A Letter from Our Executive Director
Thank You, Paula
Dear Friends,
When you work with someone for fifteen years, you get to know them well. And if you’re lucky, you learn a lot from them. You learn how to do new things at work, how to think about things differently, and maybe even uncover a few things about yourself you never knew.
When Paula applied for the ESOL Program Manager position back in February of 2007, she wrote in her cover letter, “I enjoy helping build strong communities and creating a linkage between communities. I enjoy connecting families to services that have a positive impact on their future.” She didn’t know it then, but I’d decided to hire her even before she came in for her interview. She’d been a key partner to LVGH in her role as Parent Educator at the Clark Resource Center, where she helped us build and sustain a vibrant, active community site.
Hiring Paula was one of the best decisions I’ve made. She’s a whiz at all the details and administration that go into being an effective program manager. She has our database wrapped around her pinky. She’s caring, empathetic and supportive of students and tutors alike. She has the patience of a saint with all of us. And she’s really smart. She learns new stuff quickly and she’s not afraid to tackle the unknown or the seemingly impossible. While she was busy caring for family and working full-time at LVGH, she was also taking college classes, earning her degree in 2015.
All of that made hiring her a good decision. But it was her heart and her sincere commitment to making things better for everyone around her that have made me feel so lucky to have her on our team. Her passion for our students and dedication to their success. That she teaches us all to see things from a different angle, an angle that always reflects kindness and understanding. She even tries to teach us all to be a little more patient. (Some have been better students than others.)
Paula will be retiring from LVGH on August 6, and maybe for the first time in her life, taking the time to take care of herself. We will miss her tremendously. We are so grateful for the strong ESOL program she has helped build, for all the communities she has connected along the way, for all the students and tutors whose lives have been enriched by her. We wish her health, peace and continued growth as she takes this new path in her life. And we promise to stay connected, just like she taught us.
With all of us wishing Paula all good things ahead,
CJ
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