Employee of the Month - December 2023
Sergio Vega,
Propery Coordinator
Property Management Office
Awarded Tuesday, December 12, 2023, via Zoom Virtual celebration. Sergio was joined by President Jane Close Conoley, Vice President of the Division of Administration and Finance Scott Apel, Associate Vice President of Budget and Administration Kara Perkins, Parking and Operations Director Amy Gerety, Operations Director Maria Guillen, numerous Property Management and campus colleagues.
Sergio Vega’s career at Cal State Long Beach began with his first position in 2004 as a Student Assistant in Mail Services while he worked on a Computer Engineering undergraduate degree. He left CSULB, but later returned as a staff member in Receiving and Mail Services in 2014. In 2017, he transitioned into his current position as the Property Coordinator in the Property Management Office (PMO).
Sergio shared some of the reasons he appreciates working at The Beach. He said, “What I enjoy best about my job is establishing and maintaining professional relationships with the Campus customers we serve, and learning about the specialized equipment that the departments purchase that we tag and inventory. We are always looking for ways to streamline processes to make the customer's experience as easy and uncomplicated as possible. A big part of my initial tasks in this office was to overhaul outdated and tedious processes, and rebuild this office's reputation with Campus community so that people would say ‘Oh, it's Property!’ instead of ‘Ugh, it's Property…’”
Brian Thorson, the Botany Technician and Botanical Curator in the Biological Sciences department, explained the impact that Sergio and his team have made on the PMO, “When I was given the responsibility of department record keeper sixteen years ago, the inventory had been neglected so severely and for such a long period, that it seemed impossible to restore to functional integrity.” In this capacity, he works with Sergio and described that since Sergio took over the helm, “processing changes to the active inventory is efficient and seamless.” Sergio is “always immediately willing to help to clarify policies or resolve challenging situations” is “patient and listen(s) carefully to details in every unique scenario in order to provide the most accurate guidance.”
Maureen O’Brien, the University Controller in the Controller’s Office, expressed her gratitude for Sergio, “My staff and I have been working with Sergio for several years now and his work product, professionalism, and cooperation have always been of the highest quality. The work that we share with Sergio demands great perseverance and attention to detail, both of which he excels at.
“Also, he can be counted on to fully understand and document the property items he must record in the software we share. Recently, we asked him to go back and add information to each item of property already entered in the software and he was able to accomplish this accurately and in record time. We are immensely grateful to be able to work with a person of such dedication. In addition, Sergio is a pleasure to work with. He is friendly and supportive and helpful.”
Maria Guillen, the Operations Director, and Sergio’s manager noted, “I've had the pleasure of knowing [Sergio] since 2016. I first met him when I was working as a student assistant for the Property Office, and since then, we've worked together in various capacities. He is now reporting to me, and he has consistently remained the same person - someone who is dedicated to his work and is always ready to help others. He is a true professional, dedicated to producing high-quality work, and has a great deal of respect for others.
“Sergio is a caring and analytical individual, and I always enjoy working with him on different projects because he provides a unique perspective, which is always helpful. Overall, he is a trustworthy and valuable member of our team in Parking & Operations.”
Outside of work, Sergio enjoys playing and recording music (multiple instruments and mostly self-taught), going to concerts, watching and discussing movies, barhopping with friends, and outdoor recreation activities. He is always on the lookout for new restaurants to try. He likes to learn about as many different topics as possible, and also learn basic phrases in various languages. In general, he is always open to learning and trying new things. Sergio said, “In short, I think ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ sums me up pretty well.”