APMS Michael Johnson Honored with Sloan Public Service Award

Assistant Property Maintenance Supervisor Michael Johnson has been honored with a 2015 Sloan Public Service Award. Ceremonies were held with his colleagues and senior administrators at Johnson Houses in Manhattan on June 2, and later the same day in the Great Hall at Cooper Union, with Mayor Bill de Blasio and hundreds of others in attendance.

The City’s most prestigious prize for public service, presented by the Fund for the City of New York, brings an award of $10,000.

“This is a great honor and I thank the Fund for the City of New York, NYCHA, and the residents at Johnson Houses,” Mr. Johnson said during the morning ceremony. “I’m here early in the morning and the residents can all reach me on my cell phone. I enjoy serving them and working with my staff each day.”

Later in the day at Cooper Union, General Manager Michael Kelly remarked, “We have a lot of outstanding public servants at NYCHA but Michael Johnson stands out for a number of reasons. This is a guy who made his way to work on a freezing, blustery morning—arriving before dawn, at 4 a.m.—to clear the ice and snow from his development’s sidewalks and steps. He’s a guy who, on his day off, hauled a truckload of compost so that green thumbs could make the flowers flourish in the Johnson Houses community garden…[Michael] really understands how important his work is to his families, partly because he too was once a resident of a NYCHA development in Staten Island.”

A 27-year NYCHA veteran who began as a seasonal employee, Mr. Johnson will donate the $10,000 prize to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for cancer, a charity he supports.

At Johnson Houses, selection panel member Michael Arad emphatically cited Mr. Johnson’s “generosity of spirit and his role in making the lives of countless public housing residents better.” While formerly employed at NYCHA as an architect, Mr. Arad submitted the winning design for the 9/11 memorial, selected from 5,000 entries.

In thanking Mr. Johnson for his “selfless efforts on behalf of residents,” Senior Vice-President for Operations Brian Clarke also welcomed “the recognition Michael brings to the good work that our staff does day in and day out.”

Manhattan property management director Conrad Vazquez thanked Mr. Johnson on behalf of the entire borough management.

The people who work most closely with Mr. Johnson, and those he serves, consistently praised his job dedication, concern for residents, and respect for staff.

“Whatever challenges that come, Michael is there to meet them. No matter what the situation, he is there with a smile,” said Johnson Houses Property Manager Gay Chestnut.

“Michael is available 24/7, he always worries about the residents, and does them countless favors,” said Johnson Houses Property Maintenance Supervisor Kevin Cropley.

“I was surprised how polite he is – that really boosts morale,” said Maintenance Worker Kmal Moeen, who was already working at Johnson Houses when Mr. Johnson arrived two years ago. “

We are proud of Michael Johnson,” said Resident Association President Ethel Valez. “He is a wonderful APMS and there is never a moment he won’t help you when you ask. When he tells you something, you know it will get done, and always with a smile.