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Queens trio win service awards

The 2011 Sloan Public Service Awards honored six civil servants who combined have more than a century-and-a-half of performance and dedication to public service.

Presented annually by the Fund for the City of New York, the awards are the leading independent honor for city employees who perform amazing achievements in public service.

Three of the winners hail from Queens and have contributed to three different agencies.

These Queens winners, plus the three other service award recipients, enjoyed a celebration on March 10 at the Cooper Union’s Great Hall along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and hundreds of family members, past Sloan winners, civic leaders and colleagues.

Director of the Queens Library Adult Literacy Programs Susan W. Dalmas was honored for her 25-year-long career of helping adult learners and contributing in efforts to develop new library programs throughout the U.S. A resident of Forest Hills, Dalmas has helped people learn to speak and read English. As the director of the largest library-based literacy program in the nation, she oversees free educational programs for over 6,000 learners a year.

From East Elmhurst, Emmanuel Thingue is the senior designer of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) Brooklyn team. He was honored for his designs for many of New York’s signature public parks. With more than two decades of service, Thingue designs two to three parks per year with both creativity and innovation.

“His work has a signature,” explains David Carlson, Deputy Chief of Design at DPR, “whether a spray shower, wall or other ornamentation – his creative detailing is contemporary, playful and beautiful.”

Also from Queens, Gabriel Taussig is a renowned litigator and mentor in the New York City Law Department. As Chief of the Administrative Law Division, Taussig was honored for having shaped countless programs and policies over the last 37 years to help citizens in the city.

“He’s everyone’s favorite lawyer,” said one attorney with the city.

Taussig enjoys tackling tough legal challenges and has taken on cases, such as dealing with enforcement of building and fire safety laws and the regulation of taxi cabs and street activities.

Mary McCormick, president of the Fund for the City of New York who also attended the event, said, “The Sloan Public Service Award winners are representative of the thousands of truly remarkable men and women who make up the backbone of our City. [They] demonstrate an unparalleled selflessness and commitment to improving the world around them.”

Each award winner received $7,500 and an original drawing by artist Niculae Asciu. Winners are selected from more than 250,000 individuals of all levels and ranks of in city government.