f&a neighborhood news - pccc
TRANSCRIPT
PASSAIC COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Volume 4, Issue 4
September 2019
F&A Neighborhood News
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Cover Story 1
Tips 2
Food Service 2
Accounting 2
Interview 3
In the Spotlight 4
In the Spotlight (Cont.) 5
Chef for a Day 6
Facilities Round-Up 6
Did You Know? 7
High Five 7
Notable News 7
Inspirational Corner 8
STEVEN HARDY
Vice President Finance & Administrative
Services
COVER STORY
A message from Danielle Nepola-
DeFelice, Bursar, regarding an event
The inaugural Passaic County
Community College (PCCC) part-time
employee appreciation event took place
in August, thanks in part to the
collaborative efforts between multiple
departments and assistance from Dr.
Steven M. Rose, President of PCCC.
Three ice cream socials were held on
different days in the Paterson room and
the area surrounding the Panther Café.
Part-time staff members who attended
received a gift bag from PCCC as a
token of appreciation for all of their hard
work, integral to the successful operation
of the College.
In addition, a raffle was held for the
employees (in attendance) who worked
at PCCC for the longest and shortest
periods of time. And the WINNERS are…
Jita Majumda (longest - 1993) and Talal
Bilto (shortest - July 2019).
A very special shout out goes to Chef
Michael Grossi and the staff of the
Paterson Panther Café for making the ice
cream socials possible. Additional thanks
Page Saunders
(l to r) Marvin Espana, Ninfa Alcivar, Angelly
Cababa, Lisette Figueroa
to ALL the volunteers who assisted with the
event planning, including Janet Albrecht,
Michelle Baldino, Ricky Banks, Freddie
Benavides, Winster Ceballos, Mike D’Agati,
Tanya Da Silva, Stephanie Decker, Teya
Eaton, Brian Egan, Linda Gayton, Michele
Gotay, Liz Harrison, Ann Marie Keegan,
Sandy Levit, Svetlana Lider, Karoll Madera,
Maria Marte, Julie McCourt, Georgina
Mencher, Fabian Mira, Bob Mondelli,
George Myers, Dawn Norman, Elizabeth
Pachella, David Petriello, Clarissa Rosario,
Judy Santiago, Therese Slusser, Lorraine
Smith, Todd Sorber, and James Wallace.
We received an enormous amount of
positive feedback with a variety of ideas to
incorporate for possible similar events in
the future.
For any part-time employees who were
unable to attend the event and therefore
did not receive the associated gift bag,
please come pick one up on Thursday,
October 24th (after 10:00 am). We will have
them available in the basement area of
Enrollment Services. Gift bags will be sent
to those employees at the Wanaque and
Passaic Academic Centers who missed the
event as well.
Page Saunders
(l to r) Michele Gotay, Coran Smith
Page 2
FOOD SERVICE
Vending Update
The Passaic Academic Center received a vending upgrade this semester. The old Snapple
and snack machines were replaced with new, high-technology units, featuring touch pad
interface and various payment capabilities including cash, credit, debit, tap, and dip.
A fresh food machine is now available, serving cold sandwiches and snacks. In addition,
there are microwaveable choices so that students have hot food options as well. The cold
bottled beverage machine serves a wider variety of drinks and the traditional snack
machine remains, full of favorite treats. To round out the renovated service, a coffee
machine will soon be installed to provide a variety of popular coffee drinks.
Winster Ceballos
New Passaic Academic Center vending
ACCOUNTING
Annual Audit
The College’s annual audit began on September 9th. The audit covers the July 1, 2018 to
June 30, 2019 fiscal year and is being performed by the independent, external Certified
Public Accounting firm of Donahue, Gironda, Doria & Tomkins, LLC. The audit will be
completed in a shorter time frame, as the firm continues to dedicate more auditors than
usual. However, the total hours of actual audit time will remain the same. In addition to the
fiscal audit, the auditors will certify the College’s credit hours (Enrollment Audit), the
findings of which will be used to determine future state funding. The auditors will appear
before the Board of Trustees on October 15th to present their results. They will issue the
permanent record audit report shortly thereafter.
The Panther Café
now offers
ONLINE
ORDERING!
Check it out at:
https://pcccpaterson.my
restaurantops.co/
Interview with Alexandra Conte,
Associate Director of Human Resources
Q. Alex, can you tell us what a
typical day for you at PCCC entails?
A. In the fifteen years that I have
worked at the College, there has never
been a typical day in Human
Resources (HR) as one can be
completely different from the next. A
simple change in law, for example, can
affect employee contracts, policies,
and/or benefits, requiring all
department hands on deck. Regardless
of the project, the HR staff must
consistently work together. Many of
these projects appear seamless to the
College community, as the office runs
without anyone aware of the
scheduling and process completion
occurring in the background.
