Stacy Wendowski

July 29, 2014

Dear Stacy,

One of the last quotes that the great Maya Angelou said was “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud”. And I know just the right person! From the day that Stacy Wendowski walked through SPIN’s doors on October 15, 2007, she has been sharing her incredible brightness ever since!

Stacy, when I had the honor of reviewing your journey at SPIN it reminded me how unique and wonderful it is.  I don’t have to remind you that you began as a Dining Room Attendant in Children Services and every day for three years you shared your positive energy with all classrooms ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of meals and providing much needed support along the way to the children and your colleagues.  You began to leave your indelible mark in SPIN services. But of course you had only just begun!

The BEST Program heard and saw your unique and special skills and talents and recruited you in December of 2010. For three more years you provided your innovative, caring, expert clinical support for the children with Autism as a Child Development Support Specialist and again you were sought after for your clinical competence and capacity.  It was simple to see that your skill set was one that could augment and enhance SPIN’s Behavioral and Developmental Adult Services so in March 2013, they quickly stole you to the BHU as a Behavior Specialist and the rest is history as they say!   

Stacy, in all that you do you demonstrate, in fact you live SPIN Pillars. Your People First approaches are recognized by all and of course you add in your Professionalism, Performance Excellence and Productivity with ease! Your “all in” attitude and action is exemplary. Rich Sadowsky boasts that you support wherever there is need. When behavior services at SPIN West were needed, you made an immediate impact. When you came into the Behavioral Health Unit, there was a serious void however your enthusiasm and determined work supported the individuals through another transition and you became an important part of their everyday lives! And you did all of this while training your coworker.    

I marvel at your knowledge of the individuals you support, your enthusiasm and your engagement of all team members, stretching people to increase their comfort zone and try new activities with them.  Beyond your ability to develop and write excellent behavior plans for very complex people, what is most impressive is hearing the relationships that you develop. Like these for instance!

Anthony Duncan said “Stacy taught me how to play checkers and how to be good to people”

Bryant Wilson said “Stacy is one of the nicest people and it’s really easy to talk to her”

Justin Mays said that “Stacy is great company on my days off of work and she gives me great advice”  

Stacy, these are just a few of the many testimonials of the difference you make in the lives of people by helping others feel important by your presence and motivating and supporting people to believe in themselves and achieve their personal outcomes.  It seems to drive from your strong work ethic as you get the job done with great detail and care affirming that although you have a challenging caseload you take personal interest and investment in each and every one supporting people to live a life of possibilities.

Stacy, on behalf of SPIN’s Corporate Board, SPIN’s Management Team, your colleagues, the countless children and adults you have and continue to support, I congratulate you on receiving this most deserving June, 2014 Employee of the Month Award.  Whether you are playing checkers, a mean game of basketball, training our support staff or supporting an individual through an intense crisis, we all extend our deepest appreciation for your incredible gifts and talents, but mostly for showing us the way to be the rainbow in someone else’s cloud.

With deepest recognition and appreciation, 

Judith R. Dotzman
Executive Director