A Little TLC for the LDM
March 2016 Newsletter
LDM Team Photo - Idaho Marketing Summit November 2015
Middle row: Tony Verrochio, Jeff Hines, Beb Palmer, Vanessa Boyd, Michelle Romaine*, Patricia Negrone, Nasrine Taghvaei, Mary Ingwersen, Sara Kinner, Angelica Reis, Sherry Howerton, James Dale.
Front Row: Ashley Baril, Renee Dodd, Jen Houghton, Garrett Grayson**, Randy Bretza, Natalie Lundberg, Jennifer Arias, Alissa Olden, Jennifer Severson
*No longer at K12
** Blended Team
***Not pictured Lucy Allison-Long, Shannon Ford
Our TLC Newsletter Mission:
Who and Where
Team Birthdays
January:
Keri O’Keefe, Jan 11
Shelley Mielock, Jan 12
Jen Houghton, Jan 20
February:
Angelica Reis, Feb 9
Grayson Garrett, Feb 11
Rebecca Knapp, Feb 12
March Birthdays:
Natarsha Bryant, March 13
Heidi Higgins, March 29
Celebrating Work Anniversaries
January:
Rebecca Knapp--NC, 2016*
Bill Bethel—RD/Southern, 2016*
Jayme Ferguson—TX, 2010 (teacher in 2008)
Renee Dodd—CA, 2008 (teacher in 2004)
Traci Trevino—CA, 2013
Ruth Epps—RMM/Central, 2013
Deb Palmer—FL, LA, 2003
Jennifer Waterman—IN, IA, 2012
Jennifer Severson—WI, 2011
February:
Beth French—OH, 2005
Ashley Baril—RMM/West, 2011
Angela Broussard—WA, 2016*
Heidi Higgins—ID, 2008 (contractor 2003)
Sherry Howerton—KS, 2014
March:
Mary Ingwerson—VA, 2012
Kendra Blythin—WA, 2016*
Shannon Ford--TX, 2015
*NEW
Welcome new RD, Greg Blough
I’ve been married to my wife Kim for 13 years and have 2 boys, Ryan (11) and Leo (8).
Grew up in Frederick, MD and now live in Potomac Falls, VA (about 8 miles from the Herndon office)
Prior to K12, I’ve worked for AOL, Time Life, The Washington Times and in the Marketing/Advertising team for two retailers based out of the DC area (Hechinger, a home improvement chain and Trak Auto, an auto parts retailer).
Hobbies = Travel, attending sporting events w/the family, bike rides, helping with my wife’s charity ‘One Kind Act’, formerly known as ‘Mom’s and Kids Making A Difference’ which hosts multiple events throughout the year benefiting Little Lights Urban Ministries in Washington, DC and various local shelters.
Favorite Food = Fajitas on the grill with a cold Sam Adams (sometimes more than one :) )
Something silly = when I was younger, I was twice the Maryland State ‘Hoop Shoot’ champion at age 9 and age 11. The Hoop Shoot is a National competition sponsored by the Elks Lodge, where you shoot free throws. Back then, out of 25 total foul shots, I could routinely make 20-23 of them….today, I am lucky to hit half of that, but my 2 boys have definitely inherited the foul shooting gene. It’s all technique and concentration.
Photos – this Summer, we took family trips to Denmark/Sweden (to visit my brother & sister in law) and to Niagara Falls/Ottawa ( to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary). The Canadian side of the Falls is much nicer & would recommend it highly to anyone who hasn’t been.
Email: gblough@k12.com
Welcome Angela Broussard, LDM Georgia
Please take a moment to welcome, Angela Broussard, the new Local Marketing Development Manager (LDM) for Georgia, who believes that education is one of the most empowering gifts a person can receive. Angela has ten years of experience in the educational sales industry and is also an actress, and has appreared on many nationally televised shows. Angela received an Associate’s of Arts degree in Education from Iona College and enjoys spending time with family (including her Neapolitan mastiff who has appeared along with her family on Animal Planet), traveling and acting. Her first official day was February 25, 2016.
Welcome to the TEAM Angela!
