Melissa Cousart
Contract and Compliance Administrator Melissa Cousart from the Contracts and Procurement Department was nominated by Sabrina Davis, director of marketing and partnerships, for a Pearl GEM Award for her exceptional dedication and support to the marketing and communications (MarCom) team.
When the MarCom team faced challenges due to the departure of key members earlier this year, Melissa stepped up to bridge the expertise gap, particularly in areas like Contract Task Order (CTO) processing and budget management.
Melissa went beyond her duties to mentor Angelica Cardona, who joined Metrolink as a business analyst in February, providing extensive training and guidance in contracts and procurement processes. Melissa's commitment, patience and kindness ensured the team felt confident and supported.
Melissa’s knowledge and counsel stabilized the team during the transition and laid a foundation for future success. Her selfless contribution exemplifies the qualities celebrated by the GEM Awards, making her a deserving recipient.
Ricardo Davila III
Corporate Sales Specialist Ricardo Davila III from the Marketing and Partnerships Department was nominated by Customer Relations Senior Manager Rachel Chaires for Metrolink's Ruby GEM Award for going above and beyond to support the Angels Express special train service.
On Friday, April 26, the service experienced an unprecedented challenge due to misinformation relayed to game attendees by the Los Angeles Angels, which caused a group of approximately 30 riders to miss the train. To compound the situation, there was no Customer Relations Representative present due to a scheduling error. Normally, a representative is available at each game, and the issue has been resolved for all future Angels Express events.
Fortunately, the stranded passengers were not alone. Ricardo had seen emails earlier in the day about a one-off postgame activation taking place at Angel Stadium and took the initiative to go to the Anaheim Station to help out if there were unexpected issues, unaware there was no other Metrolink staff on site.
Thanks to his care and dedication, the impacted Angels Express customers, many of whom were frustrated, had someone to turn to for assistance. Ricardo was able to turn everyone's experience around by communicating what was happening and coordinating the return of the train with the dispatch and communications teams to retrieve the remaining passengers. At the end of the night, the assisted riders left happy and appreciative of Ricardo’s efforts, waving to him as they boarded the train.
This award recognizes Ricardo for being proactive, demonstrating his dedication to Metrolink riders, and providing exceptional customer service above and beyond his normal job duties.