MARYSVILLE — The city of Marysville is pleased to announce Jillian VanDam, a Program Specialist in the Municipal Court and Probation Department, as City Employee of the Month for May 2008.
VanDam has worked for the city for nine years, including five of them in the court. She is currently working in the Probation Department monitoring cases for compliance, clerking court hearings and scheduling probation appointments.
VanDam has always set high standards for herself and taken pride in getting assigned work done on time and without errors, say court officials who nominated her.
She has demonstrated a variety of skills in different positions while at the Court, including working in the courtroom, the Clerk’s Office and her current assignment in the Probation Department.
VanDam was recently honored as “Support Staff of the Year” from the Washington State Misdemeanant Corrections Association.
“We felt that if Jillian was so roundly recognized statewide by her peers, the city should also honor her for her accomplishments,” Mayor Dennis Kendall said. For the misdemeanant honor, she was not only nominated by the Marysville Probation Officer, but also by a Probation Officer from another agency who said that she is an outstanding resource.
VanDam has assisted Judge Fred Gillings with community outreach programs at local schools and with juvenile groups.
She is a graduate of Grace Academy in Marysville, as well as Central Washington University’s Lynnwood extension, where she earned her degree in Law and Justice last June.
Less known about VanDam is her prowess as a speed skater. Throughout her life, from speed-defying go-rounds on the Marysville Skate Inn floor as a young girl and through adulthood, she has been a nationally-ranked competitive speed skater. Last summer, she competed in the National Speed Skating Championship in Omaha, Neb., third overall in the “Classic Women” division for ages 25-30, and second overall in the two-woman relay. Competitors had to place first through third at regional competitions to qualify for nationals.
