Erie 1 BOCES Monthly Spotlight: December 2022

We hope that you enjoy reading this month's E1B Staff Spotlight. The purpose of this activity is to get to know our colleagues better, create meaningful connections, build relationships, create a strong sense of community and celebrate our differences! Please consider participating by clicking and completing this short E1B Spotlight (submission form). Your spotlight will not get posted until you preview it and give final approval. Please note that the information that you choose to provide will be posted internally, featured in the Monthly Inside Story Newsletter; and externally on our public webpage. Please use your discretion & only share information that you feel comfortable having shared publicly. Any questions please contact Nicole Kerner, nkerner@e1b.org

Warm Regards,

The I.D.E.A Culture & Climate Subcommittee

Hello my name is Jim Fregelette; Grandfather's name was James, The name Fregelette, has been spelled several different ways by family when they came over from Italy. In part I think it was what happened through immigration, Friguleti is one such spelling.

As Executive Director of Administrative Services and Operations, I am in charge of operations including HR, Finance, Facilities, Communications and Management Services. Sometimes I feel like a cruise director. I love helping people and being a problem solver. My background is chemical engineering. After college I wanted to stay in Western New York and there were not a lot of jobs so I became a certified teacher in Chemistry and Physics. I taught for a couple years and then a job in Safety Risk with Erie 1 BOCES came up that sounded really fun, and would take advantage of my background. 

I learned about BOCES because I used to pick up films from their film library for my classes (I know some of you might not remember films). I started my career with BOCES back in 1989, 32 years ago. I started in Safety Risk, then moved to Policy and F&L, which led me to the Director of Finance in 2001. I also worked for a while for Erie 2, after hours in their adult education program; teaching computers in a mobile home that they converted for classes.

I was born in Buffalo, and went to high school in Eden, NY. I lived for about a year in Northern Virginia, Fairfax; back in the mid 80’s. I come from a family of 5, 4 boys and one girl. I am married, and have 1 son who just got married. So we are empty nesters, with the exception of our pet shih tzu, Benji. Both my wife and I are twins. My brother and I are identical twins. I have various hobbies, such as sailing, Hobie Cats, skiing and flying drones. I also enjoy collecting bourbon, and I am known to have a bourbon and cigar at times. I love reading science fiction fantasy books and if people do not know already, my favorite holiday is Halloween and I love dressing up. One of my favorite costumes was when I dressed up as Frankenstein. The 4 inch boots were killers though. Walking up stairs with a mask and platform shoes probably was not the safest thing to do!  I stink at music and art, I can't even play the kazoo (and I am from Eden). Family and friends are really important to me, and I love hanging out with them. Two things that some may not know about me is that I am left handed and I have a minor case of dyslexia.  

In describing myself, I would say that I am definitely outgoing, but can be reserved at the same time. I consider myself passionate and caring and follow my heart. I like to be the first at a party and last to leave and enjoy going out with friends. I can't sit still at home, I would rather be out doing things.

Hello, my name is Elizabeth Muscoreil, but everyone calls me Beth. Elizabeth is my Irish maternal great-grandmothers' middle name. Erin Go Bragh! I was born in Buffalo and I am the oldest of four. I grew up on the West Side near the Peace Bridge, which we called "Grandma's Bridge" because we could see it from my grandparents’ house. I've lived in WNY my entire life in Holland, Fredonia, Akron, Lancaster, Orchard Park and the Town of Hamburg.

I am a NYS Licensed Master Social Worker and I have a School Social Worker Pupil Personnel Certificate. Before coming here, I worked in the preschool-age to age 21 special education program and the alternative education middle school/high school programs at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. I spent two years in the Adult Education Division, implementing initiatives through BOCES to promote equal opportunities for women. We trained women for non-traditional jobs, such as tractor-trailer driving and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning using a work-based and an adventure-based counseling model developed by the Sex Equity Coordinator at NYSED that was appropriated under VATEA, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technical Education Act, and the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the University of Albany. I also teamed with a colleague to co-lead a weekend adventure-based counseling model for Indigenous Women through the Education Department of the Seneca Nation of Indians on the Cattaraugus Territory.  I worked in the mental health field for nine years and did a stint providing clinical therapy for adults and children at a southern tier agency.

I’ve loved working here for the last 17 years. Originally hired as a Part 200 Specialist, I became a coordinator a couple of years later for the special education software application teams and the cafeteria POS (point-of-sale) systems team. My professional growth and my personal growth are closely intertwined. As a systems thinker using a strengths-based approach, I get the opportunity to use my social work skills in working with my teams and my colleagues every day. The supportive, learning culture in Technology Services allows us to take risks, learn from our mistakes, expand our knowledge, and know that we are all in this together.

I co-parent my 15-year-old son with his mother. He is a sophomore this year and I am hopeful we’ll make it to graduation. I like making people laugh and was voted the “Most Wittiest Girl” in high school! By nature, I am an introvert and I like spending time alone reading, cooking, binge-watching TV and sports. Of course, I played a lot of softball back in the day and I will watch the college women’s softball games in the spring. I'm an avid hockey fan and my favorite teams are the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills.

Hello my name is Sarah Whiteway. I have worked for Erie 1 BOCES for about a year now. I am on the E-Team as an Outreach Liaison for "The Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Grant." I provide training and technical assistance on school wellness to the eight school districts that are part of the grant. My favorite thing about this role is getting to help improve the nutrition environment and increase opportunities for students to be physically active at school.

I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Montreal, Quebec. I love spending time outside, gardening, camping, hiking and canoeing in the summer; and skiing and skating in the winter. I'm married and have two daughters and a dog, so we do many of those outdoor activities as a family! I think my family and close friends would describe me as kind and loyal.