The theme of the event was “Lutheran Employees Rock” and had a rock-n-roll theme.

“It is always an honor to be there to personally recognize our staff for their continued years of service to the seniors and youth in our community,” said Tom Holt, Lutheran president and chief executive officer. “We had a great mix of departments and anniversaries represented, myself included. Each employee plays a vital role in the lives of our residents in some way. To be among them all was an honor.”

Members of the Lutheran board of directors, as well as the organization’s leadership team, presented awards to the attending employees to thank them for their continued support and hard work. Two employees, Jan Basile and Lew Meckley, celebrated their retirement at the event after 36 and 41 years of service.

“Jan and Lew have been cornerstones at Lutheran and G.A. Family Services during their time with us. We have relied on them greatly through the years,” Holt said.

Jan Basile and Lew Meckley retired from Lutheran and G.A. Family Services and were recognized for their service during the annual employee dinner. Submitted photo

Basile began working at Lutheran 36 years ago as an admissions assistant after being recruited by a friend to come to the organization. From the beginning, she would work on morning census reports, resident discharges, resident room changes and other vital information used throughout the nursing home. Basile’s handle on this information provided department managers with a snapshot of what was going on in the nursing home each day. She had perfect attendance all 36 years of employment with Lutheran, which is a remarkable achievement. Since retiring last fall, Basile has enjoyed spending time with her family and traveling.

“It was a bittersweet parting from the organization I had served for so many years,” Basile said. “I have formed so many lasting friendships with staff and residents. I thank Lutheran for taking a chance on me 36 years ago when I walked in with no experience in the medical field but a willingness and eagerness to learn a new job.”

Meckley celebrated his retirement after 41 years with Lutheran and G.A. Family Services. After beginning his career as a direct care provider on the boy’s unit at the G.A. Residential Program, he quickly climbed the ladder to clinical services coordinator and then director of quality and compliance. He has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Arts in clinical psychology, the latter of which he obtained while working full-time at G.A. During his time with the organization, Meckley helped train staff, led the organization’s efforts to all-digital electronic records and was tapped by state officials to provide insight and support as they began to transition their child welfare records into digital format. In retirement, Meckley hopes to do some traveling and will continue to pursue his interest in hot air ballooning.

“I realized early the potential I had to train others and the impact that it could mean for our organization. I have a passion for training adults and inspiring them to do great things,” Meckley said. “A personal experience I had growing up led to a long career in youth services. Since then, it has been my goal to pay it forward.”

Lutheran employees recognized for two years of service: Kassandra Adams, Katherine Beyer, James Brentley, Kienna Brown, Stephanie Brown, Kurt Carlson, Elizabeth Case, Maria Castronova-Smith, Terrell Colburn, Jacqueline Confere, Donna Duckworth, Diana Dustin, Sherwin Espinar, Heather Fields, Debra Gardner, Erin Green, Jonathan Gregory, David Grice, Jennifer Haskell, Kelly Himes, Catherine Hunzinger, Kathleen Jackowski, Robin Knepshield, Beth Lanphere, Kelly Ling, Joseph Linkous, Emma Liuzzo, Timothy McMullen, Amanda Muntz, Pamela Riffel, Zoraida Rodriguez, Duane Stillman, Heather Summerfield, Lisa Sundlov, Faith Swanson, William Swanson, Vicki Troutman, Tara White, Maceo Wofford, and Jessica Woods.

Lutheran employees recognized for five years of service: Tammy Adams, Renae Bean, Wade Chapman, Donna Ciancio, Ashley Courtney, Patricia Cunningham, John Enney, Nathanael Ferguson, Sandra Gilbert, Kathleen Guild, Sabrina Keith, Katie Lawrence, Tammy Malanowski, Shannon Maltby, Christina Miller, Christopher Miraglia, Danielle Orlando, Jeffrey Paula, Mark Polaski, Richard Shick, Aaron Skinner, Leah Snyder, Lucinda Taylor, Darla Vik, Carmen Walters, Jacquelyn Wilcox, and Alysa Williams.

Lutheran employees recognized for 10 years of service: James Bockrath, Janene Bockrath, Ryan Carnes, Lucia Guarnieri, Ronald James, Sandra Johnson, James Mohan, Denise Ohman, Karen Phillips, Mala Reichard, and Cynthia Steele.

Lutheran employees recognized for 15 years of service: Jason Beckwith, Karin Donnell, and Erica Richerson.

Lutheran employees recognized for 20 years of service: Deanna Dahlgren, Peter Nalbone, and Pamela Nordin.

Lutheran employees recognized for 25 years of service: Tom Holt, Shelby Riddell, Patricia Singer, Rhonda Teeter, and Shelly Quackenbush.

Lutheran employees recognized for 40 years of service: Lew Meckley and Brenda Waite.

To learn more about employment opportunities at Lutheran or G.A. Family Services, visit www.lutheran-jamestown.org for a list of current openings or call 665-4905 to speak with human resources.

Lutheran, a Christian organization, is a comprehensive continuum of community, residential and home-based supportive services that help people of all ages gain or retain independence.