Email: anbroussard@k12.com
Welcome Kendra Blythin, LDM Washington
Please take a moment to welcome Kendra Blythin, the new Local Marketing Development Manager (LDM) for Washington. Kendra has been with K12 for almost 4 years, beginning as a Student Coordinator with Insight School of Washington and then joining the FASTeam as the Family Engagement Coordinator.
Kendra has a diverse background with experience in Marketing, Education, and she even worked her way through graduate school as a Probation Aide in Juvenile Detention with Family & Youth Services.
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Kendra is mom to a teenage son and two “pooches.” While she and her son love to hike, she enjoys home renovation and is currently in search of good friends who like to paint baseboards.
Kendra’s first official day was March 10, 2016.
Welcome to the TEAM Kendra!
Email: kblythin@k12.com
Committee Report: Event Content Committee
Here is a creative activity shared by the Event Content Committee that is easy to implement and store away to utilize as needed.
Snap Circuit: Electrical parts provide students (age 7+) with hands-on experience designing and building models of working electrical circuits
• Snap-together parts require no tools and ensure correct connections
• Includes 30 parts, and instructions for over 100 projects, including working models of a photo sensor, a flashing light and adjustable-volume siren
• Hands-on Experience designing and building models of working electrical circuits
• Perfect for ages 7+
• No computer or Internet connection required
Will post link for purchase soon.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR REPORTS FROM THIS COMMITTEE EACH MONTH
Committee Report: Tools and Tech Committee
The Tools and Tech committee has been working in four key areas that reflect the tools LDMs use on a regular basis. The goal is to provide additional training, support, and understanding of functional capabilities:
· Sharepoint/Office 365: conducted a short training session with an overview of the functionality of Sharepoint, an introduction to the applications, and storage space available through Office 365. Collaborating on Office 365 is easy through the creation of shared folders for each committee. If your committee would like a shared folder, please email Alissa Olden.
· Marketo: working several known issues, including our first big win with event cloning. Going forward reviewing the requirements and options for improved event management systems, as well as making short term adjustments, will be our goal. Be on the lookout for a survey that will capture your feedback and ideas on improvements to be made
· uQube: reviewing changes to columns that will sync to the finance cost center categories to better track LDM spend, as well as reviewing some mock-ups of new column layouts. More detail and training will be provided on these changes soon!
· Adobe Experience Manager: We want to thank you for reporting issues with event appearance using the AEM survey. So far eleven issues have been reported and seven of those have been resolved. It is important to remember to review your websites to ensure that all content appears accurately and that all links, pictures, etc. are functioning properly.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to email any of the Tools and Technology committee (Randy Bretza, Becky Knapp, Alissa Olden, Jennifer Severson, Nasrin Taghvaei, and James Dale).
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR REPORTS FROM THIS COMMITTEE EACH MONTH.
How are you doing?
Work / Life Balance Tips:
1. Set goals and deadlines
2. Learn and utilize time management skills
3. Have hobbies and passions outside of work
4. Refrain from checking emails and test messages during family time
5. Use your vacation days
6. "Just say NO"
7. Use available tools to stay organized
8. Take time to LAUGH and ENJOY LIFE!
Easy Shrimp Fajitas - submitted by Paul L. Glanton - Utah LDM
INGREDIENTS
- 1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ yellow onion , thinly sliced
- ½ red onion , thinly sliced
- 1 ½ lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
- Lime Wedges
For the Shrimp
6-8 Old El Paso Tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the shrimp and marinate for 20 minutes.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shrimp mixture, marinade included, and sauté until fully cooked. Using a pair of tongs, remove the shrimp from the skillet and add the vegetables. Sauté until tender and charred. Add the shrimp back into the cast iron skillet and toss to combine.
- Serve alongside flour tortillas and top with desired toppings such as avocado, sour cream, guacamole and fresh lime juice.
Email: pglanton@k12.com
What is your favorite recipe or quick way to get dinner ready for your family while you are working from home? Any fun stories about your food experiences??? Share them with us! Forward recipes and stories to Paul Glanton at pglanton@k12.com.
