Vergara Named Correctional Officer Of The Year
Lorena Vergara, Senior Correctional Officer at Mountrail County Correctional Center, has been named the NDCCAA Correctional Employee of the Year. Vergara has been employed by MCCC for six years, starting as a correctional officer one, moving to correctional officer two, shift supervisor and now senior correctional officer.
Her nomination from MCCC Administrator Laurie Johnson says that she has been an asset to MCCC since day one and has become an exceptional correctional officer and leader. She has always expressed her expectations for the shift she is working and holds her fellow coworkers to those expectations. She is not afraid to discuss areas of concern or improvement with coworkers and administration for the better of team dynamics and the facility as a whole. She leads by example and is not afraid to ask questions when she is unsure or needs clarification.
She is firm, fair and consistent with her decisions and interactions with coworkers, inmates and the public. She is willing to learn and find ways to improve as a CO and a person. She takes training seriously and is not afraid to take part in hands on trainings. She shares the information with her coworkers that did not attend.
She initially was unsure when the Senior CO position was first offered to her, but one year later she felt she could focus on making a difference to her teams and accepted the position and continues to excel. She has found a life/work balance that works for her and her family, and encourages her teams to find that balance.
She is an exceptional leader whose effective positive influence makes everyone at the MCCC better. One example came when staff were booking an inmate that spoke no English and was out of control. She stepped in as a new CO and was able to communicate with the inmate and de-escalate the situation. Following up on her instincts of something being off with the situation, she was able to identify the individual as a victim of human trafficking. Due to that diligence, the individual was identified as a victim and provided services rather than being prosecuted criminally.
With her background as a CNA, she has also identified inmates experiencing medical emergencies which allows for a much quicker response and treatment.