An honor long due

These 27 support people were selected by their peers for their outstanding work. Each will be honored Jan. 28.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 17, 2002

The 2002 Support Persons of the Year will be recognized and honored at a special dinner Jan. 28. At that time the Citrus County Support Person of the Year will be announced. The following support persons were selected at their schools or work sites. Here they describe their jobs and why they thought they were selected as Support Persons of the Year.

Richard Dolbow, 53, oversees the design and construction of new facilities in the school district. He is in his fifth year at the District Services Center.

He says he enjoys working with a variety of people and projects and taking a project from design to completion. "I certainly try to improve what I do in my job and I enjoy helping people."

Florence A. Weldon, 70, is an accountant with business services. She has been there for 25 years.

She says she likes all the duties and said, "I do my job well and try to help everyone out."

Joan Hendrickson, 46, is a health room attendant at Citrus High School. She has been at CHS for 11 years. During that time she has also worked as a teacher's assistant and a substitute teacher.

Besides dispensing medications and cleaning cuts, Hendrickson says she helps out in the front and discipline offices when needed. She said "people at my school realize how hard I work and also how difficult it is in the clinic at times. They also see that I know numerous jobs and am called upon to fill in when needed."

Luz M. Rivera, 46, is an ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) aide in kindergarten through fifth grade at Citrus Springs Elementary School. She has been at the school for six years.

She says she helps students with transition time language and likes everything she does. She said she enjoys working with children and tries to do her best, always in everything she does.

Susan Hovis, 58, is a health room attendant at Citrus Springs Middle School. She has been at CSMS for eight years.

She says she helps children when they are ill or hurt and dispenses medication. She enjoys seeing children learn to be independent and gain confidence. She said she tries to be flexible and does her best possible with a positive attitude with all her assignments.

Vicki Miranti, 47, is a teacher's assistant at CREST School. She has been at CREST for 15 years. She said her job includes being an educator, behavior specialist, a counselor, a fun time person and a mommy. She likes being with the students especially when they get the lesson. "The excitement in their eyes," she said. "It is very rewarding."

She said she thinks the staff feels she is doing an extraordinary job.

Linda L. Livesay, 48, is a bookkeeper at Crystal River High School. She has been at CRHS for six years.

She says she handles internal funds, payroll, helps employees with questions and problems and works with students and projects. She enjoys "working to help students, faculty and staff with their many varied requests and needs. Every day is a challenge -- always something new and exciting."

When she heard she was Support person of the Year, Livesay said, "I was totally surprised, but thrilled. I try to treat everyone the way I would like to be treated and so far it has been very successful in my life. I try to go above and beyond what is expected to try to make other persons' jobs easier."

Lisa Carter, 41, is an administrative aide at Crystal River Middle School. She has been at CRMS for four years. She says she works in the discipline office typing, answering the telephone, organizing files, and helping students. Her favorite part of her job is working with the staff and students.

She says she enjoys working at Crystal River Middle School. The pleasant environment makes it easier to work hard and give all her time and effort to the job.

Eunice S. Carlucci, 51, is a custodian at Crystal River Primary School. She has been at CRPS for five years. Her job includes cleaning the school, minor repair, yard work and helping the teachers with whatever needs they have.

She says, "I really like knowing that when we clean, it looks really nice and you're appreciated so much. "I have very caring people that I work with and I try to be there whenever I'm needed, if it's just for a smile or hug to lift someone up, or go that extra mile when the kids and teachers need something. That's what it's all about."

Judith A. Mei, 57, is the administrative secretary to the coordinator of student services at the Family Action Center. She is in her fourth year there and helps handle home education, special attendance requests and correspondence. She likes helping to facilitate students and parents, helping them achieve their goals and being a support for teachers, administrators and fellow support staff.

She said "I was lucky. I do all that I can to assist anyone who needs help and enjoy the diversity of my position. I would assume that my efforts are recognized and appreciated."

Margaret "Maggie" Phillips, 59, handles clerical and secretarial work for nine people in the exceptional education department in the District Services Center. She has been at that job site for four years.

She says the favorite part of her job is doing the quarterly newsletter and she thinks she was selected for Support Person of the Year for her work ethic.

Debra "Lynn" Lewis, 47, is a Title I aide, a support teacher in the classroom and a support technology person. She has been at FCE for six years.

She says she enjoys working with small groups of children and said, "I do whatever it takes to get the job done, regardless how much time is required and what is to be done."

Maryann Bonomo, 50, is an assistant to the Exceptional Education Specialist at Forest Ridge Elementary School. She is in her second year at FRES.

She schedules appointments for the Infant/Toddler Program and says she does whatever she can to make the day run smoothly. "I love working with the children and with my co-workers," she said.

She said, "I just do what everybody else in the school does. I do my job to the best of my ability and with my heart."

