2. News Room

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 30, 2020
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
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DWD Employee Linda Preysz Receives Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award

DWD also recognizes Honorable Mention recipient Geraldine Perry

MADISON – Governor Tony Evers, First Lady Kathy Evers, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, and several state government officials joined the State Council on Affirmative Action and Department of Administration Division of Personnel Management in recognizing this year's Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award recipient, Linda Preysz, during a virtual ceremony released today.

Each year, the Virginia Hart Award recognizes women in state service who demonstrate the following qualities: esteem from peers, acceptance of responsibility beyond the limits of the nominee’s job description, sustained, extraordinary achievement of assigned tasks, performance recognition from clients, community service, self-improvement, and overcoming barriers to performance.

Linda Preysz has served as a state of Wisconsin employee for over 25 years. Currently a business consultant in DWD's Bureau of Enterprise Solutions within the Department's Division of Operations, Linda supports DWD's mission by providing expertise in project management, facilitation, change management, strategic planning, Lean/Continuous Improvement, business analysis, and more to support DWD's critical programs and services.

Prior to her service in this capacity, Preysz held positions in DWD as a business analyst and policy advisor to DWD's Secretary's Office and Division of Employment and Training. She also previously served as a project coordinator for Wisconsin Public Television.

Linda has dedicated her life to others through her work in public television programming and education, career pathways promotion and development, and mental health advocacy as a board member for the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI)–Dane County. Linda served as the NAMI–Dane County Board Vice-President from 2013 to 2016, and was recognized for her contributions to NAMI with the Alma Tauber Community Service Award for Advocacy in 2016. Linda has offered her knowledge and expertise in service to her community, supporting mental health and suicide awareness initiatives with the Madison Police Department and local schools.

"Over her 25 years of service to the state of Wisconsin, Linda has been a model public servant and inspiration to us all," DWD Deputy Secretary Robert Cherry said. "Linda is a champion of making the lives of others better, and it is my honor to celebrate her contributions and this much deserved achievement."

Geraldine Perry, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist in DWD's Office of Veteran Employment Services, received an Honorable Mention for the award. A United States Army veteran, Geraldine has spent the last decade in her current role providing comprehensive case management services and connecting fellow veterans to employment. During her time with DWD, Geraldine has provided over 11,000 career services to roughly 2,000 Wisconsin veterans.

DWD also had several other nominees for the award, including Cherisse Bowman, Lea Collins-Worachek, Alice DeLaO, Julie Eder, Diane Gertz, Aimee Jahnke, Renee Kemp, Heidi Marshall, Theresa Schuerman, and Joan Steele.

For more information on Virginia Hart and the Virginia Hart Award, please visit the Department of Administration Division of Personnel Management's website.