July 9, 2025 • 23 mins
Hear from employees nominated by their peers in the 2024 LARA Recognition Awards as they share stories about their work and experiences.
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Episode Transcript
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Music (00:01):
Thank you.
Anastasha Osborn (00:23):
Welcome to the LARA Living Room.
I'm Anastasha Osborne,Assistant Deputy Director here
at LARA, and today's episode isgoing to be all about
celebration.
Each year, we host the LARAEmployee Recognition Awards, or
as we like to call them, theERAs.
And yes, that is a little nodto Taylor Swift's ERAs tour.
But in our case specifically,it's all about recognizing the
(00:44):
standout moments andaccomplishments of our
incredible team here at LARA.
Now, this last year, wereceived more than 120
nominations across five awardcategories that showcase the
amazing work happeningthroughout every corner of our
department.
So in this episode, you aregoing to meet three of our 520
2024 era winners, you're goingto be able to hear their
(01:06):
reactions, reflections, and thestories behind the work that
really earned them theserecognitions.
From creative problem solversto educators and barrier
breakers, these employeesrepresent the very best of who
we are.
So before we jump into theconversations, here's a quick
introduction to last year'swinners and the awards that they
received.
So you already know the drill,grab a coffee, settle in, and
(01:28):
get comfortable because you arenow in the LARA Living Room.
I want to start by kind ofgoing over the five different
categories.
And as I mentioned before,reading who the winners are,
their names, which bureau oragency they are a part of within
LARA.
So the first category, awardcategory, that I would like to
talk about is the CreativeProblem Solver Award.
(01:49):
And this one recognizesemployees who take a unique and
innovative approach to solvingworkplace challenges.
And the 2024 winner was CraigLalonde from the Bureau of
Construction Codes, also knownas BCC.
Our second award category isthe Distinguished Inspector
Award, and this is given to anemployee whose role includes
inspections, surveys, or audits,and who consistently goes above
(02:13):
and beyond in theirperformance.
And the 2024 winner was BrookeDeShaw from the Bureau of Survey
and Certifications, also knownas BSC.
The third category is theOutstanding Customer Service
Award, and this one honors thosewho deliver consistently
exceptional service and thosewho also rise to the occasion in
challenging situations.
The 2024 winner was BrittanyYingling from the Bureau of
(02:35):
Professional Licensing, alsoknown as BPL.
The next category is theReducing Barriers Award, and
this is presented to an employeewho helped eliminate
unnecessary burdens or processesthat were preventing customers
from accessing services.
And the 2024 winner was BrendaDavis, and at the time when she
was nominated, she was actuallywithin our Finance and
(02:56):
Administrative Services Bureau,but now she currently serves
under the Bureau of FireServices, also known as BFS.
And finally, the World ClassEducator Award that celebrates
an employee who lives out theprinciple of educate before we
regulate going the extra mile tohelp others understand policies
and procedures and the 2024winner was Carol Shepard from
(03:19):
the Michigan Liquor ControlCommission also known as MLCC.
Now that you've met our 2024era winners, it's time to hear
from them directly.
I had the chance to sit downwith a few of them to talk about
their roles, what drives theirwork, and what it means to be
recognized.
So let's kick things off with aquick introduction from each of
our winners.
We're going to first start withBrooke.
(03:40):
And Brooke, can you introduceyourself and kind of what a day
in the life looks like for you?
Brooke Dishaw (03:45):
I'm Brooke.
I'm the Senior LaboratoryEvaluation Specialist for the
Laboratory Improvement Sectionin the Bureau of Survey and
Certification.
My job is to ensurelaboratories are providing
quality diagnostic laboratorytesting to patients throughout
Michigan by identifyingnoncompliance and give providers
the tools they need tounderstand the regulations.
(04:06):
I do both routine complianceinspections, proficiency testing
surveys, and compliance...
Excuse me.
complaint investigations ofclinical laboratories.
The diagnostic laboratory teststhat I review can range from a
simple urine pregnancy test towhole genome sequencing from
your annual cholesterol tests tocytogenetic karyotyping and
(04:32):
everything in between.
I work closely withlaboratories to ensure
compliance with the clinicallaboratory improvement
amendments.
and guide them through anyfindings of noncompliance and
seek corrective actions as aresult.
I'm also currently working outof class as the acting manager
over the specialized healthcareservices section while the
(04:53):
search for a new manager isunderway.
Brenda Davis (04:56):
Hi, I'm Brenda.
At the time of the nomination,I worked in finance
administrative services.
as a specialist in procurementsection.
My main responsibilitiesincluded handling of contracts,
commodities, and services.
I assisted bureaus withanything that needed to be
purchased.
I also assisted a little withgrants.
But the primary responsibilitythat led to nomination was my
(05:17):
role as the procurement cardadmin.
At the time of the awards, Iwas just transitioning to the
Bureau of Fire Services, andthat's my current role now as
the operations chief.
I'm responsible for managing,directing, and my prevention in
furs, storage tanks, andfireworks.
