Employee of the Month

Employee of the Month, initiated by the Staff Appreciation Committee, is a way to recognize and award nominated staff members for the hard work and dedication they provide every day. Each employee of the month receives a private parking spot at every prime location at ACHIEVE, a gift basket including many ACHIEVE logo items, additional paid time off, and recognition throughout the agency for the month!

August 2019

Veronica Hernandez

Program Manager

Broome

Veronica’s drive to want better for the individuals served shows through the work she does. She goes above and beyond to ensure her individuals wants and needs are met. Veronica recently received a Program Manager position in the Residential Program, and her hard work and dedication to the company shines through her personality. Veronica is what staff think of when they need a great example of how a caring Residential Aide should be. Her paperwork is pristine, her attitude is always positive, and is an amazing team worker.

Biography

Veronica started off as a Residential Aide in Tioga County. She loved going out to dinner with those that she served. She said that it’s nice that we get to have so much fun and be around so many great people. Veronica would always get positive notes from her Program Manager, Amantha Powell. This constant encouragement sparked Veronica’s interest in becoming a manager herself one day. After transitioning to a house in Broome, Program Manager Sarah Miller and Division Manager Karl Jantz encouraged Veronica to apply for a Program Manager position, as they both saw something in her that she did not see in herself. With their support, she is now serving as a Program Manager at a house in Broome. She is thankful for the support she now has from her direct supervisor, Matthew Blazey, Senior Division Manager.

Outside of work, Veronica loves spending time with her family, especially her daughter Aubrey, as she has made life a little bit sweeter. Veronica prays that one day Aubrey will find a job that fulfills her happiness like ACHIEVE has done for herself.

Past Employees of the Month

July 2019

Tracy Eichler

Operations and Habilitation Specialist

Chenango

Tracy Eicher has been with ACHIEVE for 19 years. She is an outstanding Team Player and is willing to step up or step out wherever needed. Tracy is passionate, committed and dedicated to our individuals, their families and her coworkers. Tracy serves as the go between CWS OPS and CWS Service Delivery. Without her and her efforts of bridging those two worlds CWS would not be positioned as well as it is. She never shies away from added responsibility; in fact, she yearns for it. Tracy is proud of her role and the agency in whole. Tracy is well respected by our individuals and their folks at home. Tracy is visible throughout the agency and always approachable by all. Every day she shows that she is more than willing to support, not only our individuals, but the entire operation. Tracy has a gift to find a teachable moment in every situation. Tracy is a true advocate to the population she serves.

Tracy is a friend to all, someone you can talk too. She will bend over backwards to correct an error and put a protocol in place to see that it doesn’t happen again. ACHIEVE/CWS is very fortunate to have Tracy as an employee, she proves to be an asset to our agency every day.

Biography

Tracy loves working with the individuals served at Chenango CWS. Tracy has only called in once for work in the last 18 and 1/2 years, as her coworkers make each and every day enjoyable. When Tracy isn't at work, she enjoys crafting at home and spending time with her husband of thirty years.

April 2019

Charla Crandall

Behavior Specialist

Broome

Charla has worked for the agency for just over a year as a Behavior Specialist and was nominated by multiple of her peers to be the Employee of the Month for April 2019! Charla is always willing to help out co-workers and individuals at any time. Charla constantly focuses on detail to ensure that her paperwork is complete and accurate. On top of that Charla is a warm and cheerful person that tries to lift the spirits of all of those around her. Charla is able to resolve conflicts and handle other difficult situations with remarkable patience and full support for the people served and supporting staff.

Biography

Charla’s favorite part of her job is working alongside staff and working directly with individuals – seeing the accomplishments they make and the challenges that they overcome. Whether it be increasing their communication, or identifying their feelings – they never cease to amaze her. When Charla isn’t busy at work, you will often times find her baking – one of her most favorite hobbies!

