A recognized expert in the procurement of goods and services has been named the Town of Palm Beach’s 2024 employee of the year.
Dean Mealy, town procurement and contracts manager since 2017, received the honor Wednesday at a Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce breakfast at The Breakers.
Mayor Danielle Moore, who announced the award, said Mealy is a “true servant leader” with a “relentlessly positive attitude and wholehearted embrace of the organization’s values, vision, mission and objectives.”
Mealy’s continuous pursuit of improvement and willingness to make swift course adjustments has advanced the quality of service in town government, Moore told an audience of more than 300 people.
Mealy is an expert in the field of procurement and contract management who has served as a board member and presenter for numerous professional organizations, Moore said.
Before joining the town, he was employed as chief procurement officer for Miami-Dade County, where he worked for 32 years. Mealy is also a former director of administrative and information services for the City of New York and a graduate of Florida International University.
Bob Miracle, deputy town manager for finance and administration, told the Palm Beach Civic Association that Mealy and his staff have expanded the pool of potential vendors and secured more competitive prices for services to the town.
Mealy sets the bar high for himself and the five employees under his supervision, Miracle said.
“He’s been doing this for such a long time, but he still brings that energy and excitement to the job every day,” Miracle said. “He loves what he does.”
Mealy was accompanied by his eight-month-old grandson at the chamber breakfast, where he said he had no knowledge that he was to be honored.
In the last seven years, Mealy said, town purchasing processes have been revamped with the support of Town Manager Kirk Blouin, Mayor Moore and the Town Council.
In the last year, Palm Beach issued nearly $45 million in contracts for purchases and services. During that period, the town saved more than $500,000 through proper bidding and “value engineering” to secure the best price, Mealy said.
“The goal here is to do it smarter, leaner, and with as much buying power as we can manage,” he said. “We always want to meet and exceed the residents’ expectations.”
Mealy lives with his family in Jupiter. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and said he has so far visited 131 countries and six continents. He enjoys the exposure to different cultures and people.
“To me, it’s all about the growing experience,” said Mealy, who heads to Antarctica in January.
Mealy is the 47th person to receive the town employee of the year honor since recognition began in 1978.
Moore thanked the Civic Association and Citizens’ Association of Palm Beach for co-sponsoring the award. Recipients receive a plaque and a $3,500 check donated by the two organizations.
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