LAFD Senior Management Analyst Norma Jean Valdez accepts a proclamation today in Council Chambers declaring Tuesday, April 19, 2022, ‘Norma Jean Valdez Day’. From left, Deputy Fire Chief Steve Dawald, Councilor Keith Lepsch, Valdez and Fire Chief Troy Hughes who nominated Valdez for the prestigious CPSE Ray Picard Award. Screenshot/LADP
LAFD Senior Management Analyst Norma Jean Valdez receives a standing ovation from Council and County staff for bringing international recognition to Los Alamos and New Mexico. Screenshot/LADP
Staff Report
Los Alamos County Council today proclaimed Tuesday, April 19, 2022 as “Norma Jean Valdez Day” in Los Alamos County.
Senior Management Analyst Norma Jean Valdez of the Los Alamos County Fire Department is the recipient of the 2022 Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) Ray Picard Award.
Valdez is the one person in the entire world selected this year to receive this prestigious award. Nominated by Los Alamos Fire Chief Troy Hughes, she is the first civilian, woman, Hispanic and New Mexican ever to receive this award.
“The first civilian to ever receive this award … it was my honor to nominate such a deserving individual,” Chief Hughes said at the time. “Norma is good to her core and a true role model for how to live your life in service to others. I am ever grateful to call her my friend. Beyond deserving of this recognition.”
The Proclamation:
(accepted by Norma Jean Valdez)
Body
Proclamation Declaring Tuesday, April 19, 2022, as “Norma Jean Valdez Day”
WHEREAS, the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping high-performing fire departments and emergency services professionals continuously improve; and
WHEREAS, the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), an entity under the CPSE, established in 2000 the Ray Picard Award to recognize his vision in pioneering quality improvement for the fire and emergency services; and
WHEREAS, the award’s namesake, Chief Ray Picard, was one of the earliest champions of the self-assessment and accreditation process that has led to a culture and paradigm shift within the fire service; and
WHEREAS, this award is presented annually to an individual who exemplifies the ability, character, dedication, leadership, and visionary attributes Chief Picard exhibited; and
WHEREAS, the selected individual personifies Chief Picard’s contributions and exceptional leadership to the CFAI and the accreditation of the fire service organization; and
WHEREAS, the recipient of the 2022 CPSE Ray Picard Award is Senior Management Analyst Norma Jean Valdez with the Los Alamos County (NM) Fire Department, a CFAI Accredited Agency; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Valdez is the first New Mexican, Hispanic, civilian, and woman to receive the award. She has been involved with accreditation since the beginning, when Los Alamos was selected as a beta site for the accreditation process; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Valdez’s colleagues describe her as “good to her core”, “a true role model for how to live your life in service to others,” and as having “vision, dedication, heart, balance, determination, and the desire for continuous improvement to keep LAFD’s accreditation quest alive and striving, always being the one to carry the torch towards success”; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Valdez serves as a champion of the accreditation process, both in New Mexico and beyond, and exemplifies the spirit of Ray Picard.
NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the Council of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos, I do hereby proclaim Tuesday, April 19, 2022, as:
“NORMA JEAN VALDEZ DAY”
As a trailblazer civilian, woman and Hispanic, she has brought international recognition to Los Alamos and New Mexico. We commend Norma Jean Valdez for this prestigious honor from the CPSE and say “thank you” for championing excellence and leading the Los Alamos Fire Department in continuous quality improvement to realize the highest level of CFAI accreditation.
DATED this 19th day of April 2022
Randall Ryti, Chair
Los Alamos County Council