- Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work They Go
- Fundraising For Success
- Raising a "Green" Child
- You're Driving Me Crazy!
- Bedtime vs. Bedlam
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Parenting Part III
Marcy Esler is Director of Student Retention and Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment Management at SUNY Brockport, where she creates and implements initiatives to ensure first-year student success. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University and a Masters degree in mathematics from SUNY Brockport.
Fran is the mother of three grown children and grandmother of one. She provides her perspective on helping children transition from adolescence to adulthood and independent living.
Sue Mustard is the mother of a child with a developmental disability, as well as the full-time coordinator of Hillside’s Parents Are Partners initiative. She encourages parents to participate in Hillside committees and helps ensure that parental input drives continuous improvement of Hillside services. She also organizes parent group visits to Albany to bring key issues to the attention of legislators.
- Family on the Move
Danny Sirianni, a Certified Relocation Professional, is Corporate Account Executive with Cook Moving Systems/United Van Lines in Rochester, NY. He has a BS in Business and Economics from Cortland State University. He is also an active member in the community, and a proud sponsor and supporter of The Center for Missing and Exploited Children, American Cancer Society, Bivona Child Advocacy Center and many other Charities and Organizations.
Paul Morton is a licensed Associate Broker specializing in residential and new construction sales with RE/MAX Realty Group in Pittsford, NY. He has been a GRAR Salemaster Award winner for the last five years and has achieved more than $40 million in real estate sales. He offers free consultation to home buyers and sellers, as well as free reports for first-time homebuyers on how to save thousands of dollars when purchasing a home.
Susan Berge is an interior designer in Pittsford, NY. In addition to managing her own interior design business, she has chaired the Designer Committee for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Symphony Showhouse events.
- Literacy for Learning
Renée Theodore is a workforce planning coordinator for Wegmans Food Markets Syracuse Division. She graduated from SUNY-Oswego with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources, and has been with Wegmans for 19 years in both store operations and human resources. Renée currently manages Wegmans internal job posting process, Wegmans Summer Management Internship Program, and also the Hillside Work Scholarship Program for the Syracuse area. For more information regarding employment at Wegmans, please visit www.wegmans.com.
Condenessa Barron, employment development specialist, has been with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection for 15 years. She collaborates and networks with the business community to develop entry level positions for HW-SC’s employable youth. She is also an active community volunteer who believes that youth deserve to be heard and deserve the chance to explore employment opportunities within their community. She believes in Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection and that graduation is the goal for all youth.
Cheryl Strong, youth employment trainer, has been with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection since 2001 and has worked with youth since 1995. Cheryl facilitates the HW-SC Youth Employment Training Academy and specializes in the Customer Service Skills Training component. She also works part-time at Wegmans as youth coordinator.
Erica McNealy joined Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection in 2006 as a youth employment trainer and has worked with youth since 2003. She facilitates HW-SC training sessions in customer service skills, business/office skills, leadership development skills, financial education, interviewing skills, mock interviews, and computer skills.
Chelly Coyle represents the Adolescent Services Training Program, an initiative of the Center for the Development of Human Services at Buffalo State College. As part of the New York State Child Welfare/Child Protective Services Training Institute, the Adolescent Services Training Program provides free training and technical assistance to 17 local districts and agencies with contracts to provide independent living services and self-sufficiency training to adolescents in western New York.
Christie Englehart is special events manager for Crestwood and Hillside Children’s Foundation. She has a B.A. in Communications/Journalism from St. John Fisher College and started as annual appeals and special events coordinator at Hillside in 2004.
Mary Ciesinski is a student at St. John Fisher College, where she co-chaired the 2007 St. John Fisher Dance for Love. This annual event raises thousands of dollars to benefit Camp Good Days and Special Times.
Ann Sartwell is Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Genesee Valley, a council chartered to deliver Girl Scouting to five counties in western New York State. Prior to accepting the leadership position at Genesee Valley in April of 2001, she was the Executive Director of Girl Scouts of Mississippi Valley for 11 years. Ms. Sartwell graduated from Eastern Illinois University, and began her Girl Scout career in central Illinois.