January 2019

Jean Curry

Residence Aide

Broome

Jean Curry has committed her service to ACHIEVE for more than 17 loyal years. Jean has worked at various levels in the Residential Department. She is a veteran staff who is always willing to pass her unrivaled amount of wisdom on to all; but is very open and quick to learn new policies and procedures. She is very beloved by all staff and individuals. The folks we serve light up when she enters a room. Her quality of work, love for what she does, and professionalism surpasses all. Jean strongly believes in ACHEVE’s mission and carries it with pride through all the work she does. Jean put in 100% each and every day. She takes all complaints and concerns of individuals seriously and comes up with out of the box solutions. I had the pleasure to work with Jean for over a year and I would not be where I am today had I not had the chance to work with such a bright and wonderful person. Although I had been her supervisor, she was truly my mentor. She is a prime example of what all of our staff should strive to be.

Biography

Jean has worked for the agency for almost 18 years. When Jean leaves her shift, she feels good knowing that everyone is well and safe.

Jean loves her job and says that it is an honor to be recognized as Employee of the Month. She thanks ACHIEVE for all the training she has received, and wants to give credit to her co-staff for the time spend training her so well. Along with the training she has received, she lives and governs her life by the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would want them to do unto you.

Jean knows that if everyone does the best job, they can and will continue to ACHIEVE. Jean says “our name ACHIEVE, is a constant reminder that we are trying to do our very best”.

June 2019

Louise Schabloski

Human Resources Generalist

Broome

Louise is an absolute asset to the agency. She works tirelessly behind the scenes and has done so for over 24 years. She is always cheerful, friendly, and ready to help no matter how busy she is. Louise is a wealth of knowledge and is willing to share her expertise with anyone who needs assistance. Even if there is something that she herself isn’t sure of, she always tells staff that they will “figure it out together”. Her friendly nature and welcoming smile helps to ease the confusion of complex issues employees come to her with. Louise is very personable and approachable. She stands ready to answer and help with any concerns or questions. Staff are always very comfortable working with her, no matter what the reason. Louise’s dedication to the agency and its employees exemplify why she is deserving of Employee of the Month.

Biography

Louise has been with the agency for almost 25 years. She enjoys coming to work every day to work with her amazing co-workers. Louise has three grandchildren, one being in Boston, and often spends her free time traveling to visit him. In her spare time, Louise enjoys baking, and although she says she isn’t great at it, she still has a lot of fun. One of Louise’s best memories of working at ACHIEVE was staying late with her coworkers to paint and decorate new offices that were built so that they were more “homey”.

March 2019

Sandy Mock

Director of Information Systems

Broome

Sandy Mock has worked for the agency for over 27 years and was recently promoted to the Director of Information Systems. She is one of the resources that is invisible until you need her help with an IT issue. She is a role model for all employees regarding commitment, work ethics, and an embodiment of ethical standards. Sandy is a team player and always assists anyone that asks and she always resolves any issues in a timely manner. Sandy also takes the time to teach staff throughout the agency how to utilize systems as well as easier ways to accomplish things within the IT world.

December 2018

Jeffrey Squires

Janitor Level III

Chenango

Jeff is a Janitor Level III and works in Chenango County. Jeff has been with the agency for nearly 7 and a half years and he was nominated by many of the staff in Chenango County. Jeff goes out of his way to ensure that the Day Hab facility is clean for the staff and individuals. He is friendly and always interacts with the individuals, including them in his job duties when possible. He is always smiling and willing to go above and beyond to assist anyone that asks.

October 2018

Faith Williams

Day Habilitation Specialist

Chenango

Faith goes above and beyond for the individuals receiving services as well as for the Direct Support Professional staff. Her enthusiasm inspires the staff and she is a consistently finding ways to improve the services that are provided. Faith always goes above and beyond to make sure the clients are engaging in activities of their choice and always has their best interest in mind. Most individuals ask for Faith when they are having difficulty as they feel comfortable expressing their needs with her. Faith goes above and beyond and if she does not know the answer to a question she will find it! Faith ensures all her work is done on time and done correctly. If she is having a bad day you will never know it, she keeps a smile on her face and a positive attitude while embracing change with open arms. Numerous staff have voiced the need to recognize her for all of her efforts within the Day Habilitation Department and how she always puts the individuals and other staff above herself.

Biography

Faith has worked in this field for 25 years in various capacities, the last 11 years being with Chenango ARC, now ACHIEVE. She has seen many changes throughout the years but the most exciting changes are the ones since ACHIEVE came into the picture. The individuals have always been her number one priority and she has tried her best to keep their wishes and interests in mind. She loves seeing them happy and enjoys seeing how excited they are whenever they have accomplished something they have struggled with. She has met and worked with some wonderful and challenging individuals and has enjoyed each and every one. Faith has so many awesome memories that it’s hard to choose just one! Each of the individuals hold a special place in her heart. Faith's hobbies outside of work include camping, spending time with her grandchildren, needlework, and reading. Faith would like to thank ACHIEVE for the vote of confidence - and said she wouldn't be able to do her job without the support of her co-workers and management personnel!

May 2019

Tammie Kwiatkowski

Registered Nurse

Broome

Tammie Kwiatkowski has been working with the agency for 20 years. Tammie is known for almost heroic efforts in advocating for individuals facing serious medical concerns. Tammie is a long-time employee who has been kind, caring, compassionate to hundreds of individuals over her years at ACHIEVE. Recently, an individual was hospitalized after a fall and Tammy continually advocated for the individual, reminding hospital staff of the individual’s unique needs and circumstances and tirelessly checking to make sure that the individuals medication needs were met. Tammie provided a calm presence for the individual who is prone to anxiety and documented her efforts to ensure that she was treated with dignity and respect.

Tammie is also a great resource for staff, answering all kinds of questions about the individuals’ medical issues as well as questions about health issues staff might be having. She completes complex reviews of medical records and uses that skill to identify issues of concern or areas for improvement.

Biography

Tammie’s favorite part of her job is advocating for the individuals ACHIEVE serves, as she loves being able to make someone’s life just a little bit better. One of Tammie’s best memories is after she gave birth to her son, she came to Cutler Pond to visit participants, and some individuals were so excited because they were able to hold her son. She loves the interactions she had with the individuals that would visit. From coming to lay down for a few minutes, to asking about her children, and always being able to make her smile. Tammie says that when you go with an individual for a procedure and offer assurance and support that they will be just fine, she admires how brave they become. There is no specific job duty that sticks out as Tammie’s favorite, but the feeling of being part of a larger extended family by just completing normal job duties is amazing to her.

When Tammie isn’t working, her favorite hobby is reading, which she does every day. She also loves boogie boarding in the ocean, attending her children’s sporting and school functions, going tot he movies, and painting – even though she never has enough time.

February 2019

Lynelle Davis

Program Manager

Chenango

Lynelle has been employed with ACHIEVE for over 15 years and is now a Program Manager in Chenango County. Lynelle can always be seen with a smile on her face. She is the first to step up and fill in so that other Managers and staff can have time off. She is extremely helpful to other staff, she goes above and beyond to help with training and/or other events, answering questions, etc. She also helps to build morale when staff are feeling overwhelmed. She’s a great person to work with and for. Lynelle has many contacts that are helpful in making integration of the individuals we serve easier within the community. Lynelle is very respected by both the individuals we serve and the staff that serve under her.

November 2018

Samantha Griffiths

Pathways to Employment Coordinator

Broome

Samantha has worked for the agency for over 15 years and has filled a variety of roles throughout the agency; she is currently the Pathway to Employment Coordinator. Samantha has streamlined the Pathway to Employment program and utilizes her organizational skills to ensure that the service is provided effectively and meaningfully to the individuals. Samantha is a strong leader and mentor to her staff and always puts the needs of others before herself.

Biography

Sam's favorite part of her job is the individuals that they work with, seeing their progress over the years, and her co-workers. She has been with ACHIEVE for 15 years - beginning in residential for 5 years, was an MSC for 4 years, and then came to Vocational Services in 2012 where she really found her niche. She started as the Coordinator for Pathway to Employment in January 2018. She has always said that the best part about working at ACHIEVE is that if you reflect on your day, you will always be able to think of one thing that happened with the individuals that made you smile every single day. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Andy, her 2 year old son, Elijah, and preparing for the arrival of her daughter in January 2019!

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