I help to direct and setpriorities, and within our
means, I work to ensure everyonehas the resources they need to
(05:38):
continue to promote and protectthe most vulnerable populations
in Michigan.
Carol Shepard (05:43):
My name is Carol Shepard and I have worked for
LARA since it was the Departmentof Commerce.
I've spent the last 24 yearswith the Liquor Control
Commission where I'm currently aspecialist with the Enforcement
Division and I act as a liaisonbetween the divisions within
Liquor Control.
I provide technical expertiseon the inquiries regarding
(06:03):
licensure and enforcement forboth in-house and outside of the
state and I assist in thedevelopment of training
programs, policies andprocedures and guidelines for
statewide regulation programs.
Anastasha Osborn (06:18):
Now, we've already heard from several of
our winners, but two of our ERArecipients were unable to join
us for the conversation, butthey graciously did provide
their own introductions, which Iwill share with you now.
First up is Craig LaLonde, whowas our Creative Problem Solver
Award winner, and Craig is theChief Elevator Inspector for
BCC.
He oversees the programresponsible for inspections of
(06:41):
various elevating devices,including permitted
installations in both commercialand residential settings, as
well as permitted alterations inannual inspections for all
commercial elevating devices.
Craig also plays a vital rolesupporting inspectors and serves
as a liaison between them,elevator contractors, building
owners, and the code.
And all this is focused onensuring the safety of the
(07:04):
riding public.
Next, I want to share BrittanyYingling's, who received the
Outstanding Customer ServiceAward.
Now, Brittany has been with BPLsince 2016.
She started as a studentemployee, and then she's also
worked within the EnforcementDivision until just recently
when she transitioned to theData Services Division.
Now, in her previous role,Brittany was part of the
(07:26):
Continuing Education AuditSection, where she audited
licensees with professionallicenses that require continuing
education for their renewal.
Now for our listeners, I wantto paint a picture.
Envision this.
We go all out for our eras witha full-on ceremony.
I'm talking the finalists areinvited along with the
(07:47):
colleagues who nominated them.
And then the finalists also getto bring a plus one that could
be a friend or family member.
We've got a host.
We have a stage.
We do the whole thing.
And it truly does feel like anawards ceremony.
And we want it to feel that waybecause we really want to
recognize our finalists.
So...
I want to ask all of you whenyour name was announced, what
(08:08):
was your reaction?
What did that moment feel likefor you?
Brooke, do you want to go aheadand start us off?
Brooke Dishaw (08:14):
I was surprised.
I come from a very smallsection.
We try to stay under the radar.
So I was surprised anyone hadnoticed or understood the work I
do, but I knew I had earned it.
I worked really hard and spentcountless hours doing extra
work.
Anastasha Osborn (08:30):
Brenda, what about you?
Brenda Davis (08:31):
At the time, I truly felt like we did it.
Although I was the winner, youknow, my name was getting
called, go up there.
I just felt like it was likethe whole accounts payable team,
as well as everyone involvedalso won at that time and not to
mention That was fast beatingBCHS, the little rivalry they
have going on.
That also felt as if BFS alsowon since I was at the time with
(08:52):
BFS.
I also just at the time justwanted to think that Jordan
Campbell also as the supervisorof accounts payable as well as
the individual that nominatedme, I just felt like he truly
won at that moment once my namewas called.
I just was excited that hewould win.
I just hope that everyone feltthe recognition by me winning
(09:13):
that it was really the team thatreally wanted that time.
Carol Shepard (09:16):
Carol?
I was in shock.
I had listened to theaccomplishments of all the other
finalists, and I thought tomyself, man, these guys are
amazing.
And then I, you know, when theyannounced my name, it took a
minute to sink in because Ithink I downplay the things that
I do because I've been doingthat for so long that it's
(09:37):
second nature.
And so it did.
It shocked me.
I couldn't believe it.
Anastasha Osborn (09:43):
Brooke, your work is all about balancing
detail with human connection.
What was it like carrying thesurvey load solo for several
months?
And then how did you developyour approach to training new
staff while still doing so manyof those inspections yourself?
Brooke Dishaw (09:59):
Yeah, so prior to my coworker retiring, there
were periods of time when theywere on extended leave.
So working solo wasn'tsomething new for me.
I'd been essentially workingsolo on and off for almost two
years.
My My section is unique in thatthere's little turnover and
it's very specialized.
While we have a trainingsection within our division,
(10:21):
they provide some trainings thatare specific to our team, like
principles of documentation andinvestigative skills, but
they're not equipped with thelaboratory expertise or
knowledge of the CLIAregulations.
Because there's so littleturnover, the training materials
we had were outdated ornon-existent.
I was the last person to betrained over six years ago.
(10:44):
So there's a lot of work to do.
Well, I have notepads full ofnotes.
From my training period, I knowI would have benefited from a
more formal training programwith more real-life scenarios to
boost confidence.
