The Garden City Association of Educational Office Professionals (GCAEOP) held their annual Appreciation Awards during a luncheon held on Friday, April 26, 2024. The organization’s membership selects an Administrator of the Year and Office Professional of the Year, who are recognized for their service in the USD 457 school district.
This year, the organization honored Drew Thon, Chief Human Resources Officer, as the Administrator of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year. The other nominees were Monica Diaz, Title Programs and Service Coordinator, Andrew Lee, Charles Stones Intermediate Center Principal, Ben Luna, Buffalo Jones Elementary School Principal, Brandy Ochs, Edith Scheuerman Elementary School Principal, and Lucas Sullivan, Garden City Achieve Principal.
The Office Professional of the Year award went to Jennifer Ramos, Clerk of the Board of Education. The other nominees were Mary Martinez, Administrative Assistant at Kenneth Henderson Middle School, Sylvia Ramos, Office Specialist at the Educational Support Center, and Shirley Ruiz, Learning Services Officer Manager at the Educational Support Center.
The GCAEOP provides a venue for networking opportunities with other colleagues from across the district. It gives them the ability to share knowledge, trends and challenges, fostering employee motivation and engagement. The organization also provides three scholarships annually to Garden City High School seniors who are going to college to pursue their post-secondary education.