BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

Five years ago, Verizon began recognizing its employees who went above and beyond duty. They call the year-long recognition “Service Heroes.”

Last week, Ms. Jeanmarie Milla, Verizon’s South Region Operations President, announced the name of its 5th “Service Hero.”

Ms. Zabrina Mitchell was named a “Super Hero.” She is also a multi-year Platinum Club winner.

In addition to having the recognition for an entire calendar year, a larger than life-sized photograph of Ms. Mitchell adorns the front of Verizon’s Zack Street building in downtown Tampa.

Bob Elek, Manager of Media Relations said of Ms. Mitchell, “Her proactive approach to engaging customers and solving problems is helping to drive customer loyalty, builds service culture credibility with her team and helps maintain high morale in her store. Zabrina is a Verizon Service Hero that lives the role everyday through her strong unwavering commitment to our customers evident through her daily actions, teamwork, and overarching service focused business strategy.”

During an interview with the Sentinel, Ms. Mitchell said she was surprised that she won the award. All of the company’s employees were in competition for the title.

“It feels good to be recognized for the contributions. For a customer service representative, it means everything,” she said.

A Tampa native, Ms. Mitchell attended the public schools of Hillsborough County. After graduating from Robinson High School, she continued her education at St. Leo University, where she majored in Criminology.

Ms. Mitchell joined Verizon in 1999, and has worked in several capacities throughout her tenure. She was promoted to management in 2004 with the company. Her current role in management requires her to work with 33 stores throughout the state.

When time allows, Ms. Mitchell enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.