers has given him renewed hope in his job as he can sometimes lose focus trying to make everyone happy.
His family was in attendance during the ceremony and was able to see a glimpse of what he does. Reed said his kids have grown up with him working in corrections so this gave them a unique experience to see what he has been talking about over the years.
Looking back, Reed said he is proud to have been able to upgrade technology in the institution to help those working and living there. He said during the pandemic he was able to upgrade facilities that had been out of use for many years to include all the security systems and a phone for incarcerated individuals to use to call family.
Shoop said Reed keeps the institution safe through his work and that without him they would be "dead in the water."
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Chillicothe Correctional awards Employee and Officer of the Year
