City of Farmington Hills Recognizes 2024 Employee, Firefighter and Police Officers of the Year
The City also recognized the dedication of 35 longstanding employees who celebrated milestone service anniversaries in 2024 and four Outstanding Employee Award winners
The City of Farmington Hills held its 48th annual Employee Recognition and Service Awards at the historic Longacre House on Thursday, July 31 to celebrate employees for their excellence, dedication and service throughout 2024 to the City and community.
“Year after year, I’m proud to recognize the outstanding work of a team whose commitment to excellence extends to every corner of Farmington Hills,” said City Manager Gary Mekjian. “Their dedication is a driver of progress that helps keep the City strong and vibrant.”
Honorees were nominated by their peers based on several criteria, including outstanding job performance, service to the public, rapport with co-workers, and positive contributions to their departments and the City. The highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of the Employee, Firefighter and Police Officers of the Year, as well as four employees who received Outstanding Employee Awards.
Hannah Muth, recreation supervisor of aquatics and facilities in the City’s Special Services Department, was selected as Employee of the Year. Muth oversees the City’s Aquatics Division, including recruiting, training and supervising over 100 part-time lifeguards, swim instructors, and water exercise staff. She also oversees pool and splash pad maintenance, and all swim lessons, programs, and exercise classes. Colleagues who nominated her for the award noted that she leads by example, which motivates them to work harder and ensures guests have great experiences. Muth has been with the City of Farmington Hills since 2022.
Stanley Bailey, a sergeant with the Farmington Hills Fire Department, was selected as Firefighter of the Year. Bailey was commended for his commitment to supporting his colleagues, as a member of both the Department’s Peer Support Team and the OAKWAY Peer Support Team, through which he supports colleagues from fire departments across southeast Oakland County. Bailey has received several awards and citations for excellent work over the course of his career. He has been with the Farmington Hills Fire Department since 2011, when he started as a paid-on-call firefighter.
The Police Department honored two Police Officers of the Year: Alexander Aquiline and Susan Woodard. Aquiline and Woodard each received a Valor Citation in 2024 for heroically confronting an armed man who assaulted his girlfriend and attempted to murder Officer Aquiline, Detective Woodard and their fellow officers. Last year, Aquiline also received two Life Saving Awards, one for saving a man with a serious cut to the arm and the other for performing CPR on a woman in cardiac arrest. Woodard received one Life Saving Award for resuscitating a woman in cardiac arrest and three additional citations for exceptional police work in 2024. Aquiline was previously selected as the City’s Police Officer of the Year for 2023 and has been with the Farmington Hills Police Department for nearly three years. Woodard has been with the Department for two years.
The four employees recognized with Outstanding Employee Awards were Vincenzo Mabe, a building maintenance mechanic in the Department of Public Services; Matthew Malone, the City’s GIS coordinator; Shontae Stringfellow, the City’s deputy treasurer; and Shemsi Veseli, a building maintenance worker in the Department of Public Services.
The event also acknowledged the dedication and accomplishments of 35 employees from various departments who celebrated milestone service anniversaries in 2024, ranging from five to 35 years with the City of Farmington Hills. The longest serving employee honored was Tim Waker, who retired in July as the City’s chief engineering inspector after working his way up from a part-time position after graduating from Farmington High School in 1988.
The City of Farmington Hills employs over 450 full-time and regular part-time staff, and more than 600 seasonal staff. For more information on available job opportunities with the City of Farmington Hills, visit fhgov.com/employment.
Pictured above (left to right): Matthew Malone, Vincenzo Mabe, Stan Bailey, Hannah Muth, Shontae Stringfellow, Susan Woodard, Alexander Aquiline and Shemsi Veseli.