Because this is highlyspecialized, the only person who
could really do that kind ofwork was me.
So what I did was I madeexercises that could be assigned
(11:08):
to be performed while I wasworking on other paperwork to
balance my workload.
If I had a spare 15 minuteshere or there, I would create
something quickly and It didn'tlook very pretty, but I could
make it pretty later on when Ihad time.
So I worked on situations likecitation writing exercises,
survey scenarios, staffqualification exercises, and
(11:31):
compile real surveydocumentation to simulate a
survey.
Each day of the work weekduring that training period, I
would also make a graphic to beshared in our team's chat,
highlighting one regulation togive a quick scenario of an
instance when I'd used it.
So to further add to that bankof knowledge and piece it into
(11:52):
little bite-sized pieces.
How did I balance training withmy regular work?
I was fortunate to have thesupport of my manager, Jessica
Harback.
We were able to prioritizecertain duties and I was able to
offload some of the reportrunning to her and I made some
efficiencies here and there.
Anastasha Osborn (12:13):
Brenda, your work helped simplify internal
systems and made things easierfor both LARA staff and then our
external customers.
What challenges did you facewhile creating the travel card
program?
And can you give a littleexcerpt about what the travel
card program is for those whomight not know?
And then also, what impact doyou think that that change had
(12:36):
on LARA employees, specificallythose in the community and
field?
Brenda Davis (12:40):
The LARA Travel Card program is where we started
off with the high-usageindividuals.
to help relieve a lot of theburden of the cost that's
required while you travel.
So the LARA Travel Card programis where we have high-usage
individuals.
That's the first core that weuse to test the program with is
(13:05):
to give them the card so whenthey travel, you can relieve the
burden on a lot of the costthat's associated with lodging
specifically.
A lot of the challenges that wefaced when we was first
initiating the program was a lotof the reviews that we had to
go through.
Whether it was policies,procedures, it was a lot of
reviews, very thorough reviewsand Everything was great reviews
(13:25):
because it just helped us tobetter fine-tune the processes.
And from there, each time therewas a change that needed to
occur on one of thedocumentations, then the
complementary documentationsalso had to have updates,
whether that's our internalprocess or that was our
procedure map that needs to betweaked or our SIPOC, which is a
supplier's input procedures andoutputs for customers.
(13:47):
And another...
bigger issue I would considerwould be finding the balance of
who to start the program with.
Just having enough individualsthat can, that will be a part of
the process, but at the sametime not overwhelm the staff
that has to now implement thisnew change.
So we wanted to expanded wideenough so not only did we use
(14:11):
the highest usage overall fortravelers we also included some
of the seasonal high usageindividuals just to expand our
first output from there it madeit still manageable for our
accounts payable group whohasn't really had to do this
type of project so it's a sorryprocess so it was a challenging
process because it's morecomplex than what they had
(14:32):
previously been doing but we wasable to just find that good
balance to be able to helpimplement it.
Overall, the impacts have beengreat.
I've received a lot of thankyous for implementing this just
because it's a large burden offof individuals.
So, sorry if I didn'tpreviously explain.
So normally for loweremployees, we have to pay
(14:56):
upfront our costs for travel.
So if we have to travelsomewhere such as out of state,
we need lodging, we need to stayat a hotel, we have to pay for
that for the hotel.
So now instead we're able toput it into a travel card so
that way it doesn't have to comeindividually out of the
employee's pocket to where theyhave to seek reimbursement.
Now they can just put it on atravel card and they no longer
(15:17):
have to pay for it and then bereimbursed on the back end.
Anastasha Osborn (15:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
And I appreciate you explainingthat a little bit more because
I think some of our listeners,especially those who maybe don't
travel or don't go to differentseminars or conferences or if
they are traveling across thestate for work even as well.
So I appreciate you giving thatcontext because I think
they're...
was concerns, I think, aboutgoing to conferences or going to
(15:47):
these events where there wasadditional trainings because
they would have to pay up frontfor the cost and then be
reimbursed.
And in your experience, howlong is that reimbursement
process?
Brenda Davis (15:59):
A month or so until you get access, just
because you have to input it andyou still have to wait another
pay period.
So it's depending on howquickly you're able to put into
the system and go through theapprovals and then essentially
wait another pay periodfollowing that.
Anastasha Osborn (16:11):
So hopefully that alleviated a lot of that
pressure for a lot ofindividuals to be able to go out
and travel.
And then when we're talkingabout a travel card, it is
actually a physical card itself,correct?
Like it is a card that'sassigned to them to use?
Brenda Davis (16:23):
Correct.
It's assigned to eachindividual.
So it's not like BFS.
So Bureau of Fire Servicesdon't just have one card.
Each individual have their owncard that's assigned to them.
And anytime that you no longer,you want to use a card, if
you're going to have a period,you can contact the LRP card
admin and they can disable itfor a moment's time just to
prevent any fraud or anythingfrom occurring.
Anastasha Osborn (16:44):
Carol, your passion for helping others
understand complex policies isso clear, especially through
your nomination.