One area of concentration in my
position is employee benefits for full-
time employees, as is the recent
addition of part-time employee
benefits. I also regularly process new
hire orientation and employee leave
benefits.
For me, the best part of any day is the
pleasure of being able to help
someone with a question or problem,
as I genuinely care about all of our
PCCC employees. I find this beyond
rewarding so I make a point to go the
extra mile when the issue at hand calls
for it. Meeting with employees to
discuss what can be done adds the
“human” element to Human
Resources.
Q. We know October is a busy time
for HR. What information can you
share with us regarding employee
benefits?
A. The open enrollment period for
health benefits (effective January 1,
2020) is October 1, 2019, to October
31, 2019. However, all forms are due
to Human Resources by Friday,
October 18th, to ensure that the
Page 3
A. Yes. Both Steven Hardy, VP for
Finance & Administrative Services,
and Jose Fernandez, Associate VP of
Human Resources, supported six
College-wide health benefits
information sessions for employees,
with representatives from both
Horizon and OptumRX in attendance.
Providing an excellent opportunity to
learn about plan changes and ask
questions, these sessions helped
PCCC personnel make decisions as
to what was best for their own health
care, given the limited amount of time
they have to explore benefit options.
Q. Are there changes to the cost?
A. The State of New Jersey website I
previously mentioned posted a 4.5%
decrease in rates. The College will
support a base payment amount per
employee, per plan. There is more
information provided in the 2019
Health Planning Guide which was
distributed at the sessions. These
pamphlets can be picked-up in the
Human Resources Office if someone
was unable to attend.
Q. What’s the next step after the
health benefits information
sessions?
A. I sent out the new enrollment
forms, new rates, and plan overview.
Please look for my email (dated 10/2).
Q. What other changes take place
during open enrollment?
A. Open enrollment is also a time to
add or remove dependents so this is a
good time to look at your individual
level of coverage to see if it warrants
updating.
Q. Is there anything that you would
like to add?
A. Yes. I just want to emphasize that
Human Resources continually strives
to create and sustain a culture of
caring for the College community.
changes are recorded and captured
by the State of New Jersey. Any new
rates are posted on the State of New
Jersey website. Please note that
open enrollment for the dental plan
occurs annually in April.
Q. Have there been many changes
to the health benefits?
A. Yes. The State of New Jersey
completely removed the Aetna plan
option, leaving Horizon as the only
provider. This is a major change for
the currently enrolled Aetna
employees, as they will be re-
assigned by the State of New Jersey
unless they transition to a Horizon
plan of their own choosing. We are
not aware of the mechanics of this
type of move, but the best option for
an employee in this situation is to
make a choice during the open
enrollment period.
Q. Have you had any information
sessions regarding some of these
upcoming changes?
Ann Marie Keegan
Alexandra Conte, HR Associate Director
INTERVIEW
CENTURY AIR WORKSHOP:
Page 4
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
NASA’s Grant Funded Program –
PCCC Takes Flight
In the fall of 2018, PCCC was one of five
awardees who received grant funding from
NASA to expand students’ awareness of
avionics technology and provide STEM
students with opportunities for hands-on
experiential learning. With Dr. Ali Saleh
providing program oversight as the Project
Director, and Professors Grinberg and
Dada as Lead Faculty, the program
completed a number of activities:
Introduction to Engineering course now
revised to include avionics technology
content
With the help of STEM, created an
avionics lab (located across from the
STEM MakerSpace) which houses
avionics equipment, such as flight
simulators for students to practice on
Provided opportunities for students to
participate in hands-on experiential
learning activities through coursework
and workshops
Partnered with both Vaughn College of
Aeronautics and Technology and Century
Air aviation school to provide hands-on
workshops
NASA GSFC Internships
From June through mid-August 2019, nine
STEM students completed paid internships at
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in
various areas of avionics technology.
Interns were asked to share an essay with Dr.
Ali Saleh about their experiences at NASA –
what projects they worked on, lessons
learned, challenges they overcame, and if
they would do another NASA internship. Here
are excerpts of the interns’ experiences in
their own words….
“With my palms sweating as my presentation
ended, my mentor explained to me how my
creation benefits not only him personally, but
also holds the potential to be implemented in
future space travel missions. I successfully
developed a preliminary design for a celestial
navigation program. I worked on Prototypes for
Flight Software Platform.” Daniel Mirman
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 5)
(Top row, l to r) Michelle Ramos, Jehan Shalabi, Brenda Noriega, Jazhiel Cespedes (Bottom row, l to r) Daniel Mirman, Hussam Qaqish, Basheer Mahmoud, Roberto Saenz, Jeffrey Calixto
Dr. Ali Saleh
NASA’S GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT
CENTER, MARYLAND:
VAUGHN COLLEGE WORKSHOP:
.
