This year, Peak Academy is focused on celebrating innovation and this is our big bash to do just that! As Peak analysts, we have the privilege of getting to learn about all of the exciting innovations that are happening around the city, but we recognize that not everybody gets that same opportunity. This is your chance to be inspired by your colleagues and the amazing work that is going into making Denver the best city in the nation.

Event Information

When: Thursday, May 23, 2019 from 12:00-2:00 PM 

Where: McNichols Civic Center Building – Third Floor (144 W Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80202) 

Who’s Invited: The event is designed for City and County of Denver Employees and outside employees that have attended Peak Academy trainings, so they will be our main audience. However, if it would be meaningful to you to have your support system present, please feel free to bring them. Just be sure everybody you’re bringing is registered so we have an accurate head count.

The Award Nominees

(The Winners Will Be Announced at the Event)

Customer Savings Award

Innovations in this category show a high savings to the customer. These savings can be in hard/soft dollar or time savings.

• Pcard Frequently Asked Questions – (Lead Innovator:
  Amanda Feathers; Supporting Innovators: Jon Carmichael and Kristina Leahy)
• Soil Reuse Guidance – (Lead Innovator: Diane DeLillio; Supporting Innovator: Zachery Clayton)
• Mobile Plan Review Process – (Lead Innovator: Maggie Staab; Supporting Innovators: Audra Miller, Grace Nelson, Charles Vigil and Otho Burton)
• Trade Adjustment Assistance Job Resources – (Lead Innovator: Ola Kukoyi; Supporting Innovators: DEDO Workforce Team)
• Civil Service Commission Testing Wait Time – (Lead Innovator: Abby Rainer)
• Colorado Works Assessment Intake – (Lead Innovator: Jesica Antonucci)

No Silos Award

This category features innovations that involve multiple teams, departments or agencies.

• General Services Communication – (Lead Innovator: Kami Butt)
• Pcard Frequently Asked Questions – (Lead Innovator:
  Amanda Feathers; Supporting Innovators: Jon Carmichael and Kristina Leahy)
• Soil Reuse Guidance – (Lead Innovator: Diane DeLillio; Supporting Innovator: Zachery Clayton)
• City Charter Change for Police Lateral Hire Pay – (Lead Innovator: Earl Peterson; Supporting Innovators: DPD, City Council, Police Protective Association, and the Mayor’s Office)
• Lactation Rooms Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Lizbeth Schoon; Supporting Innovators: Heather Britton, Katherine Przywitowski, Kimberly Desmond, and Patrick Hendrix)

Green Belt Award

This category will highlight stand-out Green Belt innovations. Green Belts are folks that have attended our 4-hour Green Belt training and received their subsequent certification. Green Belt innovations tend to be “quick-win” projects, but still make a big impact! This category recognizes these innovative efforts.

• Pivot Table Data Comparison – (Lead Innovator: Jason Metzger)
• Safety Recruitment Standardization – (Lead Innovator: Courtney Hanchey)
• Food Borne Illness Communication Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Matt Morgrette; Supporting Innovators: Matt Wilmes, DDPHE Comm. Team, and TS Representatives)
• Lactation Rooms Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Lizbeth Schoon; Supporting Innovators: Heather Britton, Katherine Przywitowski, Kimberly Desmond, and Patrick Hendrix)

Standard Work Award

Standard Work is documentation that outlines current best practices for performing a task/process and ensures consistency among everybody performing the same task(s). This category will feature innovations that involve significant changes to old standard work or the creation of new standard work.

• Food Borne Illness Communication Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Matt Morgrette; Supporting Innovators: Matt Wilmes, DDPHE Comm. Team, and TS Representatives)
• Pcard Frequently Asked Questions – (Lead Innovator:
  Amanda Feathers; Supporting Innovators: Jon Carmichael and Kristina Leahy)
• Soil Reuse Guidance – (Lead Innovator: Diane DeLillio; Supporting Innovator: Zachery Clayton)
• Plan Review Notice Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Rodger Young; Supporting Innovators: Kirk Gallaher and Kevin Lieu)
• TS Project Management Office Spirit Guide – (Lead Innovator: Patrick Yeager)
• GIS Software Install Issue Resolution – (Lead Innovator: Doug Genzer)

6S Award

6S is a Lean housekeeping tool to eliminate unnecessary items and create standardized work spaces (think of it as a standardized way of cleaning up) to make teams more efficient and effective. This category will feature innovations that involve 6-S’ing workspaces physical or digitally.

• Office De-Clutter Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Snezhanna Singleton)
• Elections Mail Room Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Heather Heyer)
• DPR Natural Areas Graffiti Buckets Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Joe Fielding-Purdy; Supporting Innovators: Kallie Kessler and the East District Natural Areas Crew)

Outside/External Award

These are innovations from other local governments, non-profits and corporations who have participated in Peak Academy trainings/workshops.

• Real-Time Post Partum Intervention – (Lead Innovator: Neil DeSouza)
• San Francisco City Performance Team – (Lead Innovator: Ryan Hunter)
• Lean Purple Belt Training – (Lead Innovators: Peter Gibbons and Sherry Bahnsen)

Most Supportive Leader

Leaders play an important role in the success of innovations. This category will recognize leaders that have been actively involved in innovations, workshops and trainings for their team/department/agency.

• Bob McDonald
• Andrea Albo
• Nicol Hogg-Cornejo
• Abby McNeal
• Donald Mares

Best Team Innovation

This category will feature innovations done as a team. These are innovations where multiple people complete tasks in the innovation’s action plan.

• Project Proposal Forms – (Lead Innovator: Imogene Manuelito; Supporting Innovators: Jazmin Harper, Cynthia Estes, Cindy Ackerman)
• Small Business Certification – (Lead Innovator: Gay Chulajata; Supporting Innovators: Stephen Martinez, Jeanette Lopez-Clanton, Valorie Yarbrough, Areli Bonilla, and Tammy Trujillo)
• Library Supplemental Staffing – (Lead Innovator: Annie Kemmerling; Supporting Innovators: Jennifer Lay, Kit Cusker, Martha Garbison, Jennifer Hoffman, Gwyndolyn Davis, Rebecca Russell, Tanairi Lopez, Judith Heck, and Hien Nguyen)
• Animal Protection New Employee Onboarding – (Lead Innovator: Erin Wyse; Supporting Innovators: Emily Caldwell, Erica Carder, Tracy Koss, Meghan Dillmore, Jessica Nett, Nachshon Zohari, Jay LaPointe)
• Parks and Recreation Staffing Plan – (Lead Innovators: Tori Soler and Erica Frontz; Supporting Innovators: DPR Managers and Supervisors)
• Pcard Frequently Asked Questions – (Lead Innovator:
  Amanda Feathers; Supporting Innovators: Jon Carmichael and Kristina Leahy)
• Skillsoft (CityU) Licensing Innovation – (Lead Innovator: Jay Rathbun; Supporting Innovators: Marla Trevor and Giovanni Thomas)

Best Individual Innovation

These innovations are completed solo, but have a large impact.

• Building Inspection Procedure Handout – (Lead Innovator: Jeremy McKinnon)
• Standard Chronology Template – (Lead Innovator: Angus Strayhorn)