* Nancy Bowen, administrative assistant at Burke School, and Thomas Reinsel, coordinator for energy management in the Department of Facilities and Transportation Services, have been named Fairfax County Public Schools 2008 Support Employees of the Year. 

Bowen (right), a 15-year veteran of FCPS, was named school-based Support Employee of the Year. “Visitors, please sign in at the front office—or you will miss the chance to meet Nancy Bowen,” writes nominator Jacquie Naughton, a former teacher and counselor at Burke School. As one of the first people to greet visitors to Burke School, Bowen is praised by every nominator for her welcoming manner and for her kindness and generosity. 

“Imagine walking into a school any time of the day and the person who greets you makes you feel as if you are the most important person in the world,” says Burke School assistant principal Latif Abdulalim, who says that Bowen treats everyone, including staff members, students, parents, and visitors, in this way.

Reinsel (left), who has 19 years of full-time experience with FCPS and currently manages 220 computerized energy management systems in the Department of Facilities and Transportation Services, is the winner of the nonschool-based Support Employee of the Year award. 

Reinsel was nominated for the award by four parents who cited him for his work with eight student groups working on energy-related projects. “He enthusiastically supported each of the student groups, taking the time to compile consumption data for each individual project and to explain the many aspects of energy usage and design trade-offs inherent to the FCPS system,” says parent Sara Schneider, who adds that Reinsel took the students on tours of FCPS facilities and explained how the school system uses energy.

As a result of his support, one student group raised funds to support the installation of motion sensor light switches in their school classrooms; another organized a compact fluorescent light bulb give-away. “The students’ ability to conceive, design, and implement these programs was made possible by Mr. Reinsel’s willingness to work with the students and to educate them on the many aspects of energy systems and usage,” adds Schneider, who notes that much of his work with the student groups took place after business hours. (view press release)

Finalists

• Joe Houston, coordinator, HR FASTeam, Department of Human Resources.
• Qui Nguyen, building supervisor, Colvin Run.
• Sherryl Salzman, administrative assistant, student activities, Westfield.

Nominees

• Nicole Bracken, school-based technology specialist, Key Center.
• Lynn Brown, assistant principal, Woodburn.
• Sheila Dominguez, administrative assistant, Wolftrap.
• Karen Haworth, instructional assistant, Glen Forest.
• Lynette Smith, instructional assistant, Burke School.
• Rod Spelman, director of community activities, Fairfax.
• Oscar Zuniga, bus driver, Department of Facilities and Transportation Services.

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* Jill Woodall, librarian at Island Creek, was selected as the Library Media Specialist of the Year for the Potomac Region by the Virginia Educational Media Association. Woodall is involved in a number of county-wide leadership roles supporting literacy development and integrating library services into the heart of all curriculum areas. She is recognized as a leader, a mentor, a teacher, and innovator. Her collaborative approach supports teaching teams and instructional practices that demonstrate the vital role of the library in a school.  

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* Chonda Sanders, mathematics teacher at West Springfield High School, successfully defended her dissertation, "The Role of the Mentor in a Virtual High School Geometry Course: Perceptions of Students and Mentors," on April 3. Sanders will be receiving a doctorate in education, with a specialization in instructional technology, from George Mason University.

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