So explain to me what doesEducate Before We Regulate look
like in your daily workspecifically?
Carol Shepard (16:57):
Ensuring consistency and professionalism
from our enforcement staff, Ithink, is first and foremost.
Wanting people who call in tothe Liquor Control Commission to
receive the same response fromwhatever division that they are
calling into.
Implementing process changeswhen we see something is
(17:17):
failing, coming up with asolution for that to get it
working properly.
Overhauling our outdatedmanuals.
I think our code, I mean, ourinvestigator manual was last
updated in...
1933 when prohibition ended noI'm just kidding it was it had
(17:37):
been quite a while since it hadbeen updated so we have been
working diligently to get thatupdated and it's amazing I love
it the way it is developing wedevelop education programs for
the staff so if there's a lawchange that affects a big
portion of the liquor controlcode we develop educational
programs so that we can let themknow what changes were made and
(17:59):
here's how we're going toenforce those changes.
I also love to do trainings forlaw enforcement agencies,
government agencies, andnonprofit organizations to let
them know for law enforcementthis is what we do And we are
also available to assist you ifyou need our assistance in
(18:20):
introducing them to theinvestigator within their
jurisdiction so that if they dohave a question about whether
something's right or not, theyhave someone that they can
actually call and ask, whichgoes back to the consistency and
professionalism.
And the nonprofitorganizations, they are one of
the only licenses that can getwhat we call a 24-hour license
(18:41):
because they're a nonprofitorganization and those licenses
are for fundraising activities.
And so, They need to know whatis legal and what is not legal
and what licenses they will needif they want to do certain
activities.
So I love when I getopportunities to go out to those
organizations and give them atraining and teach them what
(19:03):
they need to know about havingan effective and a successful
event.
I keep abreast of all the lawchanges to make sure the staff
is up to date.
Sometimes it requires aneducational program.
Sometimes it just requires anemail saying, hey, This used to
be illegal, and the law is nowallowing it to happen.
So I sometimes can just send anemail and let them know of a
(19:26):
law change, and it does changethe way that we operate.
I also assist the public inunderstanding the liquor laws.
I think I received over 500emails last year because I'm the
contact for enforcement on ourwebsite.
And that's just the emails.
I'm constantly getting phonecalls.
And even LARA, they'll getquestions about liquor here, and
(19:49):
they'll email me thosequestions over to enforcement.
So I'm answering questions allday long, and I get to explain
to the public why they can't dosomething.
Sometimes they're not happy.
Sometimes they're like, okay,now I understand.
And knowing the reasoningbehind some of our laws helps
people understand understand andcome into compliance a lot
(20:11):
easier.
And it keeps us from half, youknow, needing to write a
violation on them.
Anastasha Osborn (20:17):
To wrap things up, what's the thing that
really keeps you all motivatedhere at LARA?
I'm curious to hear from all ofyou.
Brooke, why don't you start usoff?
Brooke Dishaw (20:28):
I'm proud to say that the great majority of
facilities I enter to serve aprovide great laboratory
services far and above theminimum CLIA requirements.
What keeps me motivated arethose very few instances where I
do find patients are harmed orlikely to be harmed and I seek
(20:49):
out that corrective action.
I also am motivated by thosefacilities that provide great
care and seek out information onhow they can be more compliant.
And I'm always happy to answerany of those questions.
Brenda, what about you?
Brenda Davis (21:06):
For me, it's just knowing the impacts we have on
Michigan, their residents,especially being via fire
services.
We have a lot of prevention orjust trying to protect others
from making sure they don't harmthemselves inadvertently, as
well as their environment withstorage tanks.
That's just really whatmotivates me, just knowing that
we have direct impact with ourresidents of Michigan.
(21:28):
And then I'm also justmotivated by just learning,
learning something new.
There's a lot of differentsections and Carol, what keeps
you motivated?
Carol Shepard (22:00):
Knowing what I do has an impact on all those
around me and hearing theappreciation in their voice
because, you know, someone tooktime to listen and to have a
conversation with them.
Anastasha Osborn (22:15):
That is all we have today.
I want to give a huge thank youto our 2024 winners, Craig,
Brooke, Brittany, Brenda, andCarol, for everything that you
do to make LARA better everysingle day.
Now, if you are part of TeamLARA and someone came to mind
during this episode, maybe it'sa colleague who's gone above and
beyond, maybe they've tackled atough challenge or honestly
(22:36):
just simply makes your workdaybrighter, now is the perfect
time to recognize them.
Now you know the nominationwindow for the 2025 LARA
Employee Recognition Awards areofficially open.
And then if you are astakeholder, a licensee, a
partner who had a greatexperience with someone here at
LARA, we would also love to hearfrom you.
Every nomination and everyvoice, every compliment helps us
(22:59):
to celebrate the incrediblepeople who keep LARA moving
forward and thus also makeMichigan continue to move
forward.
