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| SYNERGY ENTERPRISES, INC. | November/December 2009 |
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEPrachee J. Devadas, President/CEOLast month, SEI served as a benefactor to the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural & Minority Medicine (IAMMM) and its "Saluting Survivors... Promoting Life" Awards Gala. As health care steadily climbs up the list of important topics in this country, this annual event, which showcases noted citizens who are champions for increasing awareness about chronic diseases, is even more valuable. Health care—and the disparities within health care—affects us all, from business owners and minorities, to families and the general public. It was a privilege and an inspiration to listen to stories of survivors and to hear about the work of our nation's health care leaders. RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS21st CCLC Student Ambassadors Project Under WaySenior members of SEI's 21st Century Community Learning Centers Professional Development Module contract team attended a "Lights on Afterschool" event in Washington, DC. During this event, two student ambassadors, ages 11 and 16, used art forms, one a poem and the other a speech, to inform the U.S. Department of Education about the importance of afterschool and student needs and perspectives. More>> SEI Developing TA Center for Defense Education Activity ProjectIn support of the Promoting Student Achievement at Schools Impacted by Military Force Structure Changes grant, SEI is establishing an Evaluation Technical Assistance Center. The new center will aid grantees by providing evaluation resources, sponsoring topic-based webinars, and creating a standard online data collection form that grantees can use to report progress and outcomes. More>> SEI CARESDirector of Information Technology Supports Veteran Groups
As Veterans Day approaches this November, SEI honors the service of one of our star employees, Douglas Smith, Director of Information Technology. Doug is a Vietnam veteran who is qualified in submarines and qualified as a second class diver. Doug served in the United States Navy for 14 years, most of which was spent at sea. He is a base and district commander for the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc., a fraternal organization of more than 13,000 former submarine sailors nationwide. Employee of the QuarterIn honor of the hard work of employees who support Synergy Enterprises, Inc.'s efforts to provide consistent and innovative services to clients, SEI has selected its second Employee of the Quarter. Tyauna Brown, a Senior Conference Manager in the Division of Quality Assurance and Training Services, was awarded last month for going above and beyond expectations, consistently providing exceptional client service, demonstrating advanced technical expertise, exhibiting cooperation and teamwork, and offering creative approaches to tasks and problem solving. Tyauna has more than 9 years' experience in meetings and event planning. She contributes to capacity-building efforts, with emphasis on community needs assessment and planning initiatives, and manages board meetings and conferences for the U.S. Department of Education's National Board for Education Sciences within the Institute of Education Sciences. She oversees Web site development, registration processing, and materials preparation for at least five meetings per year. Tyauna was described as "a consistent team player who provides the leadership, cooperation, and management direction to ensure our team continues to provide quality services and products to our client as well as building up our team unity and morale." |
NEW CONTRACTS21st CCLC Afterschool Best Practices and Early Childhood ProjectThe U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education selected SEI to identify high-quality programs and practices in early childhood 21st CCLC programs. The intent is to share these practices across program grantees and with the larger afterschool community. More>> SAMHSA Fellowship Program Contract WinIn September, SEI was selected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to contribute to the development and management of a highly trained public health workforce of prevention specialists. More>> NEW STAFF, NEW EXPERTISESEI Division of Assessment and Evaluation Services Continues to GrowIn support of SEI's contract with the U.S. Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers, two senior research staff have been hired to help develop a Professional Development Module and various related projects.
Kiran Jagga Receives Cisco CertificationSEI's Network Administrator, Kiran Jagga, was recently certified as a Cisco Network Associate after passing the exam with a score of 916 out of 1000. This certification confirms his ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-size routed and switched networks, including implementation and verification of connections to remote sites in a wide area network. |
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Janelle A. Williams, Editor |
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We also had the opportunity to meet prominent figures, including Dr. Dorothy I. Height, civil rights leader and Chair and President Emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women, who serves on the honorary committee of the IAMMM. This November marks Dr. Height's seven decades of service with the National Council of Negro Women. Join SEI this November as we honor the accomplishments of Dr. Height, the contributions of IAMMM honorees, and the service of our nation's veterans. 
Doug also devotes spare time to serving veterans through such organizations as Disabled American Veterans and AMVETS (American Veterans). Through these veterans groups, Doug helps to raise money for scholarship funds and memorials, supports his fellow active duty submariners, and ensures that the service of submarine sailors who gave their lives for their country is not forgotten. Doug also goes to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Silver Spring and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda to greet veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to make sure our returning troops are not forgotten. "I want them to know their service is recognized," says Doug. "If you see veterans, thank them. It means a lot."