Ansonia named Employer of Year at annual BHcare event

Pictured from left, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce President Bill Purcell, Ansonia Public Works Director Douglas Novak, Ansonia Mayor David S. Cassetti, BHcare Job Developer John Yeager, Business Advisory Council Chairperson Stephanie Tice at the employment salute./ Contributed photo

ANSONIA - Mayor David S. Cassetti recently accepted BHcare’s Employer of the Year award on behalf of the City of Ansonia.  

The award was presented to Cassetti at BHcare's 21st Annual Employment Salute where nearly 70 people gathered at Molto Bene Italian American Kitchen restaurant to honor the employer and employee of the year.

“It is an absolute honor to accept this award on behalf of the City,” Cassetti said. “I credit the excellent work of our new Public Works Director, Douglas Novak, in designing an innovative Summer Work Program that achieved beautification of Ansonia’s parks and greenways while also affording residents a temporary part-time employment opportunity.”

Cassetti’s Summer Work Program began mid-May 2014 with the hiring of seven new part-time employees intended to beef-up Ansonia Public Works’ ground crews and ensure a cleaner City.

Their duties included cleaning public parks, picking up litter, weed whacking, mowing, trimming shrubbery, planting grass, highway maintenance, and a broad range of other beatification efforts. 

 “The City was in need of a spring and summer cleaning,” Cassetti said. “Our seasonal workers were a tremendous help, and it is wonderful to see BHcare recognizing the program with this award.”

Novak is advocating for the program, which utilized several BHcare clients, to be continued during the summer of 2015.  

“The Summer Work Program gives full-time Public Works employees the opportunity to focus their attention on major maintenance initiatives within the City that have been neglected in the past due to budgetary constraints,” he said.

This is a press release from the mayor's office.