Making a difference at City Hall
Lisa Culpo’s job at Port Moody City Hall takes her all around the building.
By POLARIS Employment Services
Not many people can say they have been with the same employer for nearly 20 years, but Lisa Culpo can. In 2011, Lisa will be celebrating 20 years of employment with the City of Port Moody.
Lisa’s desk is situated in the department known as Legislative Services. This is where Lisa sorts the in-house, inter-office and outgoing mail. Lisa then delivers the mail, a job that takes her to most areas of the building. As a result, Lisa knows just about everybody at City Hall. Her fellow workers look forward to her cheerful greeting and friendly smile when she brings along the mail.
Lisa also works for several other departments at City Hall. In the Library, Lisa looks after the returned books, making sure they are reshelved properly. She also monitors and refills supplies for the photocopiers. Every week she checks office supply levels, reports reordering needs and puts supplies away. In Finance, she matches the invoicing paperwork and files the documents. For Fire-Rescue, she collates and fills bags for student handouts. Sometimes there is a lot to do, but Lisa is a great multi-tasker and works well under pressure.
On October 12, 2010, Lisa received a certificate of recognition for her hard work and dedication. Mayor Joe Trasolini presented Lisa with the award during a Council meeting. Lisa’s friends and family were on hand to help her celebrate. It was a great night.
When Lisa first started her job back in 1991, City Hall was located on St. John’s Street in downtown Port Moody. There have been many changes over the years, including the building of the new City Hall in 1995 to serve the growing municipality. In 1991, Port Moody’s population was 17,756. Today it stands at around 30,000.
Along with the new building, Lisa has seen many other changes over the years in her job as office assistant. Lisa’s job coach, Debra Caron from POLARIS Employment Services Society, has been on hand since the beginning to encourage Lisa through the opportunities and challenges that come with change.
Lisa’s coworkers appreciate her, and the feeling is mutual. When asked what she likes best about her job, Lisa says, “The people are nice and friendly and always get me something for my birthday and I like that. I want to thank them for supporting me and helping me to do a good job.”
Lisa’s story has also been profiled in a video. Click here to watch the video on Youtube.
