Guillermo Montalvo Merino is Sussex employee of the year

Sussex County has named Guillermo Montalvo Merino of Milton the 2021 employee of the year.

The award was announced Dec. 14 during Sussex County Council’s last meeting of the year. Montalvo Merino was selected from a field of 10 employees, all quarterly winners, for the honor.

Montalvo Merino, an honorable mention in the second quarter of 2021, received a round of applause from members of council, county staff and others as he was presented with the award.

“I truly wasn’t expecting this, and it’s an honor to be selected,” said Montalvo Merino, who is a rehabilitation specialist in the county’s community development and housing office. He was lauded for, among other things, his efforts in the past year to assist other departments, namely the marriage bureau, where he provided interpreter services on short notice, including days off, as the office was shorthanded. “I love working for Sussex County, and I love helping people and other departments whenever I can. I’m a people person,” he said.

County Administrator Todd Lawson commended Montalvo Merino for his five years of dedicated service to county government, which began in July 2016. His commitment and willingness to go above the normal course of his duties were evident during the continued challenges of 2021, and worthy of the recognition among his peers, Lawson said.