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UPHP honors Steve Heikkinen

Heikkinen

MARQUETTE — Upper Peninsula Health Plan has named Steve Heikkinen 2016 Employee of the Year, according to a release from UPHP.

Each year, UPHP names an Employee of the Year from a pool of Employee of the Quarter and “Caught ‘Cha” candidates. Each Employee of the Quarter is nominated by their manager. The nominees are then reviewed and a winner is selected by the senior management team.

UPHP employees also participate in a peer recognition program called “Caught ‘Cha.” This is an employee driven, incentive program in which all employees can write a “Caught ‘Cha” note and give it to someone they caught doing something great. Along with each Employee of the Quarter, the two highest “Caught ‘Cha” recipients each year are entered as candidates in a company-wide vote for Employee of the Year.

“I feel honored to have been voted Employee of the Year by my peers. I truly enjoy my job and am grateful to have the opportunity to utilize my skill-set and education as facilities coordinator. Diving into construction drawings and coordinating with vendors to maintain and improve the efficiency of our building is very rewarding,” Heikkinen said.

Heikkinen, a Negaunee native, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northern Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree in land surveying from Michigan Tech University. Before joining UPHP, Steve previously worked at Engineering Consultants in Ishpeming for 17 years and at WLUC TV6 as a production manager for 17 years.

In November 2014, Heikkinen began his career at UPHP as a transportation coordinator. In 2016, UPHP moved into a new 28,000-square-foot building and Heikkinen filled a new position, facilities coordinator.

“Heikkinen was an essential part of the planning, construction and successful move of UPHP’s staff to their new home at Liberty Way,” the release said.

Heikkinen’s supervisor, Melissa Holmquist, attributes his success in large part to his work ethic.

“Steve is self-motivated, has a positive attitude, and successfully juggles multiple projects simultaneously. He is a true asset to UPHP,” said Holmquist, chief operations officer.

UPHP President and CEO Dennis Smith said Heikkinen stands out due to his dedication.

“Steve stands out thanks to his tireless devotion to his job. His responsiveness to the needs of UPHP staff is commendable. He communicates issues that do arise efficiently and offers solutions to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Smith said.

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