Employee of the Month for January is Kelly Glasser

Employee of the Month for January is Kelly Glasser

Kelly Glasser has been a lead teacher in our Head Start program since 2008, first at the Merrick site and currently at the Genesee site, she previously received the Employee of the Month award in September 2016. Her supervisor described her impact on the many students she has taught as follows:

The care and love she shows for each one of her students is over the top, and gives each one of them the safe, secure learning environment that they need to be successful at school. She goes above and beyond to interact and form a special bond with each of her students and their families. This is apparent by the stream of returning students that have to stop by her room for a quick hug and a check-in as they head down the hall to their current classrooms.

Kelly has also made a lasting influence on her program by using her expertise from many years of Head Start experience to train newer colleagues.

Congratulations to Kelly Glasser for being honored again as Employee of the Month, and as our first for 2025!

Photo: Employee of the Month Kelly Glasser with (clockwise) students Arraiya and Dream, Teacher Aides Nor’Rianna Days and Laura Petitto, Site Supervisor Tricia Daley, Executive Director Carolyn Brown, Teacher Kelly Fletcher, and Nurse Karen Morano.

Employee of the Month for December is Becky Gellert

Employee of the Month for December is Becky Gellert

Becky Gellert has been a Health Advocate in our Head Start program since September of last year, having served our Liverpool and Genesee classroom sites as well as some of our collaboration organizations. Her co-workers throughout these locations agree that the qualities that help her excel in this role include her work ethic, and the knowledge and expertise that she brings from her previous extensive daycare experience, and the many little things she does to lift people’s spirits.

Thank you, Becky, and congratulations for being named our Employee of the Month for December!

Photo: Employee of the Month Becky Gellert, with (L to R) Executive Director Carolyn Brown, HS/EHS Health Coordinator Tammi Hatch, and HS/EHS Assistant Health Coordinator Toni Parkhurst.

Employee of the Month for November is Brittany Young

Employee of the Month for November is Brittany Young

Brittany Young has been a Family Worker at our Merrick Head Start / Early Head Start site for three years as of this month. She was nominated for this award for all of the ways she consistently brings positive enthusiasm to not only her case management duties, but also when assisting her co-workers in many ways such as covering classroom breaks, filling in as a school bus monitor, and in particular helping with technology issues — while also managing an additional caseload due to our current shortage of Family Workers.

Thank you, Brittany, and congratulations for being named our Employee of the Month for November!

Photo: Employee of the Month Brittany Young, with (L to R) HS/EHS Family & Community Services Manager Kate Tohafjian, Merrick Site Supervisor Lynette Durkin, and Executive Director Carolyn Brown.

Employee of the Month for October is Stephanie Misner

Employee of the Month for October is Stephanie Misner

Stephanie Misner is having a very eventful week: she is celebrating her 10th anniversary as a lead teacher at our Liverpool Head Start site, she just returned from the Elevate Conscious Discipline conference in Las Vegas, and today we are honoring her as our newest Employee of the Month! Stephanie was nominated for this award because even among our highly effective educators she stands out for all of the ways she engages and shows appreciation for her co-workers, her students, and their parents.

Congratulations to Stephanie Misner, our Employee of the Month for October 2024!

Photo: Employee of the Month Stephanie Misner (center), with three of her students and Liverpool HS Site Supervisor Sharon Bean and Executive Director Carolyn Brown.

Employee of the Month for September is Travonda Baker

Employee of the Month for September is Travonda Baker

Travonda Baker joined our Head Start program in April of 2023 as a Health Advocate at the Sumner site. Since then, she has consistently performed her duties very efficiently, and has shown a willingness to ask how she can be more effective. Travonda has also put in a great deal of additional effort in recent months while there has been a nurse vacancy in her building.

If you see Travonda today at Sumner, or tomorrow at our Staff Day event, be sure to congratulate our Employee of the Month for September 2024!

Photo: Employee of the Month Travonda Baker (center),with (L to R) Assistant Health Coordinator Toni Parkhurst, Health Coordinator Tammi Hatch, Classroom Specialist Tammy Bean, Site Supervisor Kelly Jensen, VP of Operations & Strategy Todd Goehle, and Executive Director Carolyn Brown.

Employee of the Month for June is Shirley Dawson

Employee of the Month for June is Shirley Dawson

Shirley Dawson was hired as our main office front desk Administrative Assistant in May 2005 after serving as a volunteer for many months at our Eastside Family Resource Center, for a total of 20 years of service to the agency! She was honored as Employee of the Month on her second anniversary as a PEACE employee, and has consistently shown the same high level of professionalism and dedication in that role ever since.

