Genesee Community College has named Connie Boyd the Employee of the Month for May.
Since assuming her current position as director of Human Services, Boyd has committed herself to the success of her students, making herself available to them, and continually demonstrating her compassionate and caring spirit.
Her colleagues continually see how much respect her students have for her. Not only does she make time for the students, but her commitment to visiting the 42 external internship sites covering six counties is astonishing. In addition to her work at the college, Boyd also finds time to be a devoted volunteer for the Volunteers for Animals at the Genesee County Animal Shelter. She is a great role model and teacher.
As director of the Human Services program, Boyd coordinates and supervises all aspects related to Human Services courses and curricula, teaches field experience courses, monitors student internships/field placements in the community, conducts program assessments, serves as a liaison to the HUS Program Advisory Committee, and works on various college committees and community-based initiatives.
Boyd came to Genesee as an adjunct instructor and became a full-time faculty member in 2006. Before working at Genesee, she worked for more than 30 years in the human services field as co-executive director of the YWCA, director of the Office for the Aging, plus she was a Genesee County Legislator for six years, the branch director of Planned Parenthood, and has also worked as a vocational rehab counselor, child protection caseworker, and community educator. She holds an associate's degree from Genesee Community College and a bachelor's and master's degree from SUNY Brockport.
"My favorite aspect of working at the college is the opportunity to work with students who are enthused and passionate about the Human Services field and want to make a positive difference in people's lives," Boyd said.
She resides in Batavia with her husband, Charley. She has two daughters, Sasha Boyd and Ashley (Dave) Bateman and one granddaughter, Emmeline. Her hobbies include working at the animal shelter, teaching belly dancing, motorcycling, volunteering as a Ghost Walk guide and as a cemetery character for the cemetery tour (fundraisers for the Genesee County History Department, Batavia Cemetery Association and the Holland Land Office Museum), as well as gardening and reading.
Newly graduated Ben Bakos was named Student of the Month for May. He was a hardworking student in the classroom and out. He was actively involved in campus activities including the Campus Activities Board and the Student Development Series.
Additionally, he served as webmaster for Genesee's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) this year and completely revamped the chapter's website, as well as the New York State PTK website. Bakos also used his creativity to create fliers and posters for PTK activities and he designed the logo "Think Green" for the New York State PTK T-shirt. He was an active officer in PTK and was one of the volunteers who went to New Orleans to help rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina. He was a great ambassador for Genesee's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.
Bakos, 19 graduated from Elba Central School in 2008. He was an avid member of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO Club) where he developed the CEO Club website. He was also a part of a select group of students who traveled to Chicago for the CEO Club. Ben is also a proud member of Christian Students United. He majored in Computer Information Systems. His plans include transferring to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh to study web design and interactive media.
He is a resident of Batavia and is the son of Bernard and Mary Bakos.
