370 AVANCE employees gathered together under one roof for its annual Welcome Back Celebration

AVANCE-Houston has begun the new program year 2023-2024 with a warm and welcoming celebration. All 370 AVANCE employees, from teaching staff to administrators and leadership, came together with a shared vision of teamwork. The employee theme for this year is “LET’S DO IT… TOGETHER!” which emphasizes the importance of working collaboratively towards a common goal.

This year the welcome back event took place at the Norris Conference Centers on July 24-25. Hundreds of educators, support staff, center administrators, family development workers, and others gathered to learn about the agency, its mission, motto, vision, and updates for the upcoming program year.

During the first session on Monday, July 24, Luz Flores, Executive Director, and Antoinette Montgomery, Ed.D., Deputy Director, welcomed the new and returning employees and discussed diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as an essential part of the organization. They encouraged all to be inclusive, continue learning, and practice self-care throughout the year and their lives.

Claudia E. Ortega-Hogue, the newly appointed Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, expressed her gratitude to the leadership team and staff personnel during her welcome message. She acknowledged the hard work of everyone involved, stating, “We (the board members) see all the hard work you do.”

Dr. Montgomery acknowledged the new senior directors: Rondalyn Skinner-Davis, who was promoted to Senior Director II of the Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP), Healthy Relationships, and United Way programs; and Kristie Mireles, who was promoted to Senior Director II of Early Head Start and Head Start programs.

The Accounting, Marketing, Human Resources, and IT departments presented their updates for 2023-2024, including the Cost of Living Adjustment, history of the organization and new branding guidelines, online safety and much more.

Dr. Shana D. Lewis, a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor and motivational speaker, provided an inspirational speech about self-care for educators and its importance for the well-being of themselves and the children they serve.

At the conclusion of the AVANCE-Houston session, employees who had completed their first, three, 15th, 20th, and 30th year of service were recognized and presented with service awards.

After the first day of celebrations, the staff underwent an entire week of intensive training. The training emphasized the crucial importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), as well as active shooter preparation, employee welfare, and strategies for preventing and reporting discrimination and harassment. Furthermore, they learned innovative ways to engage with children and the families we serve.

With all this information readily available, the staff is ready to start a great school year. Most importantly, they’ve been reassured that they are never alone: WE’RE DOING THIS… TOGETHER!