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Contact Us
Geneva,
Ontario County
Administration:
(315) 789-6828
Children's Programs:
(315) 789-6850
Canandaigua,
Ontario County
Adult Programs:
(585) 394-9510
Children's Programs:
(585) 394-1190
Toll free:
(866) 408-2550
Award Recognition
Staff Awards
Happiness House Honors Dedicated Employees at 17th Annual Recognition Event
Click here to watch the video highlighting the Mary W. Griswold Professional Service Award winners! This video was shown at the CP of New York State annual conference in Albany.
The Board of Directors and employees of Happiness House recently assembled at The Inn at the Lake in Canandaigua to recognize the employees and to celebrate the culmination of another outstanding year.
Guest speakers at the event included Patty Guarino who spoke on behalf of her brother, Arnie, who lives in the Happiness House Community Apartments and attends a day habilitation program there. Arnie was also hired as part of the agency’s custodial crew. Also speaking was Nanci Bentley, mother of MJ Bentley, a preschooler at Happiness House who receives therapies and other services. Both women credit Happiness House’s programs and staff to ‘changing their lives and the lives of their families for the better.’
One of the highlights of this event is the presentation of the Mary W. Griswold Professional Service Award, which recognizes the exceptional work of Happiness House employees who display the qualities and professionalism inherent in the mission and vision of the agency. The award was established in memory of Mary W. Griswold, a former member of Happiness House’s Board of Directors. Nominated by their peers, this year’s award recipients are Crystal Barzac, TBI Program Assistant; Carmela “Aggy” Osborne, Speech Language Pathologist; and Linda Green, Residential Assistant (Shift Leader).
(l to r): Crystal Barzac, TBI Program Assistant; Carmela “Aggy” Osborne, Speech Language Pathologist; and Linda Green, Residential Assistant (Shift Leader).
Congratulations also to the outstanding finalists for the Mary W. Griswold Professional Service Award who include Ashley Avery, Speech Language Pathologist; Linda Green, Residential Assistant (Shift Leader); Sharon Pierce, Teacher’s Aide; and Alysse Foster, School Psychologist; Jeanette Bryant, Teacher’s Aide/Daycare; Diane Sansone, Clinic Program Secretary; Amanda Donovan, Special Education Teacher; Leanne Koeberle, Service Coordinator; Carmela “Aggy” Osborne, Speech Language Pathologist; and Crystal Barzac, Structure Day Program Assistant.
(front l to r): Ashley Avery, Speech Language Pathologist; Linda Green, Residential Assistant (Shift Leader); Sharon Pierce, Teacher’s Aide; and Alysse Foster, School Psychologist; (back l to r) Jeanette Bryant, Teacher’s Aide/Daycare; Diane Sansone, Clinic Program Secretary; Amanda Donovan, Special Education Teacher; Leanne Koeberle, Service Coordinator; Carmela “Aggy” Osborne, Speech Language Pathologist; and Crystal Barzac, Structure Day Program Assistant.
This event also celebrates those employees who have reached a ‘years of service’ milestone in their career. Recipients included: Five Years of Service: Sharon Pierce, Teacher’s Aide; Roxanne Barnes, Residential Assistant; Ethel Castle, Janitor; Heidi Colf, Program Secretary; Jeanette Bryant, Teacher’s Aide; Crystal Barzac, TBI Program Assistant; Brett Cockett, Maintenance Worker/Janitor; and Diane Kozar, Director of Clinical Services. Not pictured are Kristine Oddi, Speech Language Pathologist and Priscilla Yancey, HCSSA.
(front l to r): Sharon Pierce, Teacher’s Aide; Roxanne Barnes, Residential Assistant; Ethel Castle, Janitor; Heidi Colf, Program Secretary; (back l to r) Jeanette Bryant, Teacher’s Aide; Crystal Barzac, TBI Program Assistant; Brett Cockett, Maintenance Worker/Janitor; and Diane Kozar, Director of Clinical Services. Not pictured are Kristine Oddi, Speech Language Pathologist and Priscilla Yancey, HCSSA.
Ten Years of Service: Tiffany Yancey, Apartment Manager and Behavior Coordinator; Patricia Lockwood, Substitute Aide; Wanda Rebstein, Program Secretary; Heather Watters, Teacher’s Aide; Sarah Kent, Elementary Education Teacher; and Diane Sansone, Clinic Program Secretary. Not pictured are Glenn Wallis, Community Habilitation Specialist & ILST and Bernard Wegman, Maintenance Worker.
