Employee Service Awards

One of my favorite days of the year is the day we recognize and honor our employees.  The Executive Officers were privileged to celebrate DAR employees who have been with us anywhere from 5 to 40 years.  Collectively their service represents 299 years and five months of DAR employment. All but one staff member of those that we honored this year (94%) have been with us for ten years or longer. This truly remarkable group of men and women are amazing and we are very fortunate to work with them

One woman started with us forty years ago as a temporary Keypunch operator in Data Processing, mainly to clear the backlog of processing annual dues, just two short months before the April meeting of Continental Congress. This department was essentially the precursor to the Information Systems Department of today and its primary function was to run various reports for the departments by gathering and tallying data through the use of key punch cards on a gigantic mainframe.  She also assisted with typing and photocopying board reports for the Offices of the Registrar General, and Organizing Secretary General.  Today, she processes payroll every two weeks and serves as a part-time switchboard operator each day.  Things have certainly changed since this employee began her career with the DAR and we are so glad she is still part of our staff. 

Many of you know the team in the Corresponding Secretary General’s office (aka The DAR Store).  We are so glad to have a lot of experience there.  One has been with us for thirty-five years and another for twenty. During Congress alone they handle more than 2,500 transactions. 

For twenty five years, Constitution Hall has been part of this employee’s life.  He now makes sure the overall operation of the Hall goes smoothly.  From Jeopardy to Horatio Alger Awards and most recently the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize, what stories he has to tell. 

The Office of the Registrar General had several employees recognized, totaling 75 years of service and a wealth of experience including the development of the GEP Classes, the digitization of the applications, supplemental applications, ancestor and member cards and putting the digitized records into a searchable, usable form that allows the genealogists to verify lineage without having to shuffle multiple stacks of paper.  In 2014 the department processed and verified over 17,000 papers.

Committee Services in the Office of the Reporter General is also fortunate to have experience.  The employee recognized has been with us fifteen years.  She processes well over 8,000 certificates for Continental Congress each year. Another employee was in this office for several years, but is now in the office of the Organizing Secretary General and recently streamlined the pin processing procedure as well as coordinating and administering the annual dues process, credentialing and other Continental Congress activities.  We are fortunate to have these excellent employees.

Three staff members in the Office of the Historian General were recognized.  They have a total of thirty years of experience and have seen their work change as digitization and technology are allowing them to convert ancient audio and visual records (cassette tapes, VHS tapes and even early reel to reel films) into digital files making them more accessible to our members.

Additionally we celebrated an employee with ten years of service in the Office of the Treasurer General.  Her professional management and oversight of the Accounting, Information Systems and Business Offices is critical to the success of our organization. 

With five years of service, the employee who manages the magazine subscriptions has proved invaluable in his ability to provide good customer service.  He has processed over 20,000 subscriptions.

Twenty-five years of service in the Security Department was the milestone reached by an employee and we appreciate her loyalty and work ethic.

Following the awards ceremony, we joined these eighteen employees at a luncheon in the banquet hall with lots of photographs and fun.  These employees represent a handful of our 137 employees.  It is truly a privilege to be part of the incredibly talented, bright men and women that comprise our staff.  I am always impressed with their commitment to our Society and hope you will express your appreciation to all of our hard working employees.

40 Years
Barbara Meisky -Treasurer General/Accounting

35 Years
Carolie Walker - Office of Corresponding/DAR Store/Mailroom

25 Years
Paul Guilderson - Constitution Hall
Karen Walker-Security

20 Years
Coral Caboga - Office of Corresponding/DAR Store

15 Years
Forrest Crosley - RG Genealogy
Valerie Holmes - Office of the Reporter General
Darryn Lickliter - RG Genealogy
Larry Miller - RG Genealogy

10 Years
Briana Diaz - Office of the Historian General
Amanda Fulcher - Office of the Historian General
Susan Kinnecome - Treasurer General/Controller
Marilyn Mills - RG Genealogy
Tracy Robinson - Office of the Historian General
Austin Spencer - RG Genealogy
Patricia Spencer - Genealogy
Tania Tatum - Office of the Organizing Secretary General

5 Years
Aaron Evans - Office of the Organizing Secretary General