Join Our Team
Saratoga Bridges is very proud of its hard working, conscientious staff! We celebrate them with a variety of activities every September during Direct Support Professionals Week and at our Employee Recognition event to praise their achievements and exemplary service. Both opportunities give us a chance to share our utmost gratitude for their dedication, compassion, understanding, kindness, patience and flexibility! The Employee Recognition Day features a catered meal, games, prizes and a presentation of awards that include certificates and monetary awards including:
2022 Excellence Awardees:
Rebecca Atkinson – Assistant Residence Manager 2 – Finley Road
Sam Chabot, Employment Specialist – Alpha Career Options
Audrey Della Ratta, Direct Support Professional – Wilton Day Program
Fay Fagnant, Family Support Direct Support Professional
Yolanda Gill – Residence Manager – Locust Grove Road
Lynn Haggerty, Behavior Specialist 2 – Residential Program
Michael Kanaby, IS Assistant System Analyst – Network Systems – IS/IT
Steven Lloyd, Bus Driver – Transportation
Tammi Skellie, Secretary/Receptionist – Alpha Day Program
Stacy Williams, Director Support Professional 3 – ACE/WOW Program
Rookie of the Year – Ariel Reynolds, Director Support Professional 2 – Moe Road
Years of Service:
35 Years
Heather Franke
Jacqueline Roberts
30 Years
Lynn Haggerty
25 Years
Barry Allen
Kristin Briggs
Lisa Fisher
Evelyn Marzloff
Lisa Randall
20 Years
Chastity Johnson
Marcia Manning
Shannon Milack
Gregory Taylor
Patricia Westbrook
15 Years
Marjorie Brown
Annemarie Caruana
Justin Desautels
Margaret Klein
Mary Mattison
Winifred Pino
Debra Rodd-Cavallo
Walter Wallen
10 Years
Angela Carr
Lynn Dipasquale
Jennifer Dunn
Kurt Freeman
Andrea Jordan
Michael Marino
Laura McClements
Nathan Perry
Charles Shaffer
5 Years
Sefth Berry
David Dumas
Kathryn Gilboy
Koren Lasher
Erin Martinelli
Susan Matthews
Lisa Mitchell
Cindy Novak
Julie Marks
Mark Roberts
Sloan Russell
Jason Russell
Alexa Starr
Matthew Tedrow
Carl Wright
Safe Driving Awards
Robert Harrington – 28 years
Philip Ellsworth – 15 years
Melissa Rafferty – 11 years
Lori Kinisky – 8 years
Jackie Lewis-Goodman -7 years
Patty Boyle – 6 years
Ed Beam – 4 years
Joe Gabel – 4 years
Mike Marino – 4 years
Mark Roberts – 4 years
Robert Ellis – 3 years
Austin Gregory – 3 years
Steve Lloyd – 3 years
Joe Maloney – 3 years
Robert Nass – 3 years
Robert Bellamy – 2 years
The College of Direct Support Professionals
Sydney Mayo was our 2022 graduate of The College of Direct Support. Sponsored by The New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation (NY Alliance), The College of Direct Support provides a validated and specialized curricula to enhance and develop a skilled Direct Support workforce throughout the United States.
Every graduate receives a Certificate of Completion from The College of Direct Support and will have their names listed on a permanent plaque located in the foyer of our Administration Building.
Leadership Institute
Saratoga Bridges Leadership Institute began in 2009 to strengthen our workforce, build internal leadership capacity, foster long-range individual growth, ensure stability and develop a group of highly knowledgeable staff. highly knowledgeable staff. Selected staff meet monthly with coordinator to receive training on the fundamentals of leadership. The Institute provides an opportunity for the member to experience the agency mission and familiarize themselves with each department’s activities. Their training focuses on topics that include supervisory strategies, communications, human behavior, self-analysis, presentation skills and others. Working with mentors, the Leadership Institute members develop a project that will benefit the agency and the people they support. The mentors guide the candidates until he or she is ready to successfully demonstrate their knowledge base to a graduation panel of executives and peers. Upon graduating, they can become mentors for co-workers in the Leadership Institute program, serve on future graduate panels and use their training for agency-wide task forces and committees.
Direct Support Professionals Week
Saratoga Bridges has designated Direct Support Professionals (DSP) week each September. We acknowledge our dedicated workers who are often unrecognized. Along with the New York State Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), we celebrate staff who provide support to the people we serve every day, 365 days a year. Our team is responsible for the health, safety and emotional well-being of individuals they work with by encouraging them to live more meaningful, dignified and productive lives. Our DSPs. They promote inclusion and independence within the community.
Our celebratory week includes distributing gift certificates, Saratoga Bridges garb, Creative Endeavors artwork and more to recognize our outstanding employees. Also, we had staff featured on television, radio and newspaper articles.