Exemplifying Customer Service:

Eglin CCSS Team Lends a Helping Hand...

During the last weekend in January, Steve Gardner and company on the Eglin CCSS contract were volunteer sponsors for a Special Olympics team. Their team, the "Black Magic", consisted of seven members (see photo, first row, in snappy IIa hats): William, the oldest at 14; Calvin and Crissa, age 12; Kendrick, Julia, and Christopher ; age 10; and Rachael, the youngest, age 9. This group of children, from the poorest county in Florida, was the only team nobody wanted to sponsor. But before the day was out, they were the team everyone wished they had!

The IIa employees pictured are: Second row: Paula Andrus (second from left), Rochelle Oleksuk (far right). Third row: Cindy Woods (far left), Mischele de Vos (second from left). Last row: Helen Salley (far left), Marvin Lesher (far right). Volunteers not shown: Bruce McNair, Bill Kaseman, Melanie Mendez, Rose Tillery, and Sandra Sterling.

Our IIa volunteers said it was a wonderful thing to see two of the Black Magic team members sitting with the VIPS during the Opening Ceremony on Friday night. They marched in (wearing IIa hats) with all the VIPS. William was chosen to take the Oath and Calvin to light the torch and receive the first ball. Cindy Woods and Helen Salley escorted the team in as the IIa cheering section enthusiastically welcomed their arrival. In the
IIa cheering section were Rochelle and Mike Oleksuk, Greig McClure, Paula Andrus, Nicole and Timothy Andrus, Sharon, Mischele deVos, Stephanie deVos, Charlie Boyer, Bruce McNair, Marvin and Judy Lesher, Eric Davis, Timothy Woods II, Sandra Sterling, and Rose Tillery.

Following the Opening Ceremony, the team headed off to the bowling center, where we learned our team was the most popular one there. IIa staffers met the team for breakfast at 7:45 on Saturday morning. The weather was bone chilling, so the planned carnival was cancelled. Competition for the team started at 11:00. Because ours was the only peewee team, we had to compete against an older and better skilled junior team. The Black Magic gave their best, then lost the event by only 1 point. Their chance for state competition was over. The team showed no disappointment, only quiet and sweet pride in their accomplishments.

At about 1:30, the tired, but happy, team loaded their bus and waved good-bye. The IIa staffers, too, were tired and happy and also a bit sad to see their team leave. They were so pleased with the event that they are planning to request the same team for sponsorship next year. And they will be looking to make some special "goodie bags" for the team members. They were very Special indeed!

Movers and Shakers: Bonnie Carroll (right) and Pat Powell (center) greet Jesse Roberson, DOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management at a February press conference at the IIa-operated DOE Information Center in Oak Ridge. Photo by: Marie Moffitt, OakRidger

For Your Information: If you are interested in persistent identification, disaster recover and business continuity, or current issues in copyright, have a look at the CENDI Web site for presentations from recent federal workshops on these topics. You can link directly to the disaster recovery and persistent identification programs from www.cendi.gov/workshop.html. Copyright presentations are available from www.cendi.gov/activities/03_04_03_copyright__gcforum_program.html.