From District 3D Manager Wendy Garth McCants
The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles proudly presents Huntsville Field Office Administrative Support Assistant II Latasha Martin-Heard with the 2023 Support Staff of the Year Award!
Ms. Martin-Heard has been an Administrative Support Assistant II in the Huntsville Field Office since December 2021. Prior to coming on board with ABPP, she was employed as a loan officer and later promoted to an office manager managing 10-12 people. Her current position has allowed her to utilize her clerical proficiency learned throughout her career.
She is a valuable member of the Huntsville Field Office. She handles the normal ASA duties and is the principal support for the ASA III. She came to the Huntsville Field Office at a critical time when it was understaffed. She was able to promptly learn the expectations of the field office and agency and has met all tasks head-on due to her self-motivation and years of experience in customer service. She has exhibited the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to excel in this position and beyond her administrative duties. Regarding her work habits, she effectively communicates with her coworkers and consistently goes above and beyond in assisting the Huntsville staff. She has been observed on many occasions diffusing a situation while maintaining a professional and positive demeanor to make certain a person’s needs are satisfactorily met.
She fills many roles at once — daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and coworker; but the one she loves the most is mother. She has two children. Sannera is a senior in high school with plans to attend college majoring in Fine Arts, and Na’Sean is a freshman attending Lee High School who plans to play basketball this year. Sannera and Na’Sean are her motivation for everything she does. “I strive to be the greatest example for them in life, Martin-Heard said. “In order to show them that no matter what is against you, you can overcome it and come out on top.”
Outside of her work with ABPP, she devotes much of her time working with community members in dance, cheerleading, Greenpower teams, baseball, football, karate, Cub Scouts, and the Kappa League Fraternity. She is also a teacher at her local church, The Fellowship of Faith. She loves having family gatherings where she often cooks a feast. In addition, she enjoys swimming, shopping, reading and enjoying time with her kids. She is also an artist, creating art with resin in her free time. Ms. Martin-Heard and Sannera can often be found at Lowe Mill’s outdoor vendor market in Huntsville on Saturdays showcasing and selling their art. She looks forward to being a business owner and artist in her local community one day.
“She is a hard worker who goes over and beyond to ensure that the office is represented professionally. She is truly one-of-a kind, and we are very fortunate to have someone like her on our team,” said ASA III Monica Nash.