USCIS Official Among Finalists for 2016 Service to America Medals

WASHINGTON—Mariela Melero, associate director for Customer Service and Public Engagement at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is a finalist for the 2016 Service to America Medals honoring excellence among federal employees.

“I came to this country with my parents as a refugee,” Melero said. “It is both an honor and a privilege to be able to help others navigate our immigration system.”

M._Melero_Bio_Pic

The Partnership for Public Service will announce this year’s winners of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, known as the Sammies, at a black-tie gala in the fall. The partnership, which has presented the awards since 2001, selects one winner in each category: Federal Employee of the Year, Career Achievement, Call to Service, Citizen Services, Homeland Security and Law Enforcement, Management Excellence, National Security and International Affairs, and Science and Environment.

Melero is a finalist in the Citizen Services category. She was nominated for her work leading a team whose objective is to make finding immigration information quicker and easier. Her team has developed online and telephone services that are among the most customer-friendly in the federal government.

“The difference Mariela and her team have made for our customers by providing accessible customer-focused tools can’t be overstated,” said USCIS Director León Rodríguez. “Her selection as a finalist for this award reflects the hard work Mariela does every day for our agency and our customers. I am extremely proud of her for this well-deserved recognition.”

One of the accomplishments of Melero’s team is myUSCIS. This suite of online tools helps people explore their immigration options, find up-to-date information about the immigration process, prepare for naturalization, and locate citizenship classes and authorized doctors in their community.

Another accomplishment is Emma, a virtual assistant that helps nearly 5,000 different users a day find answers to their questions in plain English. A Spanish version will be released in the near future.

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here