The East Hampton Village Board bestowed its first-ever Employee of the Year award at its organizational meeting on July 1.
Kevin Schaefer, crew leader in the Department of Public Works, was given the award for the village’s 2025-26 fiscal year. He “quietly leads by example every single day,” Marcos Baladron, the village administrator, said. The award “recognizes an employee who consistently goes above and beyond, not because they’re asked to but because of simply who they are.”
Mr. Schaefer has been a village employee for nearly 26 years. “Kevin is someone his co-workers rely on and respect daily,” Mr. Baladron said. “He is always on time, always willing to work weekends, and is often the first person to answer his phone after hours when the village needs him.”
Mr. Schaefer is the lead member of the salt crew during snowstorms, and last winter “played a big role during the most demanding snowstorm season that we’ve ever seen out here,” Mr. Baladron said. “He takes great pride in mentoring and training new employees and helping them learn not just the job but the work ethic, teamwork, and dedication that define the Department of Public Works.”