We are pleased to honor Shirley Dawson once again, as our Employee of the Month for June 2024!

Photo: Executive Director Carolyn Brown with Employee of the Month Shirley Dawson.

Employee of the Month for May is Latasha Wilson

Employee of the Month for May is Latasha Wilson

Latasha Wilson was hired as a Community Based Mentor Manager in our Big Brothers Big Sisters program in November 2018, and was elevated to the Senior Mentor Manager role exactly one year later. One year ago this month, she took on the role of Assistant Program Director in addition to maintaining her caseload of volunteer matches as a Mentor Manager, and earlier this year she also maintained a second caseload for several months while another Mentor Manager position was vacant.

Latasha has sought and received greater responsibilities within her program by excelling at working with volunteer mentors and the families of enrolled children, planning special program events, seeking additional sponsors and community partners and donations, and promoting Big Brothers Big Sisters throughout the community. In recognition of all of her hard work and achievements, we are pleased to honor Latasha Wilson as our Employee of the Month for May!

Photo: Employee of the Month Latasha Wilson, with (L to R) Executive Director Carolyn Brown, BBBS Mentor Manager James Lawson, and BBBS Director John Bruzdzinski.

Employee of the Month for April is Stephanie Bingham

Employee of the Month for April is Stephanie Bingham

We would like to present to you the newly minted and well-deserved…Employee of the Month – Stephanie Bingham!

Stephanie started at PEACE Inc. in 2018 as a member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters team. In 2019, she became the FRC Coordinator at Westside Family Resource Center. In 2021 she accepted her current role as an Associate Director of Family Services!

Steph continues to be a valuable member of the Family Services team. She has identified numerous areas for improvement in the GoEngage database, has trained staff, and has developed procedures to ensure database efficiencies as well as to assure data integrity. Stephanie readily accepts additional responsibilities in order to best aid her peers, clients, and the PEACE, Inc. brand overall.

Steph serves on several key teams, including the IT Committee, Community Data Group Racial Equity Committee, E. Adams Street Child Care Team, Community Action ’60 Years at the State’s team,..just to name a few.

In addition, Stephanie recently represented PEACE in Albany at the State’s Child Care Advocacy Day. We are very fortunate to have Stephanie as part of the FRC Team.

Please join us in congratulating Stephanie on her contributions to PEACE Inc. and for her overall positive outlook.

Photo: Employee of the Month Stephanie Bingham, with (left to right) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator Gerri Reagan, Family Services Director Mary Beth Welch, and Executive Director Carolyn Brown.

Employee of the Month for March is Tieyonnia Brandon

Employee of the Month for March is Tieyonnia Brandon

Tieyonnia Brandon began working in our Head Start program in February 2018 as a Teacher Aide, then became a Teacher Assistant later that year and a Family Worker in 2022, obtaining her Child Development Associate Credential and Family Development Credential.

Tieyonnia has been an anchor at our Merrick site, continuing to provide a great deal of classroom coverage throughout the building as well as support to families beyond her standard caseload due to continued staffing shortages. Meanwhile, she is attending college classes at night, and is on track to earn her Associate’s Degree in Human Services by December 2024.

Our Head Start Family Workers help clients to prepare their children for success in school and beyond, by meeting families where they are while providing support and encouragement toward forward movement at their pace. Tieyonnia has demonstrated through her work that she realizes the key to success and positive progress for families is based on developing healthy partnerships and being a valuable and encouraging resource, whether it is by supporting them through the complex challenges of homelessness, or by assisting them with the initial steps of scheduling a child’s first medical exam.

Recognizing her dedication, commitment, and hard work, we are pleased to honor Tieyonnia Brandon as our Employee of the Month for March!

Photo: Employee of the Month Tieyonnia Brandon, with Merrick Head Start Site Supervisor Sharon Bean and Executive Director Carolyn Brown.

Employee of the Month for February is Erin Hess!

Employee of the Month for February is Erin Hess!

Erin Hess has been a lead teacher at our Head Start site in Lafayette since September 2021. She was chosen for this month’s award because of the dedication to excellence that she consistently demonstrates as a child development professional, and for always being positive and helpful toward her co-workers.

Congratulations to Erin Hess, our Employee of the Month for February!

Photo: Employee of the Month Erin Hess, with Lafayette Head Start Site Supervisor Kelly Tucciarone and Executive Director Carolyn Brown.

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