Celebration of Staff
“Years of Service”
2020
Message From Mike Riegel We are living in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause disruption, stress and trauma in our lives. By now, most of us have all been impacted by this virus, which has been devastating for so many. Despite the challenges we are all facing every day, this is also a time that is bringing out the best in many people—from the healthcare staff and first responders fighting on the front-lines, to the essential workers providing crucial services. On behalf of myself and the Board of Directors, we are incredibly thankful to all of you serving and caring for those in need. As most of you know, this is the time of year when we pause from our busy schedules to express appreciation to Belmont staff, to celebrate milestone anniversaries and to recognize outstanding service. This year, the pandemic is changing just about everything we do – including our employee recognition efforts. So, instead of getting together for a luncheon and award presentations, we decided to publish and share this “recognition book” – because we do not want the year to pass without recognizing the outstanding service provided by our staff. Additionally, instead of rewarding a few staff with our annual awards (Customer Service, Ambassador, HighFive, Team), this year we have decided to reward all staff with a gift card.
Message From Mike (continued) When the pandemic erupted, we took immediate steps to ensure the continuity of our essential services to protect our clients during this crisis. I continue to be amazed at the level of productivity that we are able to maintain, with much of the work being done remotely. At this time of year, I typically like to reflect a bit about the year that has passed, and I point out a few of our accomplishments and some of the challenges that we faced and overcame. This past year was probably the most challenging year we have ever faced. On top of the pandemic, we still have some of the lowest incomes in the country, we have the oldest housing stock, and we’re one of the most rent-burdened and segregated areas in the country. Rents are rising, but incomes are not following suit. But with the breadth of services that we provide here at Belmont to address these problems, and despite the pandemic - we are making a huge difference in a lot of peoples’ lives. As I look back on this past year – my 35th year at Belmont – I am overcome with pride and gratitude. The pandemic will continue for a while but based on our performance thus far - I take comfort in knowing that we will be able to weather this storm and we will emerge from this situation much stronger and more resilient. With respect and gratitude, Mike Riegel
Wayne Galloway 35 Years In my brief time in Inspections, I can’t even begin to say enough about Wayne’s commitment not only to Belmont and our mission, but also to our Inspections team, our clients and landlords. Wayne acts both in word and in deed, and is truly a “rock” in Inspections, making sure that each member of our team feels confident in their inspector role with his hands-on training, mentoring and continuous guidance. His passion is unparalleled, and it shows in the manner in which Wayne is respected and admired by not only his Belmont family, but in the community as well. Over Wayne’s 35 years at Belmont, he has become an expert in HQS, brought his HQS knowledge and expertise to his previous role as Rehab Specialist, and (thankfully) brought his expertise back to Section 8 as our Team Leader/Quality Control Inspector. To say that I am grateful for Wayne’s contributions to Section 8 Inspections and Belmont overall is an understatement; it’s an honor to work alongside someone who embodies Belmont’s mission, while also sharing his vast knowledge and truly encompassing what it means to be a leader. Congratulations to Wayne on his tremendous contributions over his 35 years at Belmont! - Robert Hunt
Cheryl Andolino 30 Years Congratulations to Cheryl for over 30 years of service to Belmont! Anyone who has been fortunate to work with Cheryl during her tenure knows that she is one of Belmont’s all-time MVP’s. She began her career as a secretary and over the years ascended to Vice President. Cheryl’s success is due to a variety of reasons – she’s hard working, puts in extra hours, is very smart, has great people skills, learns quickly, is fast to offer to help or volunteer for special assignments, among many others. I think one of the main reasons is that she is a great servant-leader. Cheryl doesn’t ask anyone to do anything she isn’t prepared to roll up her sleeves and do herself. She has earned a lot of respect from her coworkers as a result. Another attribute that Cheryl possesses that sets her apart from most is that she genuinely cares about the well-being of her co-workers and shows it every day. She takes the time to get to know her staff and learn about their lives outside of the workplace.