So thank you so much forjoining me here in the LARA
Living Room.
As always, from our living roomto yours, we'll see you next
time.
Thank you.
Anastasha Osborn (00:23):
Welcome to the LARA Living Room.
I'm Anastasha Osborne,Assistant Deputy Director here
at LARA, and today's episode isgoing to be all about
celebration.
Each year, we host the LARAEmployee Recognition Awards, or
as we like to call them, theERAs.
And yes, that is a little nodto Taylor Swift's ERAs tour.
But in our case specifically,it's all about recognizing the
(00:44):
standout moments andaccomplishments of our
incredible team here at LARA.
Now, this last year, wereceived more than 120
nominations across five awardcategories that showcase the
amazing work happeningthroughout every corner of our
department.
So in this episode, you aregoing to meet three of our 520
2024 era winners, you're goingto be able to hear their
(01:06):
reactions, reflections, and thestories behind the work that
really earned them theserecognitions.
From creative problem solversto educators and barrier
breakers, these employeesrepresent the very best of who
we are.
So before we jump into theconversations, here's a quick
introduction to last year'swinners and the awards that they
received.
So you already know the drill,grab a coffee, settle in, and
(01:28):
get comfortable because you arenow in the LARA Living Room.
I want to start by kind ofgoing over the five different
categories.
And as I mentioned before,reading who the winners are,
their names, which bureau oragency they are a part of within
LARA.
So the first category, awardcategory, that I would like to
talk about is the CreativeProblem Solver Award.
(01:49):
And this one recognizesemployees who take a unique and
innovative approach to solvingworkplace challenges.
And the 2024 winner was CraigLalonde from the Bureau of
Construction Codes, also knownas BCC.
Our second award category isthe Distinguished Inspector
Award, and this is given to anemployee whose role includes
inspections, surveys, or audits,and who consistently goes above
(02:13):
and beyond in theirperformance.
And the 2024 winner was BrookeDeShaw from the Bureau of Survey
and Certifications, also knownas BSC.
The third category is theOutstanding Customer Service
Award, and this one honors thosewho deliver consistently
exceptional service and thosewho also rise to the occasion in
challenging situations.
The 2024 winner was BrittanyYingling from the Bureau of
(02:35):
Professional Licensing, alsoknown as BPL.
The next category is theReducing Barriers Award, and
this is presented to an employeewho helped eliminate
unnecessary burdens or processesthat were preventing customers
from accessing services.
And the 2024 winner was BrendaDavis, and at the time when she
was nominated, she was actuallywithin our Finance and
(02:56):
Administrative Services Bureau,but now she currently serves
under the Bureau of FireServices, also known as BFS.
And finally, the World ClassEducator Award that celebrates
an employee who lives out theprinciple of educate before we
regulate going the extra mile tohelp others understand policies
and procedures and the 2024winner was Carol Shepard from
(03:19):
the Michigan Liquor ControlCommission also known as MLCC.
Now that you've met our 2024era winners, it's time to hear
from them directly.
I had the chance to sit downwith a few of them to talk about
their roles, what drives theirwork, and what it means to be
recognized.
So let's kick things off with aquick introduction from each of
our winners.
We're going to first start withBrooke.
(03:40):
And Brooke, can you introduceyourself and kind of what a day
in the life looks like for you?
Brooke Dishaw (03:45):
I'm Brooke.
I'm the Senior LaboratoryEvaluation Specialist for the
Laboratory Improvement Sectionin the Bureau of Survey and
Certification.
My job is to ensurelaboratories are providing
quality diagnostic laboratorytesting to patients throughout
Michigan by identifyingnoncompliance and give providers
the tools they need tounderstand the regulations.
(04:06):
I do both routine complianceinspections, proficiency testing
surveys, and compliance...
Excuse me.
complaint investigations ofclinical laboratories.
The diagnostic laboratory teststhat I review can range from a
simple urine pregnancy test towhole genome sequencing from
your annual cholesterol tests tocytogenetic karyotyping and
(04:32):
everything in between.
I work closely withlaboratories to ensure
compliance with the clinicallaboratory improvement
amendments.
and guide them through anyfindings of noncompliance and
seek corrective actions as aresult.
I'm also currently working outof class as the acting manager
over the specialized healthcareservices section while the
(04:53):
search for a new manager isunderway.
Brenda Davis (04:56):
Hi, I'm Brenda.
At the time of the nomination,I worked in finance
administrative services.
as a specialist in procurementsection.
My main responsibilitiesincluded handling of contracts,
commodities, and services.
I assisted bureaus withanything that needed to be
purchased.
I also assisted a little withgrants.
But the primary responsibilitythat led to nomination was my
(05:17):
role as the procurement cardadmin.
At the time of the awards, Iwas just transitioning to the
Bureau of Fire Services, andthat's my current role now as
the operations chief.
I'm responsible for managing,directing, and my prevention in
furs, storage tanks, andfireworks.