Marcia Eames-Sheavly, Senior Extension Associate at Cornell University, provides statewide leadership and coordination of an interdepartmental and multidisciplinary youth gardening program. Her primary interests lie in the area of horticulture as an avenue to human, social, and community development. She has a B.S. in Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture and an MPS in Community and Rural Development from Cornell.
Lee Reis is co-president of Grassroots, a student environmental awareness and action group at the University of Rochester. The organization strives to act on behalf of a sustainable future and to raise awareness of our collective and individual responsibilities as stewards of the Earth. Grassroots’ projects include a lead paint outreach campaign, a community Earth Day celebration, and encouraging graduating seniors to pledge continued support for environmental action.
Kate Bennett has been President of the Rochester Museum & Science Center for ten years. Under her leadership more than 22,000 square feet of exhibit space has been transformed in response to the communities needs and wishes: updated exhibits with increased interactivity; more experiences in science and technology; school programs crafted to help teachers and students meet New York State Learning Standards; and experiences that create a sense of place and help us all connect with the unique, inspiring story of the region that is our home. Ms. Bennett has recently served as board member of the American Association of Museums and currently sits on the board of The National Women’s Hall of Fame. She serves locally on Greater Rochester Visitors Association as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and is a member of The United Way Women United Steering Committee.
Deraux Branch is a New York State certified driving instructor at Branch’s Driving School. Branch’s offers group and private driving lessons, as well as pre-licensing and defensive driving courses, SUV driving training, highway/expressway driver training, and an Alive at 25 safety course. www.drivewithbranchs.com/
Lester Robinson, FICF, CC is an insurance professional with The Northwoods Corporation. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Independent Insurance Agents of Western New York and was the winner of the 2006 IIAABNY Public Relationship award. He hosts an award winning television show, The ABCs of Insurance, on Time Warner Cable in Western New York. The Northwoods Corporation has been providing insurance to Western New York residents for more than 40 years and is one of the largest personal insurance brokers in the region. www.insurewow.com/
Kitty Van Bortel owns Van Bortel Ford and Van Bortel Subaru, the top selling Subaru dealership in the U.S. She is a graduate of Wells College and received the Alfred University College of Business Galanis Award for Excellence in Family Business in 2003. Twice each year, Kitty’s dealerships conduct Girl Scout Car Care and Maintenance Workshops to teach young women to care for their own vehicles.
Douglas Bennett, M.D. practices pediatrics at Irondequoit Pediatrics and is affiliated with Strong Memorial, Rochester General, Highland and Park Ridge Hospitals. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Golisano Children’s Hospital. He received his B.S. from Tufts University and his M.D. from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Christopher Dehon is a psychologist at Hillside Children’s Center. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Development Psychology from the University of New Orleans. He has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and families.
Marie Dunn is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Hillside Children’s Center, where she works collaboratively with Psychiatry and a Pediatrician responsible for primary care of middle and older adolescents. She received her B.S. in Nursing from Keuka College and an M.S. in Nursing from the University of Rochester. She is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners (NAPNAP) and the Upstate New York Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
Alice McAdam is program manager of the Parents as Teachers program at Family Resource Centers of Crestwood Children's Center. Her career of over 20 years in the human service field began with her work as a family child care provider. She continued working with families as a parent educator, home-visitor and training instructor for family child care providers. She is also an Instructor for the Family Development Credential.
Jeanne Slocombe is the Children’s Librarian at the Phillis Wheatley Community Library in Rochester. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Alfred University and a Masters in Library Science from the University of Buffalo.
Jody Gale is acting director of the library and an English and computer teacher at Hillside Children’s Center’s Varick Campus school. She has B.A. in English from Cazenovia College and an M.S. Ed. from Walden University. She and two colleagues collected, sorted, and cataloged thousands of books to create the Varick Campus school’s first library.
- The Grand Connection
- After Adoption
- The Power of Play
- Family Values
Linda James is a grandparent who has raised her two grandchildren. She is also program coordinator for Family Resource Centers of Crestwood Children’s Center’s Skip Generations program. Skip Generations provides grandparents/kinship caregivers with information, education, and support to strengthen their ability to care for their grandchildren. Linda also advocates on behalf of kinship caregivers on the local, state, and national level.
