Date: April 12, 2005
Contact: Irene Cromer
703-791-8720

SCHOOL BOARD TO HONOR EMPLOYEES FOR YEARS OF SERVICE

School division employees Carolyn Gregg, a secretary for the Office of Curriculum Services; John Moyer, department chair for the Planetarium at C.D. Hylton High School; and Beatrice Mowdy, cafeteria work leader at Fred Lynn Middle School; are among 310 employees who will be recognized for 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 years of service at a School Board reception on Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Battlefield High School. Carolyn Gregg, John Moyer, and Beatrice Mowdy will be honored for their 40 years with PWCPS. Employees reaching milestones of 5, 10, and 15 years will be recognized at their schools and offices over the next week.

Most parents breathe a sigh of relief when their child completes his or her last science fair project. Carolyn Gregg, as the secretary for the supervisor of science and math in the Curriculum Services Department, has lived through 26 annual science fairs with no plans of stopping there. “While they are a challenge, I thoroughly enjoy the science fair and I am always impressed with the students’ exceptional abilities,” says Gregg. She treasures the pins she has received during her forty years of service and the recognition by the school board.
Gregg also says that the school division does a great job in a variety of important areas.

The school system has done well handling the enormous growth over the years, creating opportunities for academic excellence, and Gregg says she feels thankful to have a school board with whom citizens can communicate. She watches the Wednesday night board meetings from home. Gregg worked in various central office departments for 14 years before joining the Department of Curriculum and Staff Development, including the Personnel Department where she was the certification specialist.

Being a Prince William County Schools employee is a family affair in the Gregg family. Gregg’s husband, Paul, was a project engineer for the school division until his retirement about four years ago. Gregg’s daughter-in-law, Karen, teaches eighth grade at Marstellar Middle School. Pictures of her four-year-old granddaughter, Danielle, adorn Gregg’s desk, acknowledging her special place in her grandmother’s heart. “Having a grandchild is wonderful,” says Gregg.
When the school division had about 2,000 employees, Gregg could name every employee and for the most part knew their work location. She is glad to have a good memory and has been keeping a record of school division history. She has even considered writing a book. Gregg likes to stay active at work and says that, “as long as I’m still doing satisfactory or better work, I have no immediate plans to retire.”

During a visit to Hayden Planetarium in New York as a young man, John (Jack) Moyer got his first glimpse of a star projector and knew that a planetarium was the place for him. He received his B.A. in Physical Science at the College of William and Mary and a M.A. in Science
Education at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Moyer taught science at Stonewall Jackson High School for 26 years, and was the department chair for 17 years. In 1991, he was selected to open and run the planetarium at the new C.D. Hylton High School. “I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to do what I always wanted to do,” he says. He has shepherded over two-hundred thousand students from schools across the county through the planetarium since its inception.

Over the years, Moyer has completed various other post graduate courses from the University of Virginia, James Madison University, George Mason University, and the University of Toledo. In contemplating his forty years with Prince William County Schools, Moyer says, “with some things it seems like forty years, with others it feels like yesterday.”
Moyer’s wife, Gerry, has been an elementary school teacher for Prince William County Schools for 23 years. She is a fifth grade teacher at Loch Lomond Elementary School. The couple has three daughters, Kimberly, Jacqueline, and Elizabeth, who teaches art at Sudley and Yorkshire elementary schools.

Moyer has been recognized in many ways for his teaching ability. He has twice been nominated for the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, received the Outstanding Teaching Award from the Joint Board of Science & Engineering for the Greater Washington Area, the NASA Honors Teacher Award and was a candidate for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. Last year he was honored as the Grand Marshall for the Dale City Civic Association’s 4th of July parade since the year’s theme was “Education.” The things he seems to treasure most are the letters he receives from students telling him that his program “was awesome” and from teachers saying that his program was “perfect for fourth grade SOL preparation.”

A lot has changed in the kitchens since Beatrice Mowdy started at Fred Lynn Middle School’s cafeteria 40 years ago when her kids, seven in all, reached school age. While her husband told her it was her decision whether to work or not, she decided to make some phone calls and got started right away at Fred Lynn which was only about two years old. She remembers thinking at the time that, at $1 per hour, it would take a long time to make fifty dollars.

In those days they made everything they served. They roasted a whole turkey and removed all the meat to serve it. They made the sauce and the dough for pizza. Only one main dish was on the menu each day. While it is still a challenging job, in many ways things are easier now and more efficient.

Mowdy’s husband, Raymond, turned 81 in February. On April 11, they celebrated 59 years of marriage. She now has eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, most of whom live in this area. Every Easter the family has a big reunion at a local park with a meal and an Easter egg hunt.

