Graciela Named 2026 Lee Townsend DSA/MID Ambassador of the Year

It took Graciela about five minutes to travel two blocks. That’s not a complaint; it’s practically her job description. 

On the sunny June morning DSA/MID staff arrived to film what they told her was a routine Annual Meeting & Party video, Graciela set out on her trike from Third Avenue and Pike Street toward First & Pike. Along the way, she stopped repeatedly to pick up litter, grab overturned Lime scooters and tend to whatever each sidewalk needed. 

The one minute that it was supposed to take Graciela to arrive for her surprise was unsurprisingly drawn out. 

“Well, that’s why she’s Ambassador of the Year,” DSA Vice President of Public Realm & Ambassador Operations Jennifer Casillas joked as she watched Gracela’s frequent stops. 

Casillas wasn’t wrong. Graciela, a member of the DSA/MID Clean Team since January 2024, is the 2026 recipient of the Lee Townsend Ambassador of the Year award — the highest honor DSA bestows on an ambassador. The award was presented June 25 at the DSA/MID Annual Meeting & Party at Bell Harbor International Conference Center. 

The surprise 

Graciela didn’t know what was waiting for her at First & Pike that morning. What she found, tucked in an alley, were five of her coworkers holding signs reading: Graciela, Congrats, Felicidades and one that said, “Ambassador of the Year.” 

The ambassador holding that last sign was her son, Alexis, who joined the Clean Team in October 2024 and has since risen to assistant supervisor. Alexis, like his mother, was named Ambassador of the Month for July 2025. 

“She always has a smile on her face,” Alexis said of Graciela. “She’s really caring for everyone. She loves getting to know everyone and working with the people she meets on her route. She wants to help everyone out.” 

The Ambassador of the Year is chosen by a committee of managers and directors from the 12 monthly Ambassador of the Month honorees. Graciela, who was named February’s Ambassador of the Month, stood out even in that accomplished company. 

“When I first came to MID, everyone told me how great she was, how caring and funny she was,” Alexis said. “She loves giving her best every single day. She really deserves it.” 

Building relationships 

Clean, clear and cared for. Those three words are the guiding slogan for DSA/MID ambassadors. For Graciela, they read less like a motto and more like a personality trait. 

She has built relationships along her route. Some of the people she regularly encounters keep their trash organized for her, having a genuine rapport, and wanting to make her work a little easier. She, in turn, said she prays for everyone she meets, particularly those living unsheltered. 

“I like how we all work as a team, that the MID gives people the opportunity to work,” Graciela said, speaking in Spanish. “They give the teams a lot of options for how to work, like walking or on a bike. I feel really happy working with my son.” 

On learning she had won Ambassador of the Year, she was uncharacteristically understated. 

“I feel glad, happy,” she said. “Thank you, because I didn’t expect it to be me. I like my job. I like everybody.” 

Joe Jacobs, DSA/MID senior manager, has seen that warmth up close.  

“What makes Graciela special isn’t just the quality of her work — it’s how she makes everyone around her feel,” Jacobs said. “She brings genuine care to every block she covers and every person she meets.” 

MID Supervisor Abelardo Mejia Ramirez noted that Graciela, like several other Clean Team ambassadors, faced the challenge of overcoming a language barrier in everyday conversation, radio communication and data reporting.  

“She developed methods to proficiently overcome this challenge and has been able to excel in all areas of work,” Ramirez said. “She is often relied upon to mentor and train ambassadors in need or in similar situations, which she does with a smile. 

“Graciela’s vibrant energy and infectious smile make her a joy to work with. Her strong leadership, confidence and great work ethic continue to leave a lasting impression on our ratepayers, supervisory staff and her peers. We’re lucky to have her.” 

A standing ovation 

The Annual Meeting & Party crowd of ambassadors, DSA members and MID ratepayers got their first look at Graciela on the big screen when the video of her surprise reveal began to play. The room erupted before she even said a word. When the video ended, she walked on stage, in front of a standing ovation, to accept her award from Casillas. 

For winning Ambassador of the Year, Graciela receives $500 and two additional vacation days. 

Then came a surprise no one had planned. 

Alaska Airlines Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Harry Cheema took the stage as a representative of the event’s presenting sponsor. He mentioned the Alaska Airlines round-trip giveaway that attendees had entered to win. Then he paused.  

He had spoken with DSA President & CEO Jon Scholes just before going on stage, he said, and had something else to announce: Alaska Airlines would also be giving Graciela a free round-trip flight for two to anywhere in the U.S. 

“You can take your son with you, Graciela,” Cheema cracked, “but you don’t have to.” 

The room erupted again. 

Graciela — bubbly and gregarious on her route, but decidedly shy when the spotlight finds her — was quickly surrounded by fellow ambassadors, and event guests alike, offering hugs and congratulations. 

The celebration carried extra meaning for the family that week. Just days before the Annual Meeting & Party, Alexis welcomed his first child, a boy. Graciela is now a grandmother. 

The expansion of Graciela’s family capped a remarkable couple of weeks for the Clean Team superstar, beginning on that June morning when she showed up to work unaware the downtown she takes care of daily was about to say thank you.