City Manager Tom Hatch presented Costa Mesa Police employee Sandra Lozano with this month’s City Manager Leadership Award at the Thursday Feb. 23 Meet and Greet event at City Hall.
“Sandra exemplifies our commitment to provide the highest levels of service to the residents of Costa Mesa,” Hatch said. “She is a leader and dedicated employee not only amongst her peers in the Police Department but for the entire city organization.”
A Police Records and Evidence Administrator, she oversees the Records and Evidence Bureau, consisting of both the Records and the Property and Evidence units. These are two major areas of responsibility, which are critical to the Police Department’s daily operations.
Lozano’s leadership style is based on communication, regular interaction with staff and mentoring. She is also part of the department’s Peer Support Program, where she is regularly sought by individuals for her approachability, input, guidance, or council, Hatch noted. Additionally, her commitment and efforts put into matters behind the scenes is unmeasurable, he said.
Out of her many accomplishments, one of the more notable ones is her work as the department’s SunGard Administrator, responsible for the City’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS). Lozano has been involved with the system since 2013 and has been critical to the system’s implementation and development since then.
A 12-year Costa Mesa employee, Lozano previously worked for the Whittier Police Department, where she served over 14 years and achieved the rank of Records Supervisor. She graduated with honors from the University of La Verne, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management. She has also been the recipient of the Costa Mesa Police Department’s Civilian of the Year Award for 2008 and Supervisor of the Year Award for 2015.
In addition to honoring Lozano, City Manager Hatch welcomed several new employees and commended one for a promotion.
Joining the city in the Parks and Community Services Department is Jennifer Crisol – Recreation Leader II, Claude Garrett – Recreation Leader II, Sierra Grindstaff – Recreation Leader I, Tyler Hoang – Recreation Leader II, Gabriela Lopez – Recreation Leader II, Tyler Palmer – Recreation Leader II and Jodie Mccann the department’s new Management Analyst
From the Police Department, Hatch welcomed new Officer Erik Nippert, a recent Sheriff Academy graduate as well as Isai Flores Barrera, a Public Services intern.
He also congratulated Kelly Dalton on his recent promotion to Engineering Technician III.