I help to direct and setpriorities, and within our
means, I work to ensure everyonehas the resources they need to
(05:38):
continue to promote and protectthe most vulnerable populations
in Michigan.
Carol Shepard (05:43):
My name is Carol Shepard and I have worked for
LARA since it was the Departmentof Commerce.
I've spent the last 24 yearswith the Liquor Control
Commission where I'm currently aspecialist with the Enforcement
Division and I act as a liaisonbetween the divisions within
Liquor Control.
I provide technical expertiseon the inquiries regarding
(06:03):
licensure and enforcement forboth in-house and outside of the
state and I assist in thedevelopment of training
programs, policies andprocedures and guidelines for
statewide regulation programs.
Anastasha Osborn (06:18):
Now, we've already heard from several of
our winners, but two of our ERArecipients were unable to join
us for the conversation, butthey graciously did provide
their own introductions, which Iwill share with you now.
First up is Craig LaLonde, whowas our Creative Problem Solver
Award winner, and Craig is theChief Elevator Inspector for
BCC.
He oversees the programresponsible for inspections of
(06:41):
various elevating devices,including permitted
installations in both commercialand residential settings, as
well as permitted alterations inannual inspections for all
commercial elevating devices.
Craig also plays a vital rolesupporting inspectors and serves
as a liaison between them,elevator contractors, building
owners, and the code.
And all this is focused onensuring the safety of the
(07:04):
riding public.
Next, I want to share BrittanyYingling's, who received the
Outstanding Customer ServiceAward.
Now, Brittany has been with BPLsince 2016.
She started as a studentemployee, and then she's also
worked within the EnforcementDivision until just recently
when she transitioned to theData Services Division.
Now, in her previous role,Brittany was part of the
(07:26):
Continuing Education AuditSection, where she audited
licensees with professionallicenses that require continuing
education for their renewal.
Now for our listeners, I wantto paint a picture.
Envision this.
We go all out for our eras witha full-on ceremony.
I'm talking the finalists areinvited along with the
(07:47):
colleagues who nominated them.
And then the finalists also getto bring a plus one that could
be a friend or family member.
We've got a host.
We have a stage.
We do the whole thing.
And it truly does feel like anawards ceremony.
And we want it to feel that waybecause we really want to
recognize our finalists.
So...
I want to ask all of you whenyour name was announced, what
(08:08):
was your reaction?
What did that moment feel likefor you?
Brooke, do you want to go aheadand start us off?
Brooke Dishaw (08:14):
I was surprised.
I come from a very smallsection.
We try to stay under the radar.
So I was surprised anyone hadnoticed or understood the work I
do, but I knew I had earned it.
I worked really hard and spentcountless hours doing extra
work.
Anastasha Osborn (08:30):
Brenda, what about you?
Brenda Davis (08:31):
At the time, I truly felt like we did it.
Although I was the winner, youknow, my name was getting
called, go up there.
I just felt like it was likethe whole accounts payable team,
as well as everyone involvedalso won at that time and not to
mention That was fast beatingBCHS, the little rivalry they
have going on.
That also felt as if BFS alsowon since I was at the time with
(08:52):
BFS.
I also just at the time justwanted to think that Jordan
Campbell also as the supervisorof accounts payable as well as
the individual that nominatedme, I just felt like he truly
won at that moment once my namewas called.
I just was excited that hewould win.
I just hope that everyone feltthe recognition by me winning
(09:13):
that it was really the team thatreally wanted that time.
Carol Shepard (09:16):
Carol?
I was in shock.
I had listened to theaccomplishments of all the other
finalists, and I thought tomyself, man, these guys are
amazing.
And then I, you know, when theyannounced my name, it took a
minute to sink in because Ithink I downplay the things that
I do because I've been doingthat for so long that it's
(09:37):
second nature.
And so it did.
It shocked me.
I couldn't believe it.
Anastasha Osborn (09:43):
Brooke, your work is all about balancing
detail with human connection.
What was it like carrying thesurvey load solo for several
months?
And then how did you developyour approach to training new
staff while still doing so manyof those inspections yourself?
Brooke Dishaw (09:59):
Yeah, so prior to my coworker retiring, there
were periods of time when theywere on extended leave.
So working solo wasn'tsomething new for me.
I'd been essentially workingsolo on and off for almost two
years.
My My section is unique in thatthere's little turnover and
it's very specialized.
While we have a trainingsection within our division,
(10:21):
they provide some trainings thatare specific to our team, like
principles of documentation andinvestigative skills, but
they're not equipped with thelaboratory expertise or
knowledge of the CLIAregulations.
Because there's so littleturnover, the training materials
we had were outdated ornon-existent.
I was the last person to betrained over six years ago.
(10:44):
So there's a lot of work to do.
Well, I have notepads full ofnotes.
From my training period, I knowI would have benefited from a
more formal training programwith more real-life scenarios to
boost confidence.
Because this is highlyspecialized, the only person who
could really do that kind ofwork was me.
