This comes with a lot of responsibility, as she handles every single electronic monitor placed on TJJD youth. It is a job she handles with professionalism and a clear understanding of the policy involved, said Billy Branch, the parole officer who nominated Velasquez for the TJJD Employee Excellence Award for the month of July.
Velazquez also is bilingual, which makes her invaluable to the Fort Worth office, where she often helps facilitate meetings between parole officers and Spanish-speaking families.
But she goes a step beyond simple translating, Branch wrote.
“Her demeanor and personality puts those families at ease to the point that they feel comfortable relaying valuable information concerning the state of our youth,” he said.
As parole assistant, she helps out in countless ways that are not strictly spelled out in her job description, Branch continued, whether it is riding along on the transport of a female TJJD youth or faxing forms to a parole officer offsite to help expedite his task.
“She steps up and never complains,” Branch said, making the Fort Worth office run smoothly.
In her spare time -- of which there is little says Velazquez, who explains that she has two children ages 5 and 13 -- she likes to cook, bake cookies and read books. She also “rode” a bull last year at a ranch owned by relatives in Guanajuato, Mexico. “I’m actually scared of animals. But my little cousin you see in the picture was raised around them, so she was petting the bull to keep him calm while I was on it,” Velazquez said.
As July’s Employee of the Month, she will receive a certificate of appreciation and the option for a $50 gift card or 8 hours of Executive Leave.