Richard Victor is an attorney specializing in matrimonial law in the state of Michigan. Richard Victor is the founder and serves as the executive director of the National non-profit Grandparents Rights Organization. He received his law degree from Michigan State University-Detroit College of Law. He is an internationally recognized author and expert in the field of family law and has lectured around the United States and Canada.
Bailey Feldman is student coordinator of the Adopt-A-Grandparent program at the State University of New York at Oswego. The program connects students with senior adults in the community through programs and activities such as crafts, games, talent shows, volleyball, and holiday parties. Each week students visit a local nursing home and have the opportunity to spend time with residents talking, sharing stories, and participating in planned activities.
Lisa Maynard is executive director of Adoption Resource Network (ARN) at Hillside Children’s Center and the mother of two adopted children, both born in Seoul, S. Korea. Lisa started ARN as a grass-roots adoption information, education and support organization with friend and fellow adoptive mom, Cindy Fleischer, in 1991. She credits her children with opening her eyes to an immensely diverse world and guiding her to her vocation - working in the field of adoption. She has a B.A. in Community and Human Services from Empire State College.
Shari is a parent liaison with Adoption Resource Network’s ASAP (Adoption Support and Preservation) program. She is married with 4 children (2 adopted and 2 step) and 3+ grandchildren. She brings a “been there, done that” perspective to assist parents both prior to and after the adoption of their children. She works with the parents to link them to appropriate services to get them through the difficult times. She also helps facilitate a monthly support group for parents.
Mike Finn is permanency specialist at Adoption Resource Network (ARN) at Hillside Children’s Center, where he helps to find permanent families for children in foster care. He earned a B.A. at St. John Fisher College and a Masters of Public Administration from the SUNY Brockport. Prior to joining ARN he was casework supervisor for adoption at the Monroe County Department of Human Services.
Sally Bohne manages the Special Santas program at Hillside Family of Agencies. This year Special Santas will collect and distribute more than 30,000 holiday gifts to serve almost 6,000 children, teens, and their families. Sally has been with Hillside for more than 21 years. She is also the mother of four grown children and grandmother of five.
Betty Bordner is the early childhood educator and director of the Woodbury Preschool at Strong National Museum of Play. She was committed to and involved in play and learning of young children through work in schools and museums in Colorado and Washington, DC before coming to Rochester. Strong National Museum of Play has extended that interest to the benefits of families playing together in an interactive museum environment.
Alice McAdam is program manager of the Parents as Teachers program at Family Resource Centers of Crestwood Children's Center. Her career of over 20 years in the human service field began with her work as a family child care provider. She continued working with families as a parent educator, home-visitor and training instructor for family child care providers. She is also an Instructor for the Family Development Credential.
Howard P. Chudacoff, Ph.D. is George L. Littlefield Professor of American History at Brown University and author of the critically acclaimed book, Children at Play: An American History, which examines parental involvement in children’s extracurricular activities and what constitutes appropriate play for children today.
Dr. Charles Smith is professor of family studies and human services at Kansas State University. He is a former president of the Kansas Governor's Commission on Education for Parenthood and a recipient of the Celebrate the Family National Award from Pennsylvania State University. He conducts workshops across the country on Basic Parenting, Responsive Discipline, and Caringworks, a program on the development of conscience in children. Smith also maintains an award-winning informative Web site, "The WonderWise Parent." He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Dayton, and both his master's and doctorate in child development from Purdue University.
Joe Brown is Hillside Family of Agencies manager of diversity and change management. He has extensive experience in education. He has served as a government compliance consultant to various public and private organizations. He has also served as director of Monroe County’s Department of Affirmative Action and Human Relations and president of Greater Rochester NAACP. He is a graduate of Elizabeth City State University and North Carolina Central University.
Venora is the mother of three grown children and the grandmother of eight. She and her husband are now helping their children pass their family values on to the next generation.
