I shared the office next to Kristina, with only 1-dividing wall between us, our doors are next to each other which indicates how closely we worked. I remember Kristina from her 1st days with the City as I was a member of the HR interview panel who selected Kristina. She was self-motivated to learn all aspects of HR and being her best self. She excelled in learning and applied it to become a key contributor in HR. We relied on her calm demeanor and passion to do the right thing for each challenging case she handled.
Often, we were the last 2-stragglers leaving HR after 5PM as we were both working late to complete something we thought couldn't wait until the next day. We worked on many issues together as we tried to apply policies and the laws to arrive at the right determination in the best interest of employees. Kristina was also witty and had quick humorous responses to lighten the mood or ease tension during discussions.
To many employees, Kristina was the face of HR from the new hires at Orientation to assisting with New Supervisor Training on Employment Law and Labor issues, she capably handled FMLA; Accommodation requests; Fitness-for-Duty; Pandemic Covid issues; Sick Leave Pool and many others that required her to show empathy and kindness.
To me, next door to her, she was like a daughter. She born the same year as my only daughter, so we connected on a personal level too. There is a hole in my heart from the loss of Kristina and I will reach out to her Mom Cassie to express my sincere condolences.
Geli Eldemire