Katherine Johnson MS Office Assistant Honored With County's Highest Employee Award

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Kara Payne, an office assistant at Katherine Johnson Middle School in Fairfax City, was recently honored by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with the highest award presented to a county employee.

During Tuesday's regular board meeting, Payne was one of three recipients of the 58th Annual A. Heath Ohthank Memorial Award.

The Fairfax County Board established the annual award in 1966 to honor the memory of the first commissioner of the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission and the creator of the country's merit system.

"The purpose of the Ohthank Award is to grant recognition for accomplishments of 'outstanding worth in advancing and improving public service in the Fairfax County government and school system," said John Townes, commissioner of the Civil Service Commission. "These three employees joined the ranks of 357 prior recipients of the award. They represent the best of the county and school system, and I am proud to honor them."

In addition to Payne, Jennifer Dickinson of the Fairfax County Public Library and 1st Lt. Maegan A. Diotalevi of the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office also received Ohthank Awards on Tuesday.

Shelley Scianna, the country's deputy director of human resources, read the following about Payne during Tuesday's presentation:

"Kara, the office assistant at KJMS, is an outstanding and indispensable member of the school community. She excels in her role through exceptional professionalism, strong communication skills — including fluency in Spanish — and a deep commitment to supporting students, staff and families. Her long-standing presence at the school has helped her build lasting relationships and a strong understanding of school operations.

"Kara plays a key role in daily administrative functions, such as attendance, student check in and out, and providing backup for multiple office positions. She actively contributes to student support as a valued member of the [Multi-tiered Systems of Support] team, and meets regularly with leadership to address attendance concerns to develop action plans.

"Beyond her core duties, Kara enhances the school environment with creative decorations, staff appreciation events and community service initiatives. She personally etched over 150 staff tumblers, managed donation drives and organized a full slate of winter activities."