LDM Team Times
Jennifer Houghton prepares to leave LDM team for #3!!
Jennifer Houghton says that It is with a bittersweet heart that she has decided to put in her notice and leave her position at K12. Jennifer tells us this was one of the hardest decisions she has ever had to make.
There is good news...Jen and her husband are expecting baby #3 in July (a girl!) She will now enjoy planning and carrying out activities for her team of her own.
"This has been a dream Job" she says, and "it is hard to say good-bye." Jen added, "I know I’ve created life-long friendships in this group and I’ve never worked with a more supportive, friendly group of people in my life."
Jen's last day will be Friday, May 13th, and we will be working with her to schedule a Virtual Send Off for her, and will invite the entire LDM team. Details to come!
Natalie Lundburg Gets High Five for NVVA Open House and Media Success
Deb Palmer gets High Five for African American Read-In
Recently, Deb discovered an opportunity called the African American Read-In. She reached out and asked that Nate Davis be a (virtual) guest reader at this event; and he agreed! While the African-American read-in is a national event, this particular reading was played at the local observation on February 20th at the Civic Center in Kissimmee, FL.
An excerpt was read from an auto-biography about an overlooked African American cowboy by the name of Nat (pronounced Nate) Love, The Life and Adventures of Nat Love.
Below is the final version of the reading. Please note that it is in Dropbox, so you may have a better result if you download it first:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dqbr7f5m1j1wooa/Nate-Davis-Read-final.mov?dl=0.
Congratulations, Deb! Let’s give her a virtual “High-5!”
Lucy Allison, Marketing Manager for Blended Schools, was recently married!! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Long!!
Lucy shares: Dexter and I were best friends in high school. Following high school I moved to Florida for college and he moved to Wyoming for work, but we still talked on the phone regularly. One day, he completely shocked me with a proposal… part of me really wanted to say yes, but part of me was also really scared. We were both so young and hadn’t actually officially dated. My younger brother reminded me that at the time, apparently, I made my final decision based on TLC’s song “Waterfalls” choosing to stick to the “rivers and the lakes I was used to” rather than eloping to Wyoming! :P Anyway, we both married others about a year later and lost all contact for twenty years. Both of us had married poorly and experienced much heartache and divorce. On Oct. 31st 2014, I awoke to a Facebook friend request from my long lost buddy who was living in the Miami area. The next day was my birthday, and it was the happiest one I’ve had in years. It was as though not a day had ever past and not only were we still best friends, but when we finally reunited in March of 2015, we both knew that there was also clearly a romantic connection. Dexter proposed on June 13th that same year, and we were married on New Year’s 2016. :) Dexter and I each have two teenagers. He has a 16 year-old son Damon and a 14 year-old daughter Kierstan. My girls are 18 (Nora) and 17 (Sarah). All of our children were in our bridal party, as well as my two sisters and one of his brothers. It was truly the happiest day of my life!
The Wedding Party!
The Wedding Cake
That Smile!
Ashley Baril is about to welcome her new son!
In addition to preparing for maternity leave, Ashley has been working with Kendra to take over Ashley's Washington LDM position as Ashley transitions into the SOWE Team RMM. We will be excited to post photos here, soon!!
Email: abaril@k12.com
March LDM Playlist: Take a few minutes to dance to this oldie while you clean off your desk!
TLC Committee Members
- Heidi Higgins - Idaho
- Paul Glanton - Utah
- Alissa Olden - Oklahoma
- Heather Pacheco - Michigan
- Shelley Mielock - Michigan
- Natalie Lundberg - Nevada / Colorado
- Jamye Ferguson - Texas
NOTE TO LDM TEAM: This newsletter is about YOU. Please don't be shy. We invite you to share new ideas, news, stories, and jokes with us so we can include in the newsletter. We are looking for life related things...does not have to be work focus. Let's get to know one another here!
Submit to Heidi or Paul by the 25th of each month. The goal--after this initial start--is that Newsletters will be released on the first of each month.
Next Issue: April 1. Theme will be "No Foolin'" Please share your favorite strange story or joke with the team. All submissions need to arrive by the 25th of the month.