Page 5
IN THE SPOTLIGHT (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4)
“Learning and working were not all the interns
were doing. One of the biggest things is you have
to network with hundreds of smart engineers.
Networking at NASA is crucial because you get to
meet people who have experience and you can
ask them questions. I worked on Graphical User
Interface Development for an Attitude Control
System Design.” Jeffrey Calixto
“I learned many things this summer, such as
connecting with people, working in groups, asking
the questions and most importantly posturizing
what’s important since other people need your
results to finish their work. I know that I will be
using everything I have learned at NASA in my
future academic and career field. I will apply it at
NJIT, jobs, career fairs and even my personal life.
I worked on SmallSat Reaction Wheel
Mechatronics” Basheer Mahmoud
“This was my first internship and it wasn’t only an
educational learning experience, but I also learned
lots about communication skills, making
connections and a good first impression, being a
constant learner and problem solver, and most
importantly to always follow my passion and
interests. I worked on Spacecraft Standard
Component Specifications.” Jehan Salabi
“To begin, I was put into code 583 which involved
ground system software. My code was called
GMSEC, which means Goddard Mission Services
Evolution Center. I learned that our biggest
customer and the group we work with the most is
the Air Force. Many of the software that is made is
built for the Air Force. It was exciting to see that
everyone knew that some part of what they are
doing now will reach the Air Force. I worked on
satellites and GMSEC Services Suite (GSS)
Software Development.” Michelle Ramos
“At NASA, I wasn’t only doing the projects
assigned to me; I was also going to different
events that were set up for the students. I explored
the premises of NASA by going to different
buildings to see what other disciplines NASA has
and to see what other projects were being done,
and I networked and got to know many of the
workers there to see if there were any others
projects that I could do, while I did the ones
assigned to me. I also worked on Graphical
User Interface Development for an Attitude
Control System Design.” Jazhil Cepedes
“As an Aerospace Engineering major, this
experience helped me to collect various
perspectives on the type of work that is
expected for me. In addition, it was extremely
effective to discover more of myself and to
recognize if I am on the right career path. I
met many employees who have jobs that
reflect what I would like to work in the future
and established new connections. NASA
exceeded my expectations, and I would
definitely like to be an intern again. I also
worked on Prototypes for Flight Software
Platform.” Brenda Noriega
“The program I did had nothing to do with my
knowledge or the chemical engineering
program I want to study in the future.
However, that only motivated me to work hard
and it gave me the opportunity to extend my
knowledge in a subject I had no background
on. I believe that they tested my knowledge
and my ability to adapt to all learning material.
It helped sharpen my critical thinking skills by
helping me think outside the box. I worked on
SCaN: Cybersecurity Risk Identification and
Communication.” Hussam Qaqish
“I met my mentor, Dr. Gerd Fischer, who
made me realize the type of person that I
wanted to be - a knowledgeable, level-headed
person who can quickly think on their feet and
be depended on with whatever given task. I
met a lot of interns who shared similar goals
and interests (passionate about space
exploration, advancing current knowledge on
the universe, being a role model) from all
sorts of majors and degrees, three of which
became family to me - Jaznae Smith, Ethan
Goldschmidt, and Demetrick McDonald.
Meeting these individuals and everyone else,
both professional engineers and those in
leadership roles, made the experience
incredible. I worked on Spacecraft
Configuration Analysis and Documentation.”
Roberto Saenz
We thank you for your continued
cooperation, patience, and understanding
and we sincerely apologize for the broken
air conditioning system that plagued parts
of Academic Hall over the last month.
Multiple vendors and the system
manufacturer were employed in an effort
to get the unit running again, but it just
simply did not cooperate with us.
Specifications and drawings are complete
for the replacement of the original elevator
in Academic Hall. That project will be out
to bid this month. We are also working on
the design and specification to replace
one of the HVAC cooling chillers in the
building. A113 in the Paterson Library/
Learning Resources Center was
converted into the Center for Teaching
and Learning.
In Founders Hall, E207 was renovated
into a new avionics lab for the STEM
Department and E107, into a new Early
Childhood Education lab for the Early
Childhood Education program.
Two vending machines, grant-funded to
address food insecurity for students, were
installed… one outside A208 and the
other, opposite M230. They were
successfully connected into the College’s
ID card control system.
Several sidewalk repairs around the
Paterson campus were completed as
well as the addition of a sidewalk
between Shultis Lane and one of the gym
emergency exit doors.
