Some of the hardest working people in the community, who volunteer their time, talents, and resources for the benefit of children, were honored when the Burbank Council Parent Teacher Association (PTA) held its 63rd Annual Honorary Service Awards dinner.
Honorees were selected by the Burbank Council PTA and of the 16 PTA or PTSA units at each of Burbank’s public schools. The Council recognized two recipients of Honorary Service Awards, The Burbank Town Center and Kathy Yaeger. The Burbank Town Center was selected based on their “My School Is Cool Program,” which has contributed in excess of $150,000 to our school over the past five years. Yaeger, who is the Senior Administrative Secretary for the Burbank Unified School District’s Facilities Services, received the HAS for her work above and beyond her job in helping volunteers groups in the district.
Honorary Service Award recipients by school are:
Walt Disney Elementary: Robyn Kreisberg, William Thompson, and Maria Gonzalez.
Thomas Edison Elementary: Lisa Bethel, Melissa Lopez, and Sandy DeAmicis.
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary: Karen Mansoorian, Jennifer Skurnik, and Amy Toczek,
Bret Harte Elementary: Julie Thomas, Mageara Cameron-Spell, Ann Ouellette, and Steve Jacobson.
Thomas Jefferson Elementary: Larry Applebaum, Rosie Hatun, and Kelly Duenckel.
William McKinley Elementary: Pamela Holcomb, Rob Outwater, and Taia Perry-Kretz.
Joaquin Miller Elementary: Nabil Hourany and Amy Kamm.
Providencia Elementary: Jennifer Culbertson, Bryan Sanchez, Sandi Shearer, and Lori Little.
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary: Kimberly Boucher, Juli Mahoney, and Bonnie Staub.
Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary: Tom Bakas, Kym Wheeler, Claire Torrey, Uma Narayanan, and Lori Durbin.
George Washington Elementary: Dennis Roy, Carla Kida, and Jessica Darwich
David Starr Jordan Middle School: Robin Hatch and Jamie Thomas.
Luther Burbank Middle School: Marissa Allen-Cohen, Nancy Kim, and Sefanie Enokian.
Burbank High: Doug Berry.
John Burroughs High: Teresa Jung, Robert Jung, and Sherry Beamer.
Continuing Service Awards are given in special recognition of ongoing or longtime service to children and youth.
Continuing Service Award recipients are:
Walt Disney Elementary: Diya Allison-Hettler.
Thomas Edison: Brenda Burroughs and Stacey Wright.
Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary: Janet Harlan.
Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary: Steven Booster Association and Zigta Lefebvre of Cartoon Network.
John Muir Middle School: Lali Cola.
Golden Oak Award:
Trish Vosper, who has been a teacher for 32 year was presented the Golden Oak Service Award by the Emerson Elementary PTA. It is the most prestigious PTA award, given to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the welfare of children in a school or community. She has been at Emerson the past 25 years, and is retiring this year. She received the award for her priority to put children first.
Also recognized at the dinner were the individual unit presidents. Along with Burbank Council President Barbara Miller, they are: Diana Dobson, Disney; Stacey Wright, Edison; Amy Toczek, Emerson; Julie Thomas, Harte; Michele Higginbothma, Jefferson; Brenda Outwater, McKinley; Sandi Shearer, Providencia; Gema Sanchez, Roosevelt; Jennifer Jesperson, Stevenson; Alin Ghookhassian, Washington; Tammy Sparks, Lutgher; Karen Hohman-Almeida, Jordan; Sean Cyphers, Muir; Charlene Tabet, Burbank High; and Sherry Beamer, John Burroughs High.
Photos By Ross A. Benson
