Four Pinal County Development Services department employees were recently honored at the Arizona Association of County Engineers Robert C. Esterbrooks Awards.

“This is an honor to have so many of our people recognized at the Esterbrooks Awards,” stated Pinal County Public Works Deputy Director Celeste Garza in a press release. “These individuals exemplify what we strive for and are excellent leaders within our department. Every day they are serving our residents at the highest level and are shining examples of what it means to be public servants."

Oracle Maintenance Assistant Foreman Dean Schifferns won the award for Operations/ Construction Support. In 2021, Schifferns was one of the main reasons the town of Dudleyville survived the Margo Fire, according to a county press release.. He used his expertise as a dozer operator to build a fire line along the river to withstand the flames.

GIS Specialist Clayton Cathemer was awarded this year’s Rising Star award. He has been with the county since 2023. Cathemer worked to get a multiple-months backlog of work caught up in a matter of a few weeks. He also discovered a problem with the assignment of addresses for at least 13 recently approved subdivisions, equaling more than 1,000 new lots with incorrect or inaccurate addresses, the release stated.

Tony Martinez, who works as the maintenance foreman for the San Tan Area, received an honorable mention for Operations/ Construction Support. “Tony has consistently found innovative solutions to make things work, showcasing his commitment to the efficient and effective operation of the county,” the release stated.

Scott White received an honorable mention nod from the organization for Engineering Support. As manager of district 3, White oversees the county’s construction project. He is currently supervising the Randolph Community revitalization project and the widening of Thornton Road in the Casa Grande area.

The Robert C. Esterbrooks Award Program was established by AACE in honor of founding member Bob Esterbrooks to recognize individuals statewide in the county public works profession. The award recognizes individual county employee service that benefits the community and fosters innovation, effectiveness, better communications and efficiency. 

The awards were presented at the AACE 2024 Conference in Maricopa on Feb. 29.