The Phase One plan to start the
renovations for the PCCC Institute for
Emerging Workforce at the Firehouse
building on College Boulevard has been
completed. Phase Two of this project, the
renovation of the building’s core and
shell, has just begun. This work will make
way for Phase Three, which will
encompass the interior fit-up of the
space.
The plan to replace the original HVAC
roof top equipment at the Wanaque
Academic Center is moving forward as
the design is complete and the bid
package will be released shortly.
Additionally, work to build a retaining wall
near the entrance to the upper rear
parking lot has been completed. This
project originated as a means to ensure
that soil erosion on the adjacent slope
would be controlled, as required by the
State.
Planning for a small addition to the
Public Safety Academy in Wayne is
ongoing.
FACILITIES ROUND UP
Page 6
This is my “go to” recipe for pumpkin bread. It’s straight out of Joy of Cooking… quick, easy, & delicious. Enjoy! – Chef Michael
QUICK PUMPKIN BREAD
Sift: 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour ¼ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. cinnamon, ground ¼ tsp. cloves, ground Cream: 1-1/3 cups sugar 1/3 cup shortening 2 eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin
(NOT pie mix) Mix in: 1/3 cup milk ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together first ingredients and reserve for later.
In electric mixer, cream together sugar, shortening, & eggs. Once smooth, add pumpkin and mix until just incorporated. Alternately add in sifted/dry ingredients, along with milk and vanilla. Mix until just smooth. Do not over mix.
Pour batter into greased 9”x5” loaf pan or muffin tin.
Bake for 30-60 minutes. Check for doneness with toothpick.
Page 7
The sign tower on the roof of Founders Hall was not only built to house the elevator machine room but also to house and disguise a 15,000 gallon water tank that was used to provide water pressure to the building during the early years of its use, before city water pressure was strong enough to push water up to the fourth floor.
HIGH-FIVE!
Chef Michael Grossi would like to give a shout-out to ALL the departments who had
a hand in making Convocation such a success! There was an abundance of excellent
feedback regarding the menu offerings from the new vendors.
Facilities would like to congratulate James Diamond on his promotion to
Mechanical Services Person. Jim started as a Custodian Handyman in July of 2018
and immediately started to prove his talents by almost single-handedly re-carpeting
half of the Paterson Library. Join us in wishing Jim much success in this new
position.
Svetlana Lider has joined the Payroll Department as Payroll Administrator. She
has an A.A.S. in Accounting from Suffolk County Community College and a B.A. in
Education from Kiev State University. Svetlana has worked for the Suffolk Y JCC
for many years. Best of luck in your new position!
A huge high-five goes out from Danielle Nepola DeFelice to the many members of
the various Finance & Administrative Services Division departments! The secret
Foodservice word is six-dollar combo lunch, which is valid for the first five readers
who email Chef Michael Grossi with-in five business days of the newsletter’s
distribution/email date. Their much-needed assistance over the course of a two-
week period (making student tuition-related phone calls, in addition to helping with
the new parking decal process) was well-appreciated by both students and the
Bursar staff.
.
Brown
NOTABLE NEWS
Brian Egan would like to thank Steven Ernst who was extremely helpful with the
implementation of the controlled grant-funded vending machine project.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Winster Ceballos
Alex Conte
Brian Egan
Michele Gotay
Michael Grossi
Steven Hardy
Ann Marie Keegan
Sandy Levit
Heather Mayer
Danielle Nepola-DeFelice
Ali Saleh
Page Saunders
Value
A popular speaker started off a seminar by holding up a $20 bill. A crowd of 200 had
gathered to hear him speak. He asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”
200 hands went up.
He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He
crumpled the bill up.
He then asked, “Who still wants it?”
All 200 hands were still raised.
“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” Then he dropped the bill on the ground and
stomped on it with his shoes.
He picked it up, and showed it to the crowd. The bill was all crumpled and dirty.
“Now who still wants it?”
All the hands still went up.
“My friends, I have just showed you a very important lesson. No matter what I did to
the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth
$20. Many times in our lives, life crumples us and grinds us into the dirt. We make bad
decisions or deal with poor circumstances. We feel worthless. But no matter what has
happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special – Don’t
ever forget it!
“15 Best Inspirational Short Stories (That Will Motivate You).”, livin3, 13 Oct. 2013,
www.livin3.com/5-motivational-and-inspiring-short-stories, Accessed 30 Sep. 2019
INSPIRATIONAL CORNER
Page 8
Please email any comments/topics to [email protected]
CONGRATULATIONS
to last edition’s
Secret Word Contest winners!
Winster Ceballos
Lisa Thom
Manisha, Joshi
Karoll Madera
Allen Blackburn
Lorraine Hicks
Cheryl James
Rosemarie Weinmann
Nina-Louise Alsbrook
Elizabeth Pachella