So what I did was I madeexercises that could be assigned
(11:08):
to be performed while I wasworking on other paperwork to
balance my workload.
If I had a spare 15 minuteshere or there, I would create
something quickly and It didn'tlook very pretty, but I could
make it pretty later on when Ihad time.
So I worked on situations likecitation writing exercises,
survey scenarios, staffqualification exercises, and
(11:31):
compile real surveydocumentation to simulate a
survey.
Each day of the work weekduring that training period, I
would also make a graphic to beshared in our team's chat,
highlighting one regulation togive a quick scenario of an
instance when I'd used it.
So to further add to that bankof knowledge and piece it into
(11:52):
little bite-sized pieces.
How did I balance training withmy regular work?
I was fortunate to have thesupport of my manager, Jessica
Harback.
We were able to prioritizecertain duties and I was able to
offload some of the reportrunning to her and I made some
efficiencies here and there.
Anastasha Osborn (12:13):
Brenda, your work helped simplify internal
systems and made things easierfor both LARA staff and then our
external customers.
What challenges did you facewhile creating the travel card
program?
And can you give a littleexcerpt about what the travel
card program is for those whomight not know?
And then also, what impact doyou think that that change had
(12:36):
on LARA employees, specificallythose in the community and
field?
Brenda Davis (12:40):
The LARA Travel Card program is where we started
off with the high-usageindividuals.
to help relieve a lot of theburden of the cost that's
required while you travel.
So the LARA Travel Card programis where we have high-usage
individuals.
That's the first core that weuse to test the program with is
(13:05):
to give them the card so whenthey travel, you can relieve the
burden on a lot of the costthat's associated with lodging
specifically.
A lot of the challenges that wefaced when we was first
initiating the program was a lotof the reviews that we had to
go through.
Whether it was policies,procedures, it was a lot of
reviews, very thorough reviewsand Everything was great reviews
(13:25):
because it just helped us tobetter fine-tune the processes.
And from there, each time therewas a change that needed to
occur on one of thedocumentations, then the
complementary documentationsalso had to have updates,
whether that's our internalprocess or that was our
procedure map that needs to betweaked or our SIPOC, which is a
supplier's input procedures andoutputs for customers.
(13:47):
And another...
bigger issue I would considerwould be finding the balance of
who to start the program with.
Just having enough individualsthat can, that will be a part of
the process, but at the sametime not overwhelm the staff
that has to now implement thisnew change.
So we wanted to expanded wideenough so not only did we use
(14:11):
the highest usage overall fortravelers we also included some
of the seasonal high usageindividuals just to expand our
first output from there it madeit still manageable for our
accounts payable group whohasn't really had to do this
type of project so it's a sorryprocess so it was a challenging
process because it's morecomplex than what they had
(14:32):
previously been doing but we wasable to just find that good
balance to be able to helpimplement it.
Overall, the impacts have beengreat.
I've received a lot of thankyous for implementing this just
because it's a large burden offof individuals.
So, sorry if I didn'tpreviously explain.
So normally for loweremployees, we have to pay
(14:56):
upfront our costs for travel.
So if we have to travelsomewhere such as out of state,
we need lodging, we need to stayat a hotel, we have to pay for
that for the hotel.
So now instead we're able toput it into a travel card so
that way it doesn't have to comeindividually out of the
employee's pocket to where theyhave to seek reimbursement.
Now they can just put it on atravel card and they no longer
(15:17):
have to pay for it and then bereimbursed on the back end.
Anastasha Osborn (15:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
And I appreciate you explainingthat a little bit more because
I think some of our listeners,especially those who maybe don't
travel or don't go to differentseminars or conferences or if
they are traveling across thestate for work even as well.
So I appreciate you giving thatcontext because I think
they're...
was concerns, I think, aboutgoing to conferences or going to
(15:47):
these events where there wasadditional trainings because
they would have to pay up frontfor the cost and then be
reimbursed.
And in your experience, howlong is that reimbursement
process?
Brenda Davis (15:59):
A month or so until you get access, just
because you have to input it andyou still have to wait another
pay period.
So it's depending on howquickly you're able to put into
the system and go through theapprovals and then essentially
wait another pay periodfollowing that.
Anastasha Osborn (16:11):
So hopefully that alleviated a lot of that
pressure for a lot ofindividuals to be able to go out
and travel.
And then when we're talkingabout a travel card, it is
actually a physical card itself,correct?
Like it is a card that'sassigned to them to use?
Brenda Davis (16:23):
Correct.
It's assigned to eachindividual.
So it's not like BFS.
So Bureau of Fire Servicesdon't just have one card.
Each individual have their owncard that's assigned to them.
And anytime that you no longer,you want to use a card, if
you're going to have a period,you can contact the LRP card
admin and they can disable itfor a moment's time just to
prevent any fraud or anythingfrom occurring.
Anastasha Osborn (16:44):
Carol, your passion for helping others
understand complex policies isso clear, especially through
your nomination.
