DA Mike Hestrin announces 2020 PRIDE Award recipients

May 19, 2021

RIVERSIDE –Each year, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office recognizes the outstanding work done by its employees with its annual PRIDE Awards.

PRIDE, the Program Rewarding Incentive of District attorney Employees, honors attorney and non-attorney staff for demonstrating extraordinary responsibility, professional development, productivity, dedication, initiative, a positive attitude, quality of work, dependability, cooperation, attendance, and public demeanor. We also recognize those in our community including this year’s Volunteer of the Year recipient, Linda Sherman-Nurick of Cellar Door Bookstore.

Due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, we were unable to hold a group ceremony and instead recently recognized each individual or group separately so their family and friends could attend in a smaller group setting.

“We proudly celebrate and recognize the perseverance and resilience of our staff, especially in what certainly has been a very difficult and unprecedented time,” DA Hestrin said.

The cost of the awards was entirely covered by money raised through fundraisers held within the office.

Here is the list of the 2020 PRIDE Award recipients:

Area	Award	Name
Eastern Region	Group/Unit: Felony Prosecution Unit	Calendar District Attorneys: Arthur Hester, Hawlee Valente
Countywide	DA Leadership Award	Joshlyn Pulliam
Countywide	Administration Employee of the Year	Ashley Smith
Countywide	Clerical Employee of the Year	Janet Garcia
Countywide	Clerical Employee of the Year	Diana Guerrero
Countywide	Advocate of the Year	Carla Aguilar
Countywide	Technician of the Year	David Junior
Countywide	Investigator of the Year	Paul Bracciodieta
Countywide	Paralegal of the Year	Esperanza Garcia
Countywide	Misdemeanor Prosecutor of the Year	Adelaida Hernandez
Countywide	Juvenile Prosecutor of the Year	Breeanna Fujio
Countywide	Crime Prevention Prosecutor of the Year	Evelyn Essenwanger
Countywide	Appellate Prosecutor of the Year	Jesse Male
Countywide	Prosecutor of the Year	Marcus Garrett
Countywide	Administration Group Award Accounting/Budget	Ginika Ezinwa, Eleanor Watanabe, Susan Slocum, Jennifer Johnson Denisse Cortez, Sandi Sosa, Suzie Montez, Chris Stewart, Jessica Telles, Janel Brockmann, Sarah Bellezza, Dawn Walker, Otelia Estampador, Daniela Tanase, Esther Tino, Toni Valerdi
Countywide	Administration Group Award Technology Services Bureau	Timothy Craney, Sireen O’Mari, Justin Kimble, Sean Terrill, Walter Ly, Chip Shepherd, Paul Aparicio, Steve Dauven, Patrick De Leon, Adrian Sastre, Kendric Thaxton, Autum Carbone, Steffanie McCoy, Ricardo Mendoza, Divya Venkita Ramulu, Kelly Lapaj
Countywide	Administration Group Award Human Resources	Lisa Pina, Vanessa Ignacio, Doreen Vasquez, Jessica Pureco, Jason Watkins, Vicki Blackburn, Mariana Acosta
Western Region	Group/Unit: Felony Prosecution Unit	Trial Team Leaders: Courtney Breaux, Chris Cook, Jay Kiel
Special Prosecution Region	Group/Unit: Brady Unit	Meghan MacDonald, Stephen Merrill, Timothy Mulhere, Jessica Ramirez, Fredric Ignacio
Bureau of Investigation	Group/Unit: Dispatch	Julie Marcoux, Gregory Cauley, Margaret Swank, Nancy Houser
Countywide	Volunteer of the Year	Linda Sherman-Nurick – Cellar Door Bookstore