Start with a good cause. Add a few talented people and a few more people who think it's a great idea to buy art in order to support the good cause. At the New Mexico Department of Information Technology, this combination recently brought in almost $800 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The talented people included employees who donated artworks and other handmade items for an agency-wide auction. Paul Butt and Mike Neitzey contributed photography; Bill York brought baked goods (baked by his wife, Laurel Gladden); Deborah Martinez donated jewelry she designed and created; Melinda Lopez brought an original acrylic painting by her partner, artist Dorian Vincent Scotti; and Dorenda Morse donated folded and framed Iris paper art.

One highlight among auction items was a lap quilt by IT Systems Manager Melody Griego. Passionate about sewing since she was a young teen, Griego began quilting a few years ago after deciding she "wasn't going to wait until I retired" to take up the craft. Since 2005 her quilts have earned several top awards, including first place at a regional show in Denver and second place in an international quilt exhibition in Tacoma, Wash.

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Leona Shaw, a cashier in the city of Santa Fe's Finance Department, has been named the city's latest employee of the month. Shaw was commended for taking up the slack on numerous occasions when her division was short-staffed or fellow cashiers were absent, according to benefits administrator Colleen Higgins-Vigil, who nominated Shaw for the award.

"Leona has the grace and courtesy to always be polite to every customer ... no matter what pressure she is under," Higgins-Vigil said.

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Recent top monthly employees in the state Children, Youth and Families Department include Lisa Roybal, an adoptions records coordinator in the Protective Services Division. Roybal caught the attention of supervisors and co-workers by extending assistance to programs, units and special projects beyond her regular duties.

In CYFD's Juvenile Justice Services Division, human resources administrator Susan Garcia earned the monthly award for her "diligence and promptness in making sure employees' timesheets are approved and accurate," according to her nominators. Classification officer Miya Hoshijo was recognized for donating extra time in activities on behalf of clients of the juvenile facility where she works.

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Lena Mares, who serves as both counselor and registrar with the Youth Diagnostic and Development Center was recognized for working extra hours in her two-part job. And Jessica Padilla, a YDDC administrator, was singled out for her "dedication, accuracy and extraordinary efforts," her nominators said.

If you have news about a public employee, contact Fauntleroy at gussie7@fairpoint.net