FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2002
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today named DPS ombudsman Cindy Touma as the agency’s Employee of the Year at the annual Employee Recognition Ceremony.

Touma has been with DPS for more than two years handling customer inquiries, concerns and complaints for all the agency’s divisions. The position was created as a way to improve customer service by having one person coordinate all responses to the public, which can range from a complaint about a title at DMV to a citation from the Highway Patrol.

"Because the position of ombudsman was a new one, there was no framework in place for Ms. Touma to draw on," said DPS Director B. Boykin Rose. "She hit the ground running and has created an excellent rapport with the public and within the agency, making substantial improvements in the tracking and response time to customer inquiries."

Touma also works closely with the Governor’s Office and other agencies to streamline the flow of communication among agencies.

Before coming to DPS, Touma worked for 12 years in the Governor’s Office Guardian Ad Litem Program.

Touma and her husband, Sam, have three children Daniel, 14, Adam, 11, and Thomas, 8. She is a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and is actively involved in volunteer work in her community.

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SI/50/2002

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