2021 Monitoring Center Excellence Award Winners Approach Challenge With Compassion

The winners of The Monitoring Association’s 2021 Monitoring Excellence Awards show that leading with your heart is just as important as leading with your mind.

MAIN UAS Video Capture — Scott Elkins, CEO of Universal Atlantic Systems (winner, Monitoring Center of the Year, SMB) , thanks TMA for being nominated in a pre-recorded video shown at the virtual awards ceremony in April.

IMAGE COURTESY OF THE MONITORING ASSOCIATION

Operator of the Year

Diandra Dean Helps Colleagues Feel Comfortable in the Workplace & Reach Their Full Potential

Along with serving as a monitoring specialist and team lead at Affiliated Monitoring, based in Union, N.J., Diandra Dean also organizes a potluck around Thanksgiving and organizes the birthday celebrations in the office.

This keeps employees’ bellies full, but it also boosts team morale in the office, which allows them to work better as a team, she says.

“Making employees feel comfortable in the workplace allows them to focus on the job at hand and not be preoccupied with what is going on around them,” she says. “This leads to better outcomes for everyone. Having happy colleagues who enjoy working here allows them to reach their full potential.”

This sense of togetherness also helps create a welcoming environment, she says.

“Our monitoring family knows that they will not experience the friendly, caring team atmosphere we can offer at Affiliated Monitoring anywhere else,” she says.

Along with TMA operator training, Dean has focused on IT technology in her education, receiving a network systems administration certificate from ITT Technical Institute in 2006 and an associate’s degree in applied science – desktop support and network administration from San Jacinto Community College in May 2019.

“There are multiple situations, both with customers and in the station with employees, where my IT background has helped to troubleshoot and problem solve,” she says. “Even if I am not super familiar with a particular product, my IT training has helped me to think and act analytically.”

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Learn About the Operator of the Year Finalist

Latisha Jenkins of Universal Atlantic Systems has worked with the company since October 2018. She had no prior experience in the security industry before coming to UAS, but quickly became one of UAS’ most knowledgeable and versatile dispatchers. Jenkins is consistent in her actions and encourages cooperation, integrity and positivity among her peers.

Jonathan Spruill of CPI Security has worked at the company for a little over a year. However, he’s made a huge impact at the company in that short time. He was promoted from a central station operator to a central station lead in just six months. His shifts tend to perform with higher service levels and response time than those of veteran leaders. He is currently working his way through law school and wants to pursue a career in criminal justice.

She says great customer service skills, from staying patient on the phone, to controlling not just your emotions but the situation at hand, are important attributes to have as a monitoring center operator. She not only talks the talk, but walks the walk: Dean once assisted an elderly subscriber who experienced a serious medical emergency from a fall and stayed on the phone with her until help arrived.

It’s this ability to help, she says, that makes her job rewarding.

“I enjoy my job; and knowing that I can have such a big impact on the lives of our customers is truly gratifying,” she says.

Being recognized for her dedication to customer service makes her feel acknowledged at Affiliated and in the monitoring industry as a whole.

“It is [great] knowing that the years of service and dedication to Affiliated have not gone unnoticed,” she continued. “I am proud of how far I have come and look forward to my continued growth.”