(l to r): Tiffany Yancey, Apartment Manager and Behavior Coordinator; Patricia Lockwood, Substitute Aide; Wanda Rebstein, Program Secretary; Heather Watters, Teacher’s Aide; Sarah Kent, Elementary Education Teacher; and Diane Sansone, Clinic Program Secretary. Not pictured are Glenn Wallis, Community Habilitation Specialist & ILST and Bernard Wegman, Maintenance Worker.
15 Years of Service: Jennifer Inscho, Teaching Assistant; Dionne Abraham, TBI SDP Supervisor; Necebbia DeTaeye, Assistant Director – Children’s Services; Laura Moss, Service Coordinator; and Lisa Lincoln, TBI Program Specialist.
(l to r): Jennifer Inscho, Teaching Assistant; Dionne Abraham, TBI SDP Supervisor; Necebbia DeTaeye, Assistant Director – Children’s Services; Laura Moss, Service Coordinator; and Lisa Lincoln, TBI Program Specialist.
20 Years of Service: Laurie Bradley, Speech Therapist.
Laurie Bradley, Speech Therapist (center) pictured with Mary Herlihy Gearan, Assistant Secretary of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Board Personnel Committee, and Mary Walsh Boatfield, President and CEO.
Congratulations also to Christine Shultz, Director of Children’s Services for reaching 25 years of service... and Lynn D’Amico, Vice President – Children’s Services for reaching 35 years of service! What an amazing accomplishment!
We are also proud that over 20 employees became Happiness House Ambassadors this year! Each staff person participated in a day-long training and learning session to help them understand all aspects of the agency. Well done!
Over 20 employees became Happiness House Ambassadors this year! Jocelyn Walczyk, Regina O'Brien, Courtney Burden, Linda Green, Sonia Whitley, Kaitlin Graham, Ashley Male, Colleen DeRaddo, Alisha Ingram, Beth Hall, Pratima Purcell, Locklyn Kelly, Catie Forney, Brenda Love, Jeanette Bryant, Kerry Crawley, Alison D'Angelo, Amy Atwater, Darla Davis, Tami Farnsworth, Kelly Happ – not pictured, Kara Hooper – not pictured, Taylor Kennedy – not pictured, Crystal Tomkins – not pictured.
Happiness House is grateful to each and every staff member for their excellent work throughout the year.
2015 Cerebral Palsy Associations of NYS Annual Conference Awards
Congratulations to the following Happiness House employees who received awards at the 2015 Cerebral Palsy Associations of NYS Annual Conference in Saratoga in October 2015!
Three Happiness House employees received Certificates of Recognition at the Celebrate Staff Dinner. Jamie Simon worked as a Program Secretary and has since been promoted to a Service Coordinator and has been an employee of Happiness House since 2002, Diane Kozar, Director of Clinical Services who has been employed at Happiness House since 2010 and Shawn Stenquist, Supervisor of Service Coordination who began working at Happiness House in 2004. Also pictured is Mary Boatfield, CEO and other agency administrators.
Congratulations to Patricia Cunningham, CFO for Happiness House and CP Rochester, who received the Daniel Wieder Award for Executive Leadership at the 2015 Cerebral Palsy Associations of NYS Annual Conference. Patti has been employed with Happiness House since 1993. Pictured with Patti is Mary Boatfield, CEO, Jeff Baker, Board Chair and other Agency administrators.
Patti Cunningham Receives 2015 Financial Executive of the Year Award
As seen at http://www.rbj.net/print_article.asp?aID=214054 by Lori Gable
Patricia Cunningham serves as the Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer of CP Rochester/United Cerebral Palsy Association of the Rochester Area Inc. and Happiness House/Finger Lakes United Cerebral Palsy Inc. She was honored this year by Rochester Business Journal as recipient of the 2015 Financial Executive of the Year Award.
Since being named Executive Vice President/CFO of CP Rochester in 2013, Patti is credited with transforming its financial standing by moving the agency from a $2 million operating deficit to an operating surplus of $1 million. She expanded funding resources at Happiness House and also served on its capital campaign committee, helping the agency to reach its goal of $1.5 million.
Patti was the lead financial resource on the synergy committee of both agencies, which developed a parent corporation called Ability Partners Inc. last December; CP Rochester and Happiness House are now both subsidiaries. In addition, she secured $3 million in financing for the construction of a service facility in Canandaigua for Happiness House, a project she especially enjoyed because she could wear a different hat.