She still keeps in touch with a handful of friends she has made over the years and hasn’t thought much about retirement yet. She says, “It all depends on what happens.”
A list of service pin recipients and their work locations is attached.

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Attachment Below

SERVICE AWARDS

Forty Years:
Carolyn Gregg, Curriculum Services; Beatrice Mowdy, Lynn Middle; and John Moyer, C.D. Hylton High.

Thirty-Five Years:
Elisabeth Allaire, Marshall Elementary; Mary Allen, Enterprise Elementary; Jon Bachman, Media Production; Margaret Banach, Occoquan Elementary; Shelvia Barnette, Transportation; Gloria Butler, Springwoods Elementary; Donna Callis, Mullen Elementary; Ann Cardoni, McAuliffe Elementary; Barbara Cornwell, Stonewall Jackson High; Linda Dick, Marsteller Middle; Arlette Dreischer, Transportation; Betsie Fobes, Parkside Middle; and Linda Garrett, Enterprise Elementary.

Also, Kathleen Harris, Bel Air Elementary; Frank Hughes, Lynn Middle; Irene Kabler, Gar-Field Senior High; Lillian Lansdowne, Transportation; Raymond Leddon, Plant Maintenance; Sherry Lucas, Transportation; Brenda Poledor, Occoquan Elementary; Linda Poteat, Nokesville Elementary; Linda Quaid, Transportation; Wayne Ralston, Nokesville Elementary; Mamie Russell, Transportation; Chloe Salyers, Brentsville District High; Kenneth Seabolt, Plant Maintenance; James Shirley, Osbourn Park High; and Bonnie Smuzynski-Penland, Yorkshire Elementary; Betty Strawderman, Food Services; and Emma Williams, River Oaks Elementary.

Thirty Years:
Maxine Aiken, Gar-Field Senior High; Eva Anderson, Independent Hill School; Karen Bazin, Bennett Elementary; Gail Boster, West Gate Elementary; James Campbell, Freedom High; Priscilla Corbin, Transportation; Thora Davis, Woodbridge Senior High; Evelyn Downs, Transportation; Rick Fitzgerald, Human Resources; Joyce Fritter, Transportation; Beverly Honaker, Transportation; Peggy Hornsby, Godwin Middle; Dorthula Johnson, Springwoods Elementary; Mark Joswick, Pattie Elementary; Dennis Knight, Brentsville District High; Mary Langhorne, Transportation; Gerald Lucas, Gar-Field Senior High; Wayne Mallard, Executive Administration; Silvia Marshall, Dale City Elementary; Deborah McLain, Yorkshire Elementary; Catherine McMurtrey, Lake Ridge Elementary; Virginia Melicher, West Gate Elementary; Donna Mitchell, Marumsco Hills Elementary; Clara Mongrain, Transportation; June Najjum, Antietam Elementary; Laurence Nemerow, Osbourn Park High; H. Miriam Owens, Pattie Elementary; Jill Pascale, Curriculum Services; Frances Peacher, Purchasing; Vickey Posey, Plant Operations; Carolyn Pugh, Freedom High; Ted Riley, Plant Maintenance; Janice Rolley, Transportation; Alan Ross, Woodbridge Senior High; Marquerite Scheflen, Coles Elementary; Arlene Singer, Antietam Elementary; Dianne Stevens, Forest Park High; Anne Stevison, Beville Middle; Curtis Stewart, Pattie Elementary; Judith Tardiff, Featherstone Elementary; Linda Taylor, Transportation; Mary Tilgner, Lake Ridge Middle; Rose Utz, Stonewall Middle; Goldie Webb, Kerrydale Elementary; Myrtle Wills, Transportation; Madeline Wilson, Transportation; Carol Yoder, Transportation; and Rudiger Zimmermann, Gar-Field Senior High.

