2011 Local Coordinator of the Year

Name: Becky Bell
State: Richmond VA

Please congratulate Becky Bell, the CIEE Local Coordinator of the Year! Becky was nominated for this top honor because of her unwavering commitment and high standards. Like so many of our LC’s, she is a mother herself, and takes her role as protector of these children very seriously. She makes it her number one priority to find safe, enriching homes for her students, and makes sure that they all have rewarding exchange experiences while here.

Becky has high standards for her role, and even higher placement numbers- she was our highest placing LC last year, she managed one of the largest teams in the country, and she managed to do it all while facing a hurricane, earthquake and string of tornados in her region!

She is a go-to LC who consistency responds to the needs of students with dedication, compassion, and enthusiasm. Thank you Becky for your commitment to the role!

April's LC of the Month

Name: Janet Reynolds
State: Washington

Congratulations to Janet Reynolds from Washington, April’s Local Coordinator of the Month! Janet‘s continual positive attitude and ability to handle some difficult situations are among some of the reasons she was selected.

March's LC of the Month

Name: Sherylene Williams
State: Texas

We’re excited to announce that Sherylene Williams from Texas is the March Local Coordinator of the Month. Sherylene’s enthusiasm, ability to find placements in her rural community, and amazing support are just a few of the reasons Sherylene was selected.

December's LC of the Month

Name: Cindy James
State: Kentucky

Cindy has done an outstanding job in her role as Local Coordinator. She is meticulous and always engaged in her work despite having another full time position at a university. Always ready to go the extra mile when necessary, Cindy has a good working relationship with local schools, families, and organizations. She follows the DOS regulations with attention to every detail. When dealing with support issues she is the first on the scene to ensure the student and host family feel supported and works to maintain an objective attitude throughout the process. Cindy sets a high standard in the area of job performance in the Local Coordinator role, one we can all be proud to emulate! Congratulations Cindy!

November's LC of the Month

Name: Dana Persons
State: Georgia

Always a pleasure to work with, Gloria is a supportive and professional team leader. This has allowed her to build a devoted and stable team that meets regularly. Each summer, her team plans for monthly activities, which include an orientation camp weekend, community service, trips to experience Chicago’s culture, and more. When students arrive in the fall, they can expect to have a year full of cultural opportunities and strong support from Gloria and her team. She is willing to go the extra mile always makes sure that paperwork is complete and timely. She handles support cases with care and concern and her schools always have great things to say about her!

October's LC of the Month

Name: Gloria Miller
State: Illinois

September's LC of the Month

Name: Anita Akin
State: Oaklahoma

This year, Anita found a total of 27 host families! She placed 23 students on her own and on top of that, found four additional families for students that had to move. Most of the families were new to hosting this year, and found as a result of Anita’s hard work and committed effort. She spent several days in malls and attended every fair and festival in her town. Anita will do whatever it takes to get the job done! She teaches full time and was able to take advantage of all of her contacts throughout the local administration. Whether it’s a placement, paperwork, or problem – Anita does a great job of taking care of any task. She’s even been nicknamed the Oklahoma Tornado!

August's LC of the Month

Name: Bete Braun
State: Mason, OH

Bete has a tireless zeal for working with CIEE exchange students. She is always available for her students, schools, and host families. Her care and attention to detail never goes unnoticed by the people that she works with. She has the ability to convey her desire to see her students succeed in all they do. Her paperwork is always submitted in a timely manner and is clear and legible. She works through support cases with the utmost care and consideration – remaining objective at all times. Bete is dependable, respectful, diligent, tireless, organized, and hard working! She’s truly a GOLD STAR Performer!

July's LC of the Month

Name: Ellie Groeger
State: Buford, GA

Ellie has been dedicated to this program for many years. Her team is strong, stable, very devoted, and has placed over 50 students consistently in the past few years. She is relentless in her search for good families for our students, and always recruits wonderful families and matches the students well to those families. Ellie gives a great deal of time to CIEE throughout the year, especially in the summer months. She is one of the hardest working LCs and TLs and her students, teammates and families really appreciate her commitment!

June's LC of the Month

Name: Sharon Harris
State: Exeter, NH

Sharon Harris is an F1 LC in New Hampshire who has done a fantastic job working with our students, creating a solid and positive reputation in the school, and bringing students from other organizations over to CIEE. Her motivated, caring and professional attitude has made CIEE a very tough organization to compete against in her area. Her hard work over this past year has yielded unforgettable experiences for her families and students alike. Sharon epitomizes all of the qualities we look for in our CIEE team!

May's LC of the Month

Name: Lindsey Holloway
State: Altamont, KS

Lindsey is a busy woman but never too busy for her students, host families, and schools. As a mom to three daughters under the age of 11, partner to her husband who runs his own business, host mom, team leader, and full-time student, she somehow enthusiastically makes a year for her students they won’t ever forget.

Lindsey lives in rural Kansas, and with students scattered in small towns throughout SE Kansas and Oklahoma, she covers a lot of ground to see them every month. She plans wonderful activities for her students such as: attending local plays, making food packs for the elderly, and visiting area museums. A master at working with schools, she is always willing to place the student who is in need. She is a dedicated LC who does everything from helping to create innovative marketing materials to running to the airport to pick up a student whose flight information was never entered.

Everything she does is with a smile and we’re lucky to have Lindsey as a Local Coordinator!

April's LC of the Month

Name: Ashley Lemoine
State: Mansura, Louisiana

Consistently pleasant and delightful to interact with both over the phone and in person, Ashley is a skilled professional. She excels when entrusted with responsibility and isn’t afraid to take on any assignment. Enthusiastic and committed to her work, she regularly goes above and beyond what is expected. Her superior organizational skills make her excellent at multi-tasking and she has the ability to always deliver, regardless of stressful deadlines.

Thank you Ashley for being a pleasure to work with and for your amazing dedication to the role of Local Coordinator!

March’s LC of the Month

Name: Yvonne Aldaffer
State: Murfreesboro, TN

Yvonne has been an amazing force of nature this past year. She placed 22 students and then another 2 full year students who arrived in January. She did this while keeping up with her college classes for her degree in Interior Design/Art History and holding down her job as a real estate agent. Not to mention moving and running a household!

Yvonne has managed to get all of her reports in each month and handled numerous supervision issues with composure and swiftness. Most importantly, Yvonne truly cares for every one of her kids and I know that if there is an issue, she can be relied on her to take care of it in a timely manner. There is no "half way" with Yvonne. Everything she does is a priority. Yvonne is not only an amazing human being, but also an amazing friend.

Thank you Yvonne for all your hard work and your continued commitment to the CIEE students and our program!