2015 Classified of Year

Rick Claur, Electrician

Rick Claur is simply an extraordinary employee. He takes on any job assigned to him with a "can do" attitude. Rick is known for his ability to fix the unfixable, saving the District thousands of dollars each year. In these challenging financial times, Rick “believes in solving problems, not adding to them.”

Mr. Claur’s supervisor, Mike Tarantinto, Director of Facilities, Maintenance and Operations describes Rick as a lifelong learner. “If he already possesses the knowledge and skills to complete the job, he does so in a timely manner and according to industry standards. If he needs to acquire new knowledge and skills, he's on it!”

Rick understands the importance of teamwork, routinely offering instruction and guidance to the individuals with whom he works. His respect for his colleagues is obvious, and they return that respect by looking to him as a coach and mentor. Rick serves as a mentor to the employees in his department, leading less-experienced electricians to find solutions to problems and acquire new skills. If an employee needs help completing a job, he or she knows that Rick can be counted on for that help.

Locally, Rick volunteers at his church and gives of his time and talents to humanitarian work, recently helping to rebuild and restore residences in the wake of a devastating tsunami in the Philippines.

Timeliness and responsiveness are critical to Rick. Nights, weekends, or holidays, he is only a phone call away, ready to take on the next assignment, ready to perform to the very best of his abilities, ready to do whatever is needed to ensure that our District's students and staff have the best facilities possible to support their learning and their work.

Poway Unified thanks and honors Rick as one of the 2015 Classified Employees of the Year.

Susie Warriner, School Secretary, Poway High School

Susie Warriner embodies professionalism in every aspect of her work. As the primary discipline secretary at a comprehensive high school of 2,200 students, she routinely deals with situations that require confidentiality, respect, and the processing of critical documents and paperwork in an accurate and timely manner. She is always available to other staff members for answers or clarifications when questions arise.
Susie is always willing to help others, interacting with students, parents, and co-workers in a pleasant and supportive way. Her supervisor, Assistant Principal, Pete McKee recognizes Susie’s role as a valuable resource not only to school staff and parents, but also to the students she serves. “She is a mentor to many of the students she sees in the discipline office, offering a great deal of guidance and support to those in need. Susie treats everyone with a positive and professional attitude. She is warm, approachable, and engaging. She represents a willingness to help others, a desire to learn new things, and she is always looking for ways to improve how things are done.” 

Outside of her role as Secretary, Susie is a Key Club advisor. She maintains all student member records, permission slips, and facilitates field trip requests. She is a liaison with the Kiwanis leaders, improving relations between school and community. She encourages Poway High School students to provide community service, develop character and leadership skills.

In her own community service work, Susie trains, directs and leads the Stephen Ministers at Hope UMC, building awareness of the program within the congregation and community. As a member of the Retired Officers' Spouses Club, Susie was chosen to teach and facilitate at The Command Spouse Leadership Course (CSLC) at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, where she offered spouses of soon-to-be Commanding Officers an in depth program to enrich their own leadership and management skills and make positive contributions to the family, command and community environments where they served. She is a member and volunteer of Emmaus, participating yearly in the three day long "Walk to Emmaus" helping others experience spiritual renewal. She cooks, cleans and prays for the participants.