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When: August Where: HQ Why: I would like to nominate Derek McCann for Employee of the Month. He is more than just an amazing Grant Writer; he is an avid supporter of Best Buddies! Upon his return to Miami from Leadership Conference, Derek could not wait to share with the Grants Team his personal stories about his first experience at Indiana University. He greatly enjoyed working with the Buddies on preparing their speeches, and built many strong bonds with the participants. Not once did he mention the extra hours he had put into preparing his speech tutorial or working the conference. Instead, everything LC-related was approached with enthusiasm and excitement! I am super grateful to work with Derek on a daily basis within the Grants Department, and very happy that he was able to experience our mission in action first-hand at LC. He's already pledged to return next year! Catherine Houlihan Grant Writer, HQ I would like to nominate Derek McCann, grant writer for EOTM not only for his work as a grant writer, but his involvement in the 2010 Leadership Conference. Derek took his responsibility for the Buddy Ambassador track of 2010 LC vey seriously. For weeks leading up to the big event, Derek worked on his materials and presentation, sometimes until 3 am. He wanted his portion of the training to be perfect, and on more than one occasion I heard him revising/reviewing his "Guide to Writing a Successful Speech." At one point, he was so enthusiastic and bitten by the creative bug, I suggested he tone it down a bit.During LC, I was fortunate to get a glimpse into Derek's Buddy Ambassador workshop as he discussed the closing statement of a speech. The next day, I heard from Leslie Kosek, State Director on what a wonderful job Derek did. I also witnessed his interaction with participants and their fondness of him – Mary from Indiana and Jody Mann, OH, etc...One participant in particular, Tyler, credited Derek for making the whole weekend worthwhile. Derek had such a great time and made a very personal connection to our mission that weekend. He has made a decision to pursue a degree in social work at Barry University. Keith Wayne Grant Director, HQ Thank you, Keith. I second this nomination. Derek was always ready with new materials, fresh ideas, and an enthusiastic outlook. It has been a pleasure working with him on this project and I witnessed the positive response he received from his students at Leadership Conference. His collaboration with his team and personal efforts have brought this year’s training to a new level. Kali Wasenko Deputy Director, Programs, BUILD, HQ |