Twenty-Five Years:
Nancy Alvis, Woodbridge Senior High; Kim Anderson, West Gate Elementary; Robert Atkins, C.D. Hylton High; Barbara Baughman, Transportation; Jane Blackburn, Woodbridge Middle; Lillian Blackwell, Mullen Elementary; Jeanne Blatt, Transportation; Catherine Brennan, Bennett Elementary; Patsy Brizzi, Stonewall Jackson High; George Broyles, Marsteller Middle; Donald Burke, Transportation; Kathleen Caiazzo, Benton Middle; Skyles Calhoun, Parkside Middle; Ernest Campbell, Forest Park High; Elwood Carner, Plant Maintenance; Mary Clendaniel, Woodbine School; Shirley Coleman, Lynn Middle; Karen Dauer, Special Education; Gloria Davis, Rippon Middle; Lillian Denver, Cedar Point Elementary; Gene Dew, Woodbridge Senior High; Cary Dougher, Special Education; Melba Fox, Saunders Middle; Linda Franzello, Woodbine School; Tawana Frye, Saunders Middle; Karen Garon, C.D. Hylton High; Sharon George, Ann Ludwig School; Constance Giorgio, Stonewall Jackson High; Dominick Graziano, Beville Middle; Constance Greathouse, Springwoods Elementary; Jeanette Gregory, Dumfries Elementary; Mary Gruber, Forest Park High; Nancy Hagy, Gar-Field Senior High; Linda Hall, Stonewall Jackson High; Robert Henninger, Marsteller Middle; Wanda Higgins, Potomac Senior High; Richard Hilleary, Forest Park High; Joan Houston, Transportation; Barbara Hurst, Dumfries Elementary; Patricia Johnson, Minnieville Elementary; Suzanne Johnson, Beville Middle; Christine Joswick, Lake Ridge Elementary; Lynn Kerr, Ashland Elementary; Randall Knack, Student Services; Linda Kuster, Transportation; Cecile Lampman, Ann Ludwig School; Daryl Lee, Transportation; Nannie Leonard, Transportation; Karla Lilley, Sinclair Elementary; Karen Majeske, Saunders Middle; Gail Markiewicz, Springwoods Elementary; Sandra Martin, Nokesville Elementary; Terry Mauller, Marsteller Middle; Christine McElwee, Coles Elementary; Charles Midgette, Transportation; Mary Miles, Potomac Senior High; Pam Miller, Woodbine School; Gary Minor, Pace West; April Moore, Woodbridge Middle; Billie Mullins, Battlefield High School; Janice Murphy, Beville Middle; Deborah Murschell, Tyler Elementary; Dianne Mutschall, Marumsco Hills Elementary; Barbara Ours, Rockledge Elementary; Gary Perdue, Plant Maintenance; Susan Perkins, Special Education; Thomas Peterman, Rippon Middle; Laura Ponder, Sudley Elementary; Alison Prevost, Woodbridge Senior High; Sandra Price, Saunders Middle; Stephan Prifti, C.D. Hylton High; David Przybocki, Osbourn Park High; Emma Ritenour, Brentsville District High; Margaret Scoleri, Forest Park High; Richard Shahan, Media Productions; Trina Sheckels-McFarland, Osbourn Park High; Jay Shorter, Woodbridge Middle; Delores Smith, Transportation; Linda Stanbridge, Springwoods Elementary; Margaret Stewart, West Gate Elementary; Kathy Stovall, Transportation; Patricia Sullivan-Perry, C.D. Hylton High; Nancy Thaete, Tyler Elementary; Sandra Tuccio, Alvey Elementary; Vernice Turner, Godwin Middle; Sharon Urquhart, Tyler Elementary; Gail Vadeboncoeur, Executive Administration; Margaret Weathers, Student Services; Elaine White, Lake Ridge Elementary; Joyce Whitson, Bennett Elementary; Sandra Willt, Supply Services; and Laura Wyatt, C.D. Hylton High.

