November 2012
Suzanne Taylor, Employee of the Month for November, is the secretary at Crockett Elementary School, a position she has held since joining Team HISD in 2009. She began volunteering at the school in February of that year, and was hired in April by former principal Elida Troutman, who actually served as her prekindergarten teacher when she was living in San Antonio.
As the school secretary, Taylor schedules meetings, orders supplies, greets visitors, answers phone calls, handles correspondence, monitors activity funds, and prepares the campus payroll every other week. She also serves as a member of the Shared Decision-Making Committee, a campus representative at all Parent Teacher Organization meetings, and the informal outreach coordinator for community partnerships.
Taylor is a founding member of Lions Club International and Habitat for Humanity chapters in northern Georgia. Before coming to HISD, she served as the outreach coordinator for Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation-Gold Kist Inc., and while still in that role, she was recognized with a Magnolia Award from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, an Innovator Award from the Southern Growth Policies Board, and a Best Practices Award from the U.S. Department of Community Affairs for her work in creating low-income housing in rural areas.
A native Texan, Taylor was born at Fort Sam Houston and raised in San Antonio. She moved to northern Georgia after getting married, then returned to the Lone Star State when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Taylor now lives in Bellaire with her husband of 32 years, Dirk, and when not working, she enjoys gardening, mountain biking, and spending time outdoors.
“Ms. Taylor is someone who takes care of what needs to be taken care of, with no hesitation,” said Crockett ES Principal Claudia Chávez-Pinto. “She just steps up to the plate, every time.”
“Ms. Taylor is the ‘go-to’ person when we have a need-to-know question, whether it is regarding Crockett, HISD, or the community,” added PTO Co-President (2011–2012) Tamra Pierce. “She is professional, efficient, and effective, and she even volunteers at events that are held after regular school hours, taking pictures of student performances and projects.”
“Mrs. Taylor is the type of person that as soon as you meet her, she makes you feel like you have been friends forever, and her friendship will last a lifetime,” said Crockett ES teacher Dina Rayo-Kirkconnell.