So explain to me what doesEducate Before We Regulate look
like in your daily workspecifically?
Carol Shepard (16:57):
Ensuring consistency and professionalism
from our enforcement staff, Ithink, is first and foremost.
Wanting people who call in tothe Liquor Control Commission to
receive the same response fromwhatever division that they are
calling into.
Implementing process changeswhen we see something is
(17:17):
failing, coming up with asolution for that to get it
working properly.
Overhauling our outdatedmanuals.
I think our code, I mean, ourinvestigator manual was last
updated in...
1933 when prohibition ended noI'm just kidding it was it had
(17:37):
been quite a while since it hadbeen updated so we have been
working diligently to get thatupdated and it's amazing I love
it the way it is developing wedevelop education programs for
the staff so if there's a lawchange that affects a big
portion of the liquor controlcode we develop educational
programs so that we can let themknow what changes were made and
(17:59):
here's how we're going toenforce those changes.
I also love to do trainings forlaw enforcement agencies,
government agencies, andnonprofit organizations to let
them know for law enforcementthis is what we do And we are
also available to assist you ifyou need our assistance in
(18:20):
introducing them to theinvestigator within their
jurisdiction so that if they dohave a question about whether
something's right or not, theyhave someone that they can
actually call and ask, whichgoes back to the consistency and
professionalism.
And the nonprofitorganizations, they are one of
the only licenses that can getwhat we call a 24-hour license
(18:41):
because they're a nonprofitorganization and those licenses
are for fundraising activities.
And so, They need to know whatis legal and what is not legal
and what licenses they will needif they want to do certain
activities.
So I love when I getopportunities to go out to those
organizations and give them atraining and teach them what
(19:03):
they need to know about havingan effective and a successful
event.
I keep abreast of all the lawchanges to make sure the staff
is up to date.
Sometimes it requires aneducational program.
Sometimes it just requires anemail saying, hey, This used to
be illegal, and the law is nowallowing it to happen.
So I sometimes can just send anemail and let them know of a
(19:26):
law change, and it does changethe way that we operate.
I also assist the public inunderstanding the liquor laws.
I think I received over 500emails last year because I'm the
contact for enforcement on ourwebsite.
And that's just the emails.
I'm constantly getting phonecalls.
And even LARA, they'll getquestions about liquor here, and
(19:49):
they'll email me thosequestions over to enforcement.
So I'm answering questions allday long, and I get to explain
to the public why they can't dosomething.
Sometimes they're not happy.
Sometimes they're like, okay,now I understand.
And knowing the reasoningbehind some of our laws helps
people understand understand andcome into compliance a lot
(20:11):
easier.
And it keeps us from half, youknow, needing to write a
violation on them.
Anastasha Osborn (20:17):
To wrap things up, what's the thing that
really keeps you all motivatedhere at LARA?
I'm curious to hear from all ofyou.
Brooke, why don't you start usoff?
Brooke Dishaw (20:28):
I'm proud to say that the great majority of
facilities I enter to serve aprovide great laboratory
services far and above theminimum CLIA requirements.
What keeps me motivated arethose very few instances where I
do find patients are harmed orlikely to be harmed and I seek
(20:49):
out that corrective action.
I also am motivated by thosefacilities that provide great
care and seek out information onhow they can be more compliant.
And I'm always happy to answerany of those questions.
Brenda, what about you?
Brenda Davis (21:06):
For me, it's just knowing the impacts we have on
Michigan, their residents,especially being via fire
services.
We have a lot of prevention orjust trying to protect others
from making sure they don't harmthemselves inadvertently, as
well as their environment withstorage tanks.
That's just really whatmotivates me, just knowing that
we have direct impact with ourresidents of Michigan.
(21:28):
And then I'm also justmotivated by just learning,
learning something new.
There's a lot of differentsections and Carol, what keeps
you motivated?
Carol Shepard (22:00):
Knowing what I do has an impact on all those
around me and hearing theappreciation in their voice
because, you know, someone tooktime to listen and to have a
conversation with them.
Anastasha Osborn (22:15):
That is all we have today.
I want to give a huge thank youto our 2024 winners, Craig,
Brooke, Brittany, Brenda, andCarol, for everything that you
do to make LARA better everysingle day.
Now, if you are part of TeamLARA and someone came to mind
during this episode, maybe it'sa colleague who's gone above and
beyond, maybe they've tackled atough challenge or honestly
(22:36):
just simply makes your workdaybrighter, now is the perfect
time to recognize them.
Now you know the nominationwindow for the 2025 LARA
Employee Recognition Awards areofficially open.
And then if you are astakeholder, a licensee, a
partner who had a greatexperience with someone here at
LARA, we would also love to hearfrom you.
Every nomination and everyvoice, every compliment helps us
(22:59):
to celebrate the incrediblepeople who keep LARA moving
forward and thus also makeMichigan continue to move
forward.
So thank you so much forjoining me here in the LARA
Living Room.
As always, from our living roomto yours, we'll see you next
time.
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