Team Spotlight presented by ThreatLocker: City of Orlando

Successful employee wellness programs begin with dedicated Corporate 5k Team Captains like Debbie Castagnola. Debbie Castagnola, the City of Orlando’s Wellness Coordinator has been the driving force behind Team Orlando’s Corporate 5k team for 29 years. Her role is to inspire City employees to a healthy lifestyle by providing fitness challenges, programs and making wellness opportunities available to all staff. 

Like any good Team Captain, come February each year, her co-workers know she’ll be encouraging them to sign up to run or walk the Corporate 5k! Read about the City of Orlando’s wellness initiatives below.

Shining the spotlight on companies who embrace a culture of workplace wellness is a priority for ThreatLocker, Team Spotlight Sponsor, and Official Cybersecurity Sponsor of the SimplyIOA Corporate 5k presented by Key HR. 

Seeing Mayor Dyer and other leadership run the 5k sets a strong example for City of Orlando employees to engage in your wellness programs. How do you recommend companies, large and small, get leadership support for employee wellness programs?

Actions speak louder than words. Encouraging leaders to actively engage is the most effective method for them to demonstrate their endorsement. Everyone experiences fluctuations in their fitness and health journey. A leader doesn't have to be an elite athlete or adhere strictly to a perfect diet. However, their presence and commitment to wellness initiatives speak volumes. Witnessing leaders allocate their time to wellness pursuits can profoundly influence their employees, subsequently benefiting the organization as a whole. We are fortunate to have numerous City leaders who champion wellness and participate in events like the Corporate 5k. A notable instance of leading by example occurred when Mayor Dyer faced a dilemma: whether to kick off the 5k publicly or attend his son's senior banquet, scheduled at the exact same time. Despite his absence, his decision to prioritize family commitments over professional obligations instilled a sense of pride among his staff, including myself.

How does the city of Orlando’s workplace wellness culture reinforce the healthy living message year-round?

Our objective is to help employees lead healthier lives through a diverse selection of year-round programming. We offer special events including our version of employee Olympics called our Employee Fitness Challenge with over 800 participants, education-focused Wellness Summits, onsite mammograms, and flu vaccines. We provide an Employee Wellness Center, Master’s level Exercise Physiologist (myself), onsite nurse, onsite counselors, volunteer department wellness champions, fitness rooms/pools at community centers, diabetes, smoking, financial, nutrition/cooking opportunities, discount weight loss/massage/personal training/gym memberships, walking incentives and more.

Can you provide one best practice for companies who would like to build their participation in the SimplyIOA Corporate 5k? 

Find a champion in each area/location to focus communication on the fun and camaraderie of the event. Have the champions share how walkers help the runners, since every 10 walkers earns the company a spot at the front of the pack for a runner.

As a career wellness professional, how would you recommend that a company start a wellness program at their workplace – regardless of size?

I would suggest they consult/hire an experienced wellness professional and look to professional wellness organizations for best practices. Any size organization can incorporate wellness.