At IRC, our staff is our most valuable resource! Team IRC is made up of more than 750 professionals committed to providing excellent services to people with developmental disabilities. Each month, IRC staffers nominate outstanding colleagues in our Employee Recognition program. This month, we are celebrating George Gonzalez and Amelia Maldonado!

George Gonzalez – Positively Contagious Award Recipient

George Gonzalez is a Consumer Support Technician III who works in our Community Engagement team. But this is not the first time he has been recognized for being a great employee. George also won both the Positively Contagious award and the Hercules award in the past! Not only is he described by his coworkers as friendly, helpful, and polite, but they can “always count on him for an encouraging word, a hallway hello, or a fantastic song recommendation.” We wanted to learn a little more about George, so we asked him a few questions. Here is what he shared!

What do you like most about your work at IRC?

Working at IRC is great, especially doing the job that I do. Being able to spend my day creating artwork and wrenching on the agency website makes working at IRC a lot of fun. Helping our community is the best part of the job of course. And using my creativity to reach that community is what makes me enjoy coming to work the most.

What is your life like outside of work?

Outside of work I get to show another side of creativity, DJing for many different people, families, schools, and more! I’ve been DJing for over 20 years, and still love it. Aside from that, I’m really into movies and, when I have time, I enjoy digging into some retro video games.

How do you think this award reflects your personality and work at the agency?

Positively Contagious I believe describes part of everyone here at IRC!  We help to improve people’s lives, all of us. We put smiles on faces! Personally, though, I can’t help but be in a good mood when I get to work with such cool people. Our clients are pretty rad, too!

Amelia Maldonado – Hercules Award Recipient

Amelia Maldonado is the agency’s Community Relations Specialist and she also works with our Community Engagement Team. Amelia dedicates time to delivering important information and fun stories to our consumers, staff, vendors, and the community. When asked why Amelia deserves this award, her coworkers shared that it is “her willingness to take on projects that are above and beyond.” They also mentioned her “attention to detail” and that, “she loves a challenge and will jump right in.” To get to know Amelia a little better, we asked her a few questions. Here is a little of what she shared!

What do you like most about your work at IRC?

I love working in Community Engagement because there is always something new to tackle! We handle everything from social media, agency publications, IRC’s website, community outreach, events, disparity initiatives and more! Everyone on the team brings a wealth of skills and expertise and when we come together our work really reflects that talent! We also are lucky to have a boss that appreciates our work and encourages us to be creative and push ourselves.

What is your life like outside of work?

Being a true extrovert, I’m happiest when I’m around others. I love spending time with my hubby, family, pals, and pups! You can often find me chatting away in a restaurant or brewery, roller skating the streets of Redlands, or eating churros and popcorn at Disneyland. And if we are being honest, I spend A LOT of time on Instagram.  I really love to take and share photos!

Do you think this award reflects your personality/work here, etc?

I love that this award is called Hercules. I like lifting weights and am known to post the occasional gym selfie, so winning an award called Hercules is pretty awesome! On a serious note, I try to bring my best self to work each day. It is important to me that our online and public presence reflect the amazing work our staff is doing. And getting it all done often does require feats of strength! #seinfeldreference

Posted by:

Christine Garganera

Christine Garganera is the Human Resources Assistant at Inland Regional Center. In addition to assisting IRC’s HR department, Christine helps manage the agency’s wellness program and employee events. When she is not working, Christine enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, kickboxing, and binge watching Netflix.