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Employees honored at Certificate of Distinction Award ceremony

Oct. 17, 2022

COD honorees

Pinellas County Schools recognized 86 support employees at the district’s annual COD Award Breakfast on Monday.

The event, which was held at the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo, celebrated employees who committed many extra hours to professional development. 

The program gives support employees a chance to expand their knowledge and potentially earn bonuses. There are two levels of distinction: COD I and COD II. 

  • The COD I program requires 65 hours of professional development, including program essentials, diversity essentials and electives.
  • The COD II program requires 150 hours of professional development, including program essentials, electives and volunteer/outreach.

Employees who complete Level I receive an annual bonus of $275 and those who complete Level II earn an additional $300.

Monday's honorees included school-based staff, administration staff, and employees who work in maintenance, health and safety, food service, and transportation. 

Employees from Nina Harris ESE Center earned 15 Certificates of Distinction, the highest number at one school. The Transportation Department had nine COD recipients, the second highest in the district.  

Vasiliki Andriakenas, a bilingual assistant at Tarpon Springs High School, was a standout at this year's awards. She completed the COD I and COD 2 programs, and Leadership U in one year! Last school year, she took 99 courses, more than anyone else in the district. 

Learn more about the COD Program.

Meet Vasiliki Andriakenas and find out why she's a fan of the COD program:

Meet two more of our awesome COD recipients: