To be an excellent employer

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PRRC staff member Katy Dyas embodies what is possible at Pomeroy for employees who are ambitious and committed. And she is a great example of the Center’s progress toward its strategic goal to be “an excellent employer and develop staff capacity.”

At the Center for just 16 months, Katy has already received two promotions.

Katy’s family ran a Bay Area therapeutic horseback riding program for kids with disabilities, so she was outdoors a lot and around people with disabilities from age 5 to 11. These two elements, being outdoors and being around people with disabilities, would go on to become a recurring theme in Katy’s life.

With her early exposure to disability, she was never much fazed by difference; to her, each student at the riding program “was just another kid to hang out with.” At that age, she notes, “you’re completely unaware.”

Her path to the Pomeroy Center wasn’t a straight line – she stepped off the schooling track for four years and debated over what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Luckily, she stumbled on Recreation Therapy and realized it was the perfect blend of her two lifelong loves; she had come full circle. Katy earned her degree in Recreation Therapy from Sacramento State University, worked for two years at a riding program similar to the one her parents ran, and completed her internship in Omaha, Nebraska, in physical rehabilitation and adaptive sports.

Her first position at the Pomeroy Center was what we call “Program Leader II” where she was a direct service staffer, leading and supporting classes, helping with lunches, changing, feeding people as needed. She loved the work and found herself wanting to do more, looking around for something to add to her responsibilities. She says, “I realized that I liked doing the administrative stuff. It’s the behind-the-scenes work that enables all the recreation and direct service to happen. Nothing can happen without that admin work.”

Her supervisors noticed her champing at the bit, and promoted her to Program Specialist, where she took on increased responsibility. Now she was in charge of a lot more: scheduling, planning, placing staff in different classes. Now, instead of being the one running around to pick up lunch supplies, she was the one making sure the lunch supplies were well stocked for other staff to pick up.

True to form, once Katy got a good handle on the new role, she began looking for more responsibilities. Anywhere she identified areas where there didn’t seem to be a lot of direction, she would find herself saying, “I’m just going to do this because no one else is!” Unsurprisingly, three weeks ago, Katy was promoted to Assistant Supervisor of a department and of OneCenter 2.0, the Center’s newest curriculum for participants who are interested in expanding their volunteer and vocational skills and experience.

Being an Assistant Supervisor includes more of the administrative work that Katy is drawn to. She’s now involved in scheduling and planning for participants’ annual ISPs (Individual Service Plans), making sure the packets are prepared for meetings with social workers and family members. She has performed a few intakes and observation days with potential participants and spends time making sure client files are up to date. She also has much more contact with parents and siblings of participants, so she may be the first to hear if they have something they need us to know.

Katy doesn’t just do paperwork, though. This semester, she’s lead teaching three classes and supporting several others. In her General Store Cooking Class, participants prepare food that will be sold at the Center’s weekly General Store; the first week of class featured focaccia. “We’re starting out basic and building up skills as we go!” Her Jogging Group is designed for clients who are physically able to run but don’t get enough exercise; the goal for the class is to be able to run two miles by the end of the semester. If you’re passing through Harding Park, keep an eye out for the group! She also teaches a class called Nature Documentaries. “I love being able to show clients the world, especially for those who don’t have the opportunity to travel. The classes usually begin with looking at a world map and talking about where we’re going that day and what animals and plants will be there.” Katy says, “This class was just a small group last semester, but they all liked it and they came back for more!”

Katy really enjoys spending time with clients and getting to know everybody individually. There’s one participant she is particularly intrigued by, someone any visitor to the Center will likely meet: Rodney. Rodney is boisterous, animated, and friendly. On most days he can be heard laughing or calling out from across the campus. Katy has discovered his quiet side, which comes out when Rodney is experiencing something new or something beautiful. She took note of his fascination with one tank at the aquarium at the Academy of Sciences, as well as the day her boyfriend came and played the piano and Rodney spent an hour standing by himself in the corner, listening with great calm.

How did it feel to get those promotions? “It felt good! This place has been around for so, so long. Like a lot of places, promotions at Pomeroy used to go by seniority only. Now, it’s the people who prove themselves and demonstrate the desire to do more – it’s really nice to see that taken seriously here.”

Does Katy still feel restless? “Most days I feel like I have enough to do; some days I wish I had my hand in other areas.” She keeps looking for ways to learn more, and Pomeroy is happily supporting her drive to do so!