A group of Lakewood employees pose for a photo after being recognized with a 2024 Guiding Principle Award for their work on the city's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Action Pillar development.

Lakewood recognizes its staff for embodying ‘Guiding Principles’

Dec. 11, 2024

The City of Lakewood operates with four Guiding Principles:

  • Service: We provide prompt, courteous and effective service, emphasizing problem solving and creativity.
  • Teamwork: We communicate and work cooperatively with others, recognizing and appreciating the contributions of all.
  • Integrity: We are honest, accountable, and honor our commitments.
  • Respect: We embrace differences and treat each other with respect.

Each year the City’s leadership team recognizes employees who have gone above and beyond their daily job responsibilities to embody one or more of these four principles. The employees are announced at the city’s annual holiday recognition event at the end of the year and presented with a Guiding Principle award by City Manager John Caulfield.

This year’s recipients include:

Individual award

  • Tiffany Spier, Planning Division manager
  • Michelle Yeider, maintenance worker
  • Capt. Jeff Alwine, Lakewood Police Department

Team award

  • Washington State Emergency Management Team members deployed to North Carolina to assist with Hurricane Helene response:
    • Elizabeth Scheid, recreation coordinator
    • Andy Suver, Lakewood Police Department
    • Assistant Chief John Unfred, Lakewood Police Department
  • Members of the city’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Action Pillar development teams:
    • Elizabeth Scheid, recreation coordinator
    • Shannon Bennett, program coordinator
    • Carolina Alba, Human Resources technician
    • Joanna LaVergne, administrative assistant to the police chief
    • Weston Ott, City Engineer
    • Tracey Freeman, Human Resources analyst
    • Danielle Beavers, permit technician
    • Heather Brown, court clerk, Lakewood Municipal Court
    • Katie Foster, engineering technician
    • Becky Newton, Economic Development manager
    • Erica Meeks, evidence property supervisor, Lakewood Police Department
    • Hannah Hillig, Human Resources analyst
    • Michael Vargas, assistant to the city manager/policy analyst
    • Megan Davis, local government management fellow
    • Sam Mahugh, lead finance technician
    • Sgt. Timothy Borchardt, Lakewood Police Department

Congratulations to this year’s recipients.

City Manager John Caulfield poses with Lakewood employee Tiffany Speir and Lakewood Mayor Jason Whalen after Speir was presented with a Guiding Principle award for her work in 2024.
Tiffany Speir poses with Lakewood City Manager John Caulfield and Mayor Jason Whalen,
Capt. Jeff Alwine poses with Lakewood Mayor Jason Whalen and City Manager John Caulfield after receiving a Guiding Principle Award in 2024.
Capt. Jeff Alwine poses with Lakewood Mayor Jason Whalen and City Manager John Caulfield.
Lakewood Mayor Jason Whalen and City Manager John Caulfield stand with Sgt. Andy Suver, Assistant Chief John Unfred and recreation coordinator Elizabeth Scheid who received the 2025 Guiding Principal Award for their deployment to North Carolina to help with Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
Three Lakewood employees, Sgt. Andy Suver, Assistant Chief John Unfred and Elizabeth Scheid deployed to North Carolina in 2024 to help with hurricane relief efforts.
A group of Lakewood employees pose for a photo after being recognized with a 2024 Guiding Principle Award for their work on the city's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Action Pillar development.
Members of the city’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Action Pillar development teams were recognized for their contributions in 2024.