I wasn't too bad at what I did. The first part of my Mary Davis Home career consisted of counseling kids. The second part was in administering a rehabilitation program. The first part was more enjoyable, but the second had its perks as well. It is true that we are only as good as those around us, and I had some great people on my side as I ended my tenure at program Coordinator at the Mary.
War Room
You've seen pictures of my office before, but not this one. There are two cups of coffee on the desk and looks like work is happening. Good thing we took a picture of that. Since I had staff reporting in to me on a weekly basis it was important to make it as inviting as possible.
This fellow is Atilla Nemeth. He worked at MDH as a transportation officer who drove to counties to pick up offenders. Atilla was riotously funny - and still is. I stopped to see him at his C & I Embroidery shop in G-Burg last time I was there in February.
This is Cathy Sergeant, AKA Katy. Master of the malaprop, she was one of the cooks and had a more important job - she made us laugh. Cathy deserves a more thorough write-up and I promise she will get it later, as this series proceeds. Katy has since retired from her long service at MDH.
This is Kris Weigand who was Secretary of the office area. In actuality she was secretary of the entire staff; if anyone needed anything from staples to markers, and from faxes sent to phone numbers, she was the go-to person. She is still at the Mary.
This is a rare picture of Pat Johnson, Administrative Assistant. She has long since denied any pictures taken of her and today you get two of them. The heart that kept the front office humming belonged to Pat. A bit of perfectionist that drove me up a wall sometimes, she made sure everything that left her office was professional and correct. She retired with the rest of us.
Pat and Lisa Junk, Supervisor. If you wanted something "done", go see Lisa. She was a driving force making sure the "trains ran on time." No nonsense, but with a heart that belied her size, she was one of the best things that this institution had to offer our kids. She is still at the Mary.
Not every upcoming Flashback Friday is going to be devoted to what was happening ten summers ago, but every so often I'm going to post things that made 2004 a really special time.
Thanks for sharing pictures of some folks I hadn't seen in years. Your opening statement is too modest. You were very good at what you did. It was always my pleasure to work with you. Someone who understood that the rules are a framework and not absolutes to be imposed with no consideration for individuals or circumstances. The job required thought and empathy. They were attributes that many we worked with lacked at times. You always saw the bigger picture. The possibility that could be reached, the change that was possible with firm and caring guidance. You were good Mike, very good.
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