13 members of Wake Forest community honored for completion of CORE program
This is a guest post from Human Resources:
2018 CORE honorees
During a recognition luncheon on March 2, 13 members of the Wake Forest community were presented with plaques honoring their completion of the CORE program. Colleagues and supervisors were in attendance to help congratulate the honorees. This year’s plaques were made from reclaimed wood from an oak tree that stood on the grounds of the President’s Home. Many thanks to the Facilities and Campus Services Construction Team for making these unique and special awards!
The 2018 CORE Honorees include:
Mark Anderson, University Advancement CORE Leader
Ashley Graham Phipps, Employer Relations
Sonya Izzard, Student Financial Services
Christy Lennon, Human Resources
Kayla Lisenby, LGBTQ Center (not pictured)
Sharon Lunsford, School of Business CORE AP
Travis Manning, Z. Smith Reynolds Library
Kim McGrath, University Advancement CORE Leader
Lisa Simmons, Employer Relations
Darlene Starnes, Intercultural Center (not pictured)
Lauren Trethaway, Student Financial Services CORE Leader (not pictured)
Cheryl Walker, University Advancement CORE Leader
Denise Williard, Residence Life and Housing
CORE, which stands for “Cultivating our Organization to Realize Excellence,” was launched in September of 2011. CORE is built around 5 competencies that are meaningful and relevant to our campus: communication, community, leadership, organizational acumen, and personal progression.
Categories: Guest Post, Staff News
The Satellite Program – Let’s All be Winners
By Christy Lennon, senior HR Partner
(Christy Lennon recently penned this article for another outlet about “Project Dream,” which started in 1999 and continues to find success, providing work experience for a special group of students.)
When I was first approached about the “Project Dream” program in 1999, I was fascinated by the concept. The idea was to place high school students in the “Occupational Course of Study Programs” in either unpaid or paid positions on a college campus so they could obtain “real world” work experience while also receiving credit hours towards a high school diploma. I thought to myself, “How can I make this work?”
Beth Ritchie, community-based training coordinator, and Sandra Courtner, job coach for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools system, were not shy in asking me to do just that for a program still in its infancy. At that time I was manager of Human Resources for the Graylyn Conference Center. We were certainly on a tight financial budget, as many businesses were, but I wanted to learn more.
Categories: Guest Post
Graylyn awarded for work with exceptional children
Accepting the award (from left): John Wise, assistant vice president of Hospitality Services and general manager of Graylyn; Christy Lennon, senior HR partner; Sandra Courtner, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools; Todd Gauer, associate general manager, Graylyn.
For more than 12 years, the Graylyn Conference Center has worked with exceptional children through the Community-Based Vocational Training Program of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Management at Graylyn has committed resources, staff and time to train students and allow them to explore careers in the food and banquet industries.
Earlier this year, Graylyn’s dedication to the partnership led to a state-wide award.
The Council for Exceptional Children North Carolina Division on Career Development and Transition (CEC – NCDCDT) recognized Graylyn as its Employer of the Year for its commitment to promoting and providing employment opportunities to students with developmental disabilities.
“The staff and management at Graylyn have always treated our students with respect,” said Sandra Courtner, who is a job coach responsible for providing training on the job in the Occupational Course of Study Program for the W-S/FC Schools. “They give them the extra time to learn the skills required to perform their job duties. The supervisors show tremendous patience when training the students and take extra time if needed to help them do their best.”
The program places a new crew of students at Graylyn each semester, with the center holding a minimum of three positions for Occupational Course of Study students. The students are paid and also receive credit toward a high school diploma. Students work in a number of roles, including conference set-up, groundskeeping, laundry, housekeeping, buffet attendants and kitchen assistants.
“This is such a wonderful program,” said Christy Lennon, a Senior HR Partner who coordinates the program for Wake Forest. “The students learn so much about what real work is all about, and they teach the staff at Graylyn about kids with developmental needs. By the end of the semesters, you can see how both job skills and interpersonal skills have developed.” Read more
Categories: Staff News