Twenty Years:
Sherry Addington, Lake Ridge Middle; Ann Baker, Special Education; Patricia Bayne, Transportation; Brian Beaty, Osbourn Park High; Stephen Bianco, Bull Run Middle; Patricia Bogart, Marshall Elementary; Cynthia Boning, Benton Middle; Jenny Bovard, Special Education; Joyce Bram, Special Education; Patricia Branigan, Special Education; Michel Brantly, Transportation; Loretta Bryant-Kline, Woodbridge Senior High; Martha Campbell, Lake Ridge Elementary; Stephanie Campbell, Transportation; Virginia Carrigan, Curriculum Services; Dennis Clark, Construction; Rodney Clayborn, Construction; Cydney Colgan, Sudley Elementary; Diana Collado, Mullen Elementary; Ronni Cook, Curriculum Services; Judith Coyle, Porter School; David Davis, Battlefield High School; Kevin Davis, Transportation; Marcia Davis, Saunders Middle; Ira Degrood, Stonewall Jackson High; Peggy Dobbins, Signal Hill Elementary; Lillian Doherty, Coles Elementary; Darlene Dorsey, Leesylvania Elementary; Penny Edmondson, Osbourn Park High; Callie Edmundson, Enterprise Elementary; Harriet Ellington, Executive Administration; June Ellis, Ashland Elementary; Margaret Fairweather, Transportation; Phyllis Fenner, Forest Park High; Patricia Ferrara, Kerrydale Elementary; Rita Flickinger, Antietam Elementary; Ruth Fogarty, Coles Elementary; Manda Fortney, Sudley Elementary; Patricia Fram, Saunders Middle; Anna Friend, Transportation; Gary Garner, Plant Maintenance; Kathleen Getzewich, Marumsco Hills Elementary; Merrie Gonyo, Enterprise Elementary; Marianna Gooding, Godwin Middle; Patricia Grady, Stonewall Middle; Leslie Grooms, Potomac View Elementary; Kathleen Harhai, Triangle Elementary; Eugene Harris, Lynn Middle; Gertrude Hart, McAuliffe Elementary; Michael Heisey, Lake Ridge Middle; David Hoge, New Dominion Alternative Schl; Jean Holt, River Oaks Elementary; Pamelia Horak, Woodbine School; Daniel Hurlow, Lynn Middle; Anita Jackson, Special Education; Brenda Jenkins, Print Shop; Sandra Jerzak, Sinclair Elementary; Mary Johnson, Lynn Middle; Dan Jones, Forest Park High; Nancy Joseph, Potomac View Elementary; Darlene Kauo, Rockledge Elementary; Karen Kellett, Beville Middle; Mary Kellogg, Pattie Elementary; Barbara Kenney, Bull Run Middle; Linda Kern, Osbourn Park High; Sharman Kimbel, McAuliffe Elementary; Karen King, Neabsco Elementary; John Kittell, Potomac Senior High; Stephanie Koepping, Rippon Middle; Frances Lane, Neabsco Elementary; Beverly Latalladi, Saunders Middle; Kathy Leggett, Springwoods Elementary; Maura Legore, Potomac View Elementary; Donna Limerick, Dumfries Elementary; Kathleen Lyons, Transportation; Katheryne Malinowski, Springwoods Elementary; Joyce Mannherz, Title I; Patricia Martell, Forest Park High; Joan May, Marsteller Middle; Brenda McCartney, Neabsco Elementary; Zayda McCorkle, Woodbridge Senior High; Linda Melton, Gar-Field Senior High; Gregory Mercer, Woodbridge Senior High; Carolyn Merkle, Minnieville Elementary; Cynthia Merli, Springwoods Elementary; Betty Merrix, Belmont Elementary; Donna Mezny, Pattie Elementary; Melanie Miller, Westridge Elementary; Patsy Mitchell, Transportation; Jerry Mobley, Forest Park High; Lorraine Montanari, Woodbridge Senior High; Linda Moore, Dale City Elementary; Laura Muller, Nokesville Elementary; Timothy Nelson, Plant Maintenance; Phuong Nguyen, Woodbridge Senior High; Leona Nicely, Henderson Elementary; Penny Parker, Benton Middle; Kathleen Pechauer, Osbourn Park High; Richard Pennline, C.D. Hylton High; Joana Petty, Title I; Cora Plaster, Transportation; James Poland, Plant Maintenance; Catherine Puttre, Saunders Middle; Donna Quick, Transportation; June Reading, Stonewall Jackson High; Charles Reedy, Brentsville District High; Judy Reihing, Lake Ridge Middle; Naomi Rhodes, Transportation; Margaret Rice, Springwoods Elementary; Alice Rios, Neabsco Elementary; John Robinson, Henderson Elementary; Frances Shaffer, Tyler Elementary; John Short, Coles Elementary; Susan Siegel, Coles Elementary; Judith Snediker, Saunders Middle; Janice Spear, Henderson Elementary; Alice Stevens, Lake Ridge Middle; Patricia Stevens, Gar-Field Senior High; Brenda Stringfellow, Cedar Point Elementary; Joann Taylor, Osbourn Park High; James Thomas, Plant Operations; Lynn Vanhoutan, Lake Ridge Elementary; Barbara Vignovich, Westridge Elementary; Eric Wagner, Stonewall Middle; Melvin Wait, Plant Maintenance; Jeanne Warner, Woodbridge Senior High; Sally Watts, Gar-Field Senior High; Elizabeth Webster, Brentsville District High; Amy Weeks, Student Services; Nancy Wehmeyer, Antietam Elementary; Beverly Westgate, Transportation; Mary Weston, Marsteller Middle; Jacqueline White, Triangle Elementary; Darci Whitehead-Scanlon, Porter School; Rosemary Wolfe, Bristow Run Elementary; Leona Woodson, Stonewall Jackson High; and Barbara Yesko, Pattie Elementary.

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