Tourism group presents service excellence awards

Christine Carillo

The Orange County Tourism Council recently awarded its annual Service

Excellence Awards to John Crippen of South Coast Plaza and Barbara Vind

of John Wayne Airport for their efforts in creating a positive and

memorable experience for people visiting Orange County.

After working 2 1/2 years as a sergeant and watch commander at South

Coast Plaza, Crippen received the Service Excellence Award in the retail

and shopping center category for going beyond the call of duty on more

than one occasion. Last year, Crippen displayed exemplary behavior when

he spent nearly six hours coaxing a mentally challenged woman off the

center’s carousel.

Vind works as an information processing specialist for the Office

Services Support Department at John Wayne Airport and received the

Service Excellence Award in transportation for displaying initiative. A

five-year county employee, she decided to move her duties at the airport

from behind the scenes to the front line. During the first few weeks

after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Vind bolstered passenger morale by

creating patriotic lapel ribbons as a fund-raiser for victims and their

families.

There were five overall categories in which awards were given.

The council established the Service Excellence Awards in 1998 to honor

front line travel, tourism and hospitality industry employees while also

addressing the pivotal relationship between customer service and tourism

to Orange County.