employee of the month

Congratulations to Eddy Luce, our Employee of the Month for April!

by Eddy Luce | Apr 30, 2025 | News and Information

Eddy Luce was hired in 2021 to work 10 hours per week as a Graphic Designer in our Community Engagement Department. Since then, she has led the agency’s media efforts, and her creativity, consistency, and commitment to improving our community earned her a full-time position, and more recently a promotion to the position of Community Engagement Manager.

Eddy’s work on our website has made it easier for employees and clients alike to learn more about PEACE, Inc. and its services. Her flyers, banners and other creations are often praised for their clarity and attractiveness. You can also see her regularly attend community and agency events, where Eddy is always eager to take a good photo or learn more about our local resources.

As her supervisor shared, “Eddy is the ultimate team player: She is humble about her many talents and selfless with her time. She is an empathetic listener whose positivity can be infectious. Maybe most importantly, she works hard to improve the lives of others, and takes great pride in the work that we pursue at the agency. She lives our mission.”

Congratulations and thanks to Eddy Luce, our Employee of the Month for April!

Photo: Employee of the Month Eddy Luce (center) with (L to R) VP of Operations and Strategy Todd Goehle, Executive Director Carolyn Brown, Director of Grants and Planning Maribel Arce, and Executive Assistant Connie Magunga.

Congratulations to Angie Taylor, our Employee of the Month for March!

by Eddy Luce | Mar 24, 2025 | News and Information

Angelia Taylor began working in our Head Start program in 2015, following two very active years as a Head Start volunteer. Over the past 10 years she served as a Nutrition Aide, Teacher Aide, and Teacher Assistant at the old Jordan and Baldwinville classroom sites. Last month, shortly after those sites were combined at our new location in Baldwinsville, she became the front desk Administrative Assistant at our Merrick site.

Angie’s years of knowledge and experience, as well as her ability and motivation to learn new things, have helped her excel in all of her various Head Start roles, and they have benefited the many people she has built relationships with along the way, by filling in wherever needed or providing technical assistance or just listening and offering some very appreciated advice. As one of her supervisors commented: “She sets her goals high and is someone staff looks up to for help and guidance.”

Congratulations and thanks to Angelia Taylor, our Employee of the Month for March!

Photo: Employee of the Month Angelia Taylor (center) with Merrick site supervisor Lynette Durkin and Executive Director Carolyn Brown.

Employee of the Month for January is Kelly Glasser

by Eddy Luce | Jan 31, 2025 | News and Information

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

by Eddy Luce | Dec 19, 2024 | News and Information

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

by Eddy Luce | Nov 26, 2024 | News and Information

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

by Eddy Luce | Oct 30, 2024 | News and Information

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

by Eddy Luce | Sep 27, 2024 | News and Information

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

by Eddy Luce | Jul 8, 2024 | News and Information

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

by Eddy Luce | May 23, 2024 | News and Information

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

by peaceinc | May 3, 2024 | News and Information

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.