At its monthly meeting on June 26, 2023, the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities honored an employee's retirement, announced the Staff Person of the Month, and gave its monthly Special Recognition Award to two recipients!
Retirement
LuElla Spears began with the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities in June 2003 as a Secretary in the Transportation Department. Less than a year later, she moved to the Human Resources Department as the Department Secretary. It is in HR that she found a home and really hit her stride. As the H.R. Assistant, she worked at the Neill Building, the Carriage House and, finally, the Administration Building here at Larc Lane. Given the nature of her job, whether it was signing people up for benefits, address changes, or promoting her fellow creatives in an art gallery, she worked with almost everyone in the agency at one point or another. She took great pride in doing her work and doing it well. She was detailed-oriented and loved to work in Excel.
Lu was the “Girl Scout” in HR. Need a hammer? Tape measure? Needle and thread? She was always ready with tools in her office. Her office was a safe space to talk, as you were greeted with an open heart and listening ears. She would offer advice or just listen and always know what you needed without you telling her.
If you know Lu, you know she loves art, specifically, the detailed and meticulous art of jewelry making. She generously made beaded lanyards as a welcome gift to anyone who joined the HR team. She brought in a variety of stones to select from, and strung each stone together with great care and love. Lu’s sense of style and fashion was always a highlight of the day in HR. She would create jewelry to specifically match her outfit or buy an outfit to match a piece of jewelry she had made. In the middle of mask mandates during a global pandemic, you guessed it, Lu made beautiful colorful masks to match that day’s attire.
LuElla was instrumental in establishing the Employee Art Gallery at the Administration Building. It was a nod to her stint at the Toledo Museum of Art and became a showcase for the many talents across our agency. The gallery is a talking point for anyone walking down that hallway, especially new hires, who get a glimpse of the personalities and styles of our staff members before they even meet them.
We could go on and on about LuElla but because all this attention no doubt is making her extremely uncomfortable, we’ll just wrap it up by simply saying, thank you, LuElla, for your dedication to your craft and our people. Congratulations on your retirement and your wonderful career!
Staff Person of the Month
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is pleased to recognize Michelle Turner as the June 2023 Staff Person of the Month.
Michelle provides top of the line customer service, and is an incredibly hard worker that strives for excellence in her role as a Service and Support Specialist and the Options for Tomorrow Specialist.
Michelle is always so helpful to her fellow SSAs, whether they are seeking her advice about a specific situation or they’re inquiring about certain procedures.
Michelle always makes sure her individuals are getting the support they need and the respect they deserve. She practices what she preaches. When an individual lost the only family he had left, his mother, a couple of years ago, Michelle was and still is there for him. She spends time each week patiently talking with him on the phone. He knows that she is always there for him.
When facilitating Options for Tomorrow meetings, Michelle is always patient in answering questions. She offers guidance and support throughout the process and does it all with a smile.
Thank you, Michelle, for all you do to further the Board’s mission to improve LIFE so that individuals with developmental disabilities can reach their full potential! Congratulations on this well-deserved award!
Special Recognition
The success of any department involves unwavering support from everyone, especially those behind the scenes. This month the SSA Department is honored to recognize its Support Team of Pamala Banner, LaShunda Bolden, Morgen Browning, Brenda Kujawa, Richard Maneval, Jeyda Quinn, Alex Sofalvi, Celeste Taylor and Melissa Webster.
Our SSA Support Team is a team of hard-working staff who take initiative to demonstrate a solid commitment to their work. These secretaries support 90 professional staff who serve a total of 2,876 individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as numerous other projects for management.
When the organization had to tread in uncharted waters and change became inevitable, they did not fold. Instead, they got creative and figured out new ways to get the job done, no matter how long it took.
The constant changes in the SSA Department often brings more work and sometimes even some adversity. But because of their effective teamwork and commitment to the mission of our organization, the support team always gets the job done without complaint.
They are loyal staff….no matter what circumstance may arise; this Support Team is always ready for the challenge. They’re persistent because they know it’s for the betterment of those we serve, both internally and externally.
To our champions — Pam, Lashunda, Morgen, Brenda, Richard, Jeyda, Alex, Celeste, and Melissa — we say thank you for your hard work and unwavering support of the Department and, ultimately, our individuals. The Board is honored to present you with this June 2023 Special Recognition Award.
Special Recognition
We are pleased to welcome Jeff Newton, University of Toledo Associate Vice President of Public Safety, back to the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Jeff is an amazing friend to us and, more importantly, the individuals and families that we serve. For years now, Jeff has been the conduit to reach all area law enforcement agencies and their respective Police Chiefs. Any time we have needed help spreading the word or making a request of our friends in law enforcement, Jeff always goes above and beyond to make sure that message gets in front of the right people.
He is a regular attendee at our Cops and Conversations meetings, which are put on by our SALUTE members to engage conversations between individuals with developmental disabilities and members of local police and fire departments. Jeff listens to the questions or comments and always answers them with care and concern, in a respectful and easy-to-understand way.
Jeff is always willing to listen and help problem-solve when we have an issue. For instance, when we wanted to provide vital information to law enforcement to help them better serve our individuals when responding to a call, Jeff suggested we work with NORIS. Through that connection, we now have a unique relationship with NORIS that is a win-win for both law enforcement and the individuals we serve.
When Lucas DD was a host site for the national Be Safe training, Jeff not only encouraged other departments to send officers, but also helped them apply for the continuing education credits received through OPOTA to help incentivize attendance at the training!
Last August, as we highlighted valuable community partnerships during our state accreditation review process, Jeff met with DODD representatives to discuss the great partnership between our organizations.
Jeff, we are truly grateful for your friendship and your support of the individuals we serve and their families. Thank you for all of your hard work in service of your community. We know you are planning to retire soon, though I’m still not sure how that’s possible, and are so fortunate to have gotten to work with you these last several years.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating Jeff Newton on this June 2023 Special Recognition from the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities