RCI names Correctional Officer and Employee of the Year
CHILLICOTHE— The Ross Correctional Institution recently recognized two staff members who work hard in the facility by naming them Employee of the Year and Officer of the Year.
The facility recognizes employees each month for their hard work but the Employee and CO of the year are special as they are voted on by the winner's peers. Warden Bill Cool said he thinks it is important to recognize staff as they are the ones that keep the facility running safely. He said this year's winners are both outstanding individuals worthy of recognition.
Officer of the Year
Kevin Moore has spent the entirety of his 28-year correctional career at RCI after leaving the Marine Corps. He said the transition felt natural to him and also allowed him to be closer to home. Over the years he has worked Moore has learned that in order to be good at this job you have to be consistent and firm to everyone.
Moore said he was surprised to win Officer of the Year even though he had won Officer of the Month before as there are several other hardworking officers and staff in the institution who work together to keep each other safe and make sure everyone goes home at the end of the day, which is his main goal.
RCI Assistant Warden Allan Szoke, however, was not surprised that Moore won as he said he is extremely well respected by the staff and incarcerated individuals. Szoke said Moore knows how to talk to people in order to help them and often takes on extra roles in the institution.
Employee of the Year
Sgt. Kyle Newland has worked at RCI for over 20 years, starting as a CO and working his way to sergeant. As a sergeant, he works with 10 COs to oversee a block in the institution. Having experience as a CO, Newland said, helps him to know what the people he works with will need in order to run a safe and clean unit.
Last year Newland worked 160 days of overtime when the institution was short-staffed. His coming in for a shift or staying over allowed someone else to go home. Over the years, he has also collected pop tabs off of cans from everyone in the institution to donate to the Shriners burn hospital.
Like Moore, Newland was surprised that he won as he said there are a lot of people who also do good work. He is, however, honored to have been recognized by his peers for his hard work.
Szoke said that Newland stands out among employees as he is a hard worker who takes pride and ownership in everything he does.
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: RCI names Correctional Officer and Employee of the Year
