Desert Veterinary Clinic selected best place to work in Yuma

Yuma's best employers gathered together Wednesday in the first awards luncheon recognizing some of Yuma's best places to work.

"You're in some pretty fine company here today," The Sun Publisher Julie Moreno told the crowd of about 170 in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Neighborhood Center, 300 S. 13th Ave. "We hope at the end of the event you're going to leave here motivated."

The Workplace Excellence Awards were created this year by the Southwest Arizona Human Resource Association, or SAHRA, and The Sun to recognize Yuma's great places to work.

Winners and runners-up in four categories were announced at Wednesday's luncheon. For detailed information on the awards, the judges, the nominees, finalists and winners, see the special insert in today's edition.

Desert Veterinary Clinic was selected as the overall winner, the best place to work in Yuma 2005, and won first place in the Medium Business category.

Cheryl Haugo, doctor of veterinary medicine and owner of the clinic, accepted both awards.

"I'm just truly amazed," Haugo told The Sun after the event.

Haugo said when she began her business in 1989, she worked hard to make sure she hired a good team and created a good, fun place to work.

"I'm always trying really hard, but I never dreamed I would win this award," she said. "It's such an honor to be given recognition...It's the whole team that's earned this award."

Prior to the awards presentation, keynote speaker Dale Davidson, who has 30 years of experience as a writer, broadcaster, trainer and motivational speaker, spoke to the audience about what it takes to succeed, based on "true facts" that he'd learned, "often the hard way."

"True fact," Davidson said. "A lot of people aimlessly hope for glory, but don't do what it takes."

These people, he said, are missing the three D's, "Desire, determination and discipline," Davidson said.

Davidson learned from a former boss that "all motivation is self-motivation."

He said people thrive who continue to develop their skills, and he encouraged employers to bring in young people with new ideas.

"The sophisticated knowledge young people are bringing into your businesses are making them great places to work," he said. "Look for young people that will challenge you, challenge the way you do things."

Davidson reminded the audience of the importance of a banner hanging on the wall that read "Work/Life Balance."

"That's very important," he said. "Please, please, please remember this...nobody ever looks back on their life and says, Gee, I wish I'd spent more time in the office.'

Davidson encouraged attendees to engage themselves with their peers, their environment and within their company. He also advised making sure the work environment is a fun place to be.

"How much more fun would meetings be with construction paper and crayons than Power Point and Excel spreadsheets," he said.

His final point: Striving for excellence is a lifelong process.

"Stradivarius was in his 90s when he created his two most famous violins," Davidson said. "For a guy my age, this is encouraging. It's never too late."

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Tammy Krikorian can be reached at tkrikorian@yumasun.com or 539-6847.