County recognizes Employee of the Year

MILTON — The Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners selected Adrian Lowndes, of the Information Technology/GIS Department, as employee of the year for 2016.

Lowndes, the first recipient of this award, was selected from four candidates honored as employees of the quarter during 2016.

The network and software engineer has written more than 30 custom in-house software apps for the county's various departments, purportedly saving taxpayers more than $2 million in software expenditures and maintenance costs.

“Many of these programs have greatly increased staff efficiency by automating time-consuming tasks previously performed by hand,” a county media release stated. “He has also made working with the county much more friendly; a recent project allows local building contractors to access online permitting from their mobile devices. From overseeing over 1,000 types of technology from computers, servers and network equipment to printers, Wi-Fi and VoIP (voice over internet protocol), Lowndes stays current with the ever-changing trends to keep the county systems running smoothly.”

"Adrian's skills are not limited to the computer department. He has always maintained a very positive and friendly attitude towards everyone," said Jayne Bell, director of management and budget. "He is able to work under pressure and has always managed to solve stressful situations. He epitomizes all the good things in our department as well as our county. He is truly invaluable."

Lowndes has earned certifications in Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate, Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert, Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer, Microsoft Certified Database Administrator and Microsoft Certified Trainer. He also holds certification with Cisco as a Certified Network Associate.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: County recognizes Employee of the Year