Institutional memory. Continuity and stability. Leaders and mentors. These are just a few of the ways that this group of 168 employees are crucial to the success of the Arlington Public Schools. This year’s Service Awards honorees have served a combined total of 4,020 years at APS and were recognized by their colleagues and the School Board at the April 11 meeting.

These employees are crucial to our success because:

• They provide continuity and stability for school operations and instructional programs;
• They provide an institutional memory of best practices;
• They are leaders who are mentors and role-models for new and less experienced staff; and
• They have helped improve our schools so students receive an excellent education that meets their individual needs.

APS employees were recognized for career milestones of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service to the school division. Each group was called up as historical facts and cultural highlights were shared about their first year at APS, including the average salary, cost of a new home, news headlines, and popular songs and movies. It was a night filled with celebration, laughter, and smiles as each person was honored for their dedication to APS. Congratulations to all!

35, 40 and 45 Years

35 Years – Noorsama Ahmadzai, Henry; Christine Fitzgerald, Long Branch; Thomas Rollins, Maintenance
40 Years –  Mary Ann Adcock, Key; Deborah Hart, Henry; Venetia Levenberry, English Language Arts; Lamont Mitchell, Washington-Lee
45 Years – Holly Hawthorne, ATS

20 Years – Tanya Dunbar – Campbell; Ali Akkache, Washington-Lee; Lisa Barney, Long Branch; Claudia Barona, Campbell; Fidelia Barrientos, Abingdon; James Butler, Washington-Lee; Elena Butterfield, Human Resources; Maria Caceres, Career Center; Kimberly Canonica, Williamsburg; Henry Cardenas, Jefferson; Patricia Baron Carlson, Williamsburg; Marcia Delcarmen Carter, Special Education; John Castaneda, Wakefield; Isabel Castellanos, Stratford; Ana Castillo, H-B Woodlawn; Aurora Chavarria, Kenmore; Dionte Coleman, Washington-Lee; Jerri Cupero, Career Center; Beth Decker, Campbell; Jennifer Denino, Claremont; Kim Dinardo, Tuckahoe; Jennifer Doll; Williamsburg; Maria Dones-Urena, Randolph; Curt Dorman, Yorktown; Rosemary Duenas, Hoffman-Boston; Tanya Dunbar, Campbell; Wendy Ellison, Ashlawn; Rafael Espinoza, Yorktown; Michael Fava, Key; Bruce Ferratt, Tuckahoe; Peter Fitzgerald, Wakefield; Charlene Fortin, Nottingham; Susan Garman, Barrett; Micael Goodman, Kenmore; Cynthia Guadalupe, Information Services; Betzabe Gutierrez, Stratford; Danielle Hall, Carlin Springs; Holly Jewell, Wakefield; Patricia Jones, Special Education; Jennifer Kircher, Key; John Koutsouftikis, Williamsburg; Lisa Labella, Wakefield; Michele Lombard, Science; Melanie McCabe, Yorktown; Thomas McGuire, Arlington Science Focus; Lori Mcfail, Career Center; Juan Miranda, Transportation; Heidi Neunder, Jefferson; Jeana Norton, Washington-Lee; Charles Obetts, Yorktown; Patricia Parks, Swanson; Nora Parra, Barrett; Virginia Pereira, Plant Operations Services; Tawanda Perry, Transportation; Jeffery Politzer, Kenmore; Fatima Remadan, Barcroft; Monica Roache, Jamestown; Sola Rock, Wakefield; Amy Roland, Washington-Lee; Sharon Ruggieri, Arlington Community High School; James Sample, Washington-Lee;- Larry Seals, Swanson; Ebony Smith, Taylor; Brian Stapleton, Special Education; Melissa Stone, Swanson; Teresa Swihart, Wakefield; Carlyn Thiell, Special Education; Isabel Torres, Barrett; Toung Truong, Swanson; Mary Vieira, Student Services; Peter Vogel, Washington-Lee; Maria Voultsides, Finance; Anita Warner, Wakefield; Carolyn Washington, Taylor; Elizabeth Waters, H-B Woodlawn; Laura Weil, Student Services; Sun Wilkoff, Langston; Teresa Yoza, Career Center

25 Years – Mary McNeill, Carlin Springs; Colin Brown, McKinley; Carlos Alarcon, Arlington Community High School; Les Albers, Washington-Lee; Elizabeth Allen, Jefferson; Kevin Almond, Wakefield; Marina Benitez, Barcroft; Mary Brown, Jefferson; Wendy Carria, Student Services; Fernando Castro, Wakefield; Maria Contreras, Barcroft; Jina Davidson, Wakefield; Tien Minh Dinh, Campbell; Laurie Dodson, Key; Rosemary Donaldson, Career Center; Elizabeth Elvira, Taylor; Teresa Fields, Hoffman-Boston; Janet Freeman, Arlington Science Focus;-Jennifer Garrett, McKinley; Juanita Gibbons, Nottingham; Joanne Godwin, Kenmore; Rex Godwin, Arlington Traditional School; Marta Gomez, Key; Janet Jackson, Information Services; Jacquelin Joyner, Career Center; Linda Kelleher, Swanson; Mignon Kery, H-B Woodlawn; Michael Lutz, Wakefield; Helena Machado, Aquatic Centers; Chris Martin, Transportation; Christopher Martini, Center and Tech Ed; Howard Melton, Maintenance; Shonta Moore, Washington-Lee; Delia Munoz, Oakridge; Michelle Myers, Special Education; John Oberly, Key; Judith Pendergast, H-B Woodlawn; Robert Poland, Maintenance; Daniel Pope, Arlington Community High School; Dan Redding, Barrett; Estelle Roth, Arts Education; Miriam Ruiz, Maintenance; Manulito Sanchez; Career Center; Pamela Sanchez, Washington-Lee; Yolanda Sanchez-Pena, Key; David Schloe, Information Services; Tracey Shepardson, Jefferson; Deneen Snow, Wakefield; Susan Stankus, Williamsburg; Robert Strauss, Wakefield; James Styron, Jefferson; Laurie Sullivan, Barrett; Mohamed Tadlaoui, Transportation; Joseph Taylor, Wakefield; Lynn Taylor, Long Branch; Irma Terrazas, Tuckahoe; Mary Theodore, Glebe; Kerm Towler, Plant Operations Services; Nellie Vargas, Benefits & Payroll Services; Eileen Wagner, Yorktown; Deborah Waldron, Yorktown; Peter Weilenmann, Planning & Evaluation; Lisa Young, Williamsburg; Patricai Yurrita, Jefferson

30 Years – Ginny Barrow, Career Center; Art Bell, Plant Operations Services; Portia Bigby, Portia, Wakefield; Dora Sue Black, Drew; Phillip Clark, Dept. of Teaching and Learning; Ashey Deljo, Student Services; Robert Dillard, Gunston; Octavia Harris, Swanson; David Henderson, Jamestown; Joyce Hopkins, Transportation; Francisca Jorgensen, H-B Woodlawn; Barbara Lavelle, Social Studies; Bettina McPherson, Stratford; Lisa Mullett, Swanson; Bruce Nelson, Oakridge; Kathy Robinson, Henry Extended Day; David Stash, Maintenance; Penny Taylor, Yorktown; Mary Thacker, Wakefield; Marie Valenzuela, Washington-Lee