City Honors Employees with 2025 Yuma Way Star Awards

Yuma city officials presented the 2025 Yuma Way Star Awards at an annual ceremony on January 6, honoring staff and teams for outstanding public service. The awards recognize employees who demonstrate the city’s stated core values and reward recipients with a plaque, City of Yuma items, and a monetary gift.

This year’s winners included Edna Cordova, Administrative Assistant in Human Resources, as Star Performer; Steve Wilson, Assistant Director of Engineering, as Guiding Leader; Dennis Gasrow, Fire Captain, for Safety Excellence; the Yuma Regional Communications System, or YRCS, as Dream Team; and Jon Ursuery, Senior Equipment Mechanic in Public Works, who received the City Administrator’s Star Award. City officials reported that more than 50 nominations were submitted by employees across departments during the past year.

“Congratulations to this year’s Yuma Way nominees and award recipients,” said Jay Simonton, Acting City Administrator. “Seeing The Yuma Way in action through our employees’ dedication and professionalism is truly meaningful. These nominees reflect the commitment our team brings to serving the Yuma community every day."

The YRCS team was singled out for implementing a resilient public safety voice and data network that connects multiple radio repeater sites and dispatch centers across Yuma and La Paz counties. City leaders said that work strengthens emergency communications and coordination across jurisdictions, a tangible improvement for public safety responders and residents who rely on timely emergency services.

Ursuery was recognized for stepping up on urgent equipment repairs and time-sensitive downtown projects, a role city officials tied to maintaining infrastructure and keeping municipal services running smoothly. The range of categories, from individual performers to teams and leadership, reflects an internal emphasis on accountability and cross-department collaboration.

City officials said employees nominated coworkers, supervisors, and teams throughout the year, using the program as a tool to highlight everyday contributions that might otherwise go unnoticed. For residents, the awards underscore investments in municipal capacity and public safety systems, while signaling an administrative focus on morale, reliability, and operational resilience.

By publicizing these honors, the city aims to reinforce standards for service and to demonstrate to taxpayers where staff efforts and improvements are occurring across departments that serve the Yuma community.