Joann Tarpey, 50, is an administrative aide at Hernando Elementary School. She has been at Hernando for six years.

She says she writes transportation notices, handles the front desk and welcomes parents to Hernando. She enjoys working with the children and making sure they are all where they need to be at the end of the day.

Tarpey thinks she was selected to "represent Hernando as a team support person."

Susan Hampton, 41, is a teacher's assistant at Homosassa Elementary School. She has been at Homosassa for four years.

She said her job includes assisting the classroom teacher with whatever tasks need to be done, such as running copies, grading papers, cutting, pasting, filing, tutoring, or entering computer data. She enjoys all of it, she said, "whether it's working with students or assisting the teacher, making their day go smoother by the help I've given."

She said, "I feel I give my best to the school and I try to do more than what is expected to make the day more pleasant for others."

Althea A. Franklin, 58, is a food service worker at Inverness Middle School. She has spent all 32 of her years in education at IMS. She is the baker.

The favorite part of her job, she said, is working and serving the children at lunch time. She said she is Support Person of the Year "because when you do your best at whatever you do and people enjoy working with you, that should tell you something." Another reason is "because of the person I am," she said.

Valerie Seconi, 57, is a classroom aide at Inverness Primary School. She has been at her present site 26 years.

She said her responsibilities include working with students individually or in groups, as well as cafeteria and bus duties. She especially enjoys working with students.

She said she has been a "constant, responsible figure at IPS for 26 years," and she is "basically a happy camper," a "team player."

Claudia O'Steen, 35, is the front desk clerk at Lecanto High School. She is in her fourth year at LHS.

She says her duties include answering the telephone, greeting visitors and directing visitors and students to appropriate areas. She enjoys the people contact in her job and thinks she was selected because of her "pleasant personality" and because she is a "hard worker, always willing to help."

Dana Courter, 43, runs the clinic at Lecanto Middle School. She also is sponsoring student council this year. She has been at LMS for five years.

The favorite part of her job, she says, is "working with our faculty and staff. They are wonderful to work with. Our students are terrific. They're great to be with."

Uncertain about why she was chosen, she said, "I guess, because of the extras that I do, like to work concessions with sports. I'm more involved this year with school things."

Michele LoFaro, 42, is a secretary to the assistant principal at Lecanto Primary School and her duties include being the registrar and receptionist. She has been at LPS for eight years.

She says she enjoys seeing the children every year and watching them grow.

She describes herself as loyal and responsible and willing to pitch in and try to help in any way she can.

Pamela M. Harris, 51, is a data secretary with the maintenance department in the District Services Office. She has been at her present work site for seven years.

Her duties include receiving incoming telephone calls or requests for maintenance or emergencies requiring technicians. She initiates work orders, records data on repairs and dispatches technicians to jobs at schools and tracks those jobs. She enjoys her co-workers in the office and in the schools.

She said, "I try to dispatch all work needed in a timely and orderly fashion and be pleasant and helpful to all involved in the repairs or emergencies both in our department and at the schools."

Frank Noon, 58, is a maintenance worker on equipment at the Instructional Resource Center. He has been at his current work site for 14 years.

Besides maintenance, he said he helps with the telephones and cleaning the building. He says he likes working with the people at the IRC and thinks he was chosen "because I like to work with everyone."

Sherry Bedford, 52, is the food service manager at Pleasant Grove Elementary School. She has been at her present site for six years.

She says her favorite part of her job is the children and she thinks she may have been chosen as Support Person of the Year because of her emphasis on teamwork.

Reba Evans, 30, is a teacher's assistant at the Renaissance Center. She has been there for three years.

Her duties, she says, include assisting with academics, behavioral management, assisting the instructional staff, and helping students with educational needs.

The favorite part of her job is building relationships with her students. She said, "I am always willing to lend a helping hand to my team members, staff or students. It is all about teamwork."

James R. Morakis, 33, is the head custodian at Rock Crusher Elementary School. He is in his fifth year at Rock Crusher.

He says he cleans the school and works with people and his favorite part of the job is working with the children. He says he thinks he was selected as Support Person of the Year because he likes people.

Alice Rowland, 57, is a route manager with transportation at the Lecanto site. She has been at her current work site for three years.

As a route manager she routes school buses and provides support for drivers, parents and students. A favorite part of her job is the interaction with the students and working with her drivers.

She said she thinks she was selected "because I am supportive of my drivers and students and I communicate with school administrators and parents."

Jessica Wacks, 19, is a teacher's assistant at Withlacoochee Technical Institute. She has been at WTI for seven months.

She says her duties include assisting instructors and assisting administrators with anything they need. "Anything and everything, if someone needs help," she said.

She enjoys working with the faculty and interacting with the students and thinks she was selected, she said, because "I try to 'go the extra mile' in my work place. I just like helping people."

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