Filipina gets top San Francisco managerial award

MANILA, Philippines—A Filipina-American working for the San Francisco Department of Public Works (DPW) was awarded the Public Managerial Excellence Award by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR) in San Francisco, California.

Joecelyn Quintos-Rodis, business services division manager for the San Francisco DPW, received the award in a ceremony at the San Francisco City Hall on March 19 in an annual event sponsored by the non-profit organization SPUR.

In a statement, Corey Marshall, SPUR’s good government policy director, said that Rodis was chosen for her “outstanding leadership and management of DPW’s accounting operations.”

“Her diligence and dedication, working across many City departments over a mere six months, led to the automation of DPW’s Contract Service Orders, Change Orders, and HRC Compliance/Payment Authorization systems. This resulted in a significant reduction in processing times, faster mobilization of contractors to start work, and complete elimination of delays associated with paper-based approval processes,” Marshall said.

For his part, Robert Carlson, DPW deputy director for finance and Rodis’ supervisor, lauded the Filipina’s achievement particularly her introduction of an innovative technology which reduced the time contractors could expect payment for their services from the original 55 days to eight days and was done “in house”.

According to SPUR, these awards given to deserving people over the last 32 years “represent a unique opportunity to acknowledge the leadership, vision and ability of city managers to make a difference within government and the community.”

For his part, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee lauded Public Managerial Excellence awardees like Rodis as “leaders who bring tireless dedication and initiative to their work. They demonstrate the true potential of a government that works for the good of all people.”

Rodis migrated from the Philippines in 1984 with her three brothers. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in accounting from the San Francisco State University. She earned her master’s degree at the Golden Gate University after which she took the state board for accountancy and became a certified public accountant.

After working in the private sector, Rodis joined the San Francisco city government in 1998 as division manager of the financial management and administration office of the San Francisco DPW then under Director Lee who is now the city Mayor.

Before her current assignment in the DPW, she served as bureau manager of the Public Utilities Commission’s water system infrastructure division tasked with policy and decision making for a $4.3 billion, 13-year capital improvement program.

Rodis is married to Hermilo Rodis of the San Francisco Office of Contract Administration, presently assigned to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.