Cheryl Andolino 30 Years (continued) It is not surprising for Cheryl to know the names of her co-worker’s children and grandchildren. She knows what is happening in many of our lives and she’ll frequently inquire about the well-being of our loved ones. We have come to rely on these attributes that she brings to work every day, and it is no surprise that Cheryl is sacrificing her professional life in order to care for her family. It is a huge understatement to say that much of the success of Belmont’s Housing Programs over the past 30 years are due in no small part to Cheryl’s efforts. Words are not enough to express my appreciation for Cheryl’s contributions to Belmont’s success. Thanks, Cheryl – for dedicating a significant part of your helping Belmont achieve its mission. - Mike Riegel
Tracie Groves 25 Years Tracie Groves started with the Company in Summer of 1995 and started here as a Housing Specialist. We were lucky to get her because she already was working at another PHA in Ohio. Her proficiency soon lead to her receiving a promotion of Family Self Sufficiency Coordinator in NT. The knowledge she gained on Homebuying through FSS and her talents as a performer and presenter were recognized and she was then assigned the roll of Housing Counselor for Home Buyer Education, where she continues to thrive and is recognized as a leader in her field by local lenders and community partners. Tracie continues to counsel more than 600 families each year on home ownership, reverse mortgages, and building financial capabilities. Sometimes, when you are quietly churning out the work, you do not get the in-house accolades you deserve efficiently serving a high volume of clients. However, we routinely receive positive feedback from the community on how she has helped them in their home purchase. As a housing counselor, she realizes that she is dealing with the single most important purchase that effects their future and the future of their children as well. She is responsible for making the dream of homeownership for thousands of WNY’s a reality. Past clients often stop her in grocery stores years later to thank her for everything she did. Tracie is also a previous recipient of the “Belmont Ambassador” award for all the connections and services she provides to the community. Tracie was the first Housing Counselor in WNY to pass the arduous HUD Housing Counseling Certification exam, and the 16th in NYS. She maintains numerous outside relationships with funders, which includes municipalities and banks, as well as cultivating new relationships with community partners like the real estate community. Sometimes funders have high expectations and are quite demanding, but Tracie always is accommodating to their needs. Belmont and the Housing Counseling Team have greatly benefited from Tracie’s experience, knowledge and work ethic and have been very fortunate these past 25 years to have her on the team. Thank You Tracie. - Colden Ray
Smita D’Arcangelo 20 Years It’s hard to believe Smita has been with Belmont for only 20 years as it’s difficult to remember life at Belmont before Smita’s arrival. She’s been such an intricate part of our success it seems we could have never done this without her! From the moment she began her employment at Belmont as a Housing Assistant in 2000 Smita hit the ground running. She wasted no time learning the responsibilities of her position and continually asked for more work. The efficiency in which she works is unmatched as is her ability to produce extremely accurate results. It was obvious Smita could and should be charged with more complex tasks. Over the course of the next couple of years the responsibility added to Smita’s position coupled with her outstanding performance warranted a much-deserved promotion to the Executive Assistant position in 2003. In this role, Smita continued to wow anyone and everyone who was lucky to work with her. Her well-developed organizational skills and commitment to accomplishing as much work as humanly possible each day was extraordinary. To this day, Smita hasn’t faltered nor has she slowed down with regard to her willingness to take on additional work and give Belmont every ounce of her time during the workday. She is continually asking for more work and what she can do to help. Smita has tackled tasks related to nearly every area of the Housing Programs Department in assisting and at times performing Housing Specialist work, assisting with the submission of agency plans, implementing and maintaining the very successful repayments program, oversees several counseling programs with regard to eligibility and tracking funds expended, reviewing files for compliance with HUD EIV regs to name just a few. The list would be endless should all of her accomplishments be listed. Simply….she has been a rock star from the moment she stepped through Belmont’s doors. On a personal level, one couldn’t ask for a better person to work with. Smita is a valued friend to many, including me, and one of the most confidential people I know. She uses her wisdom to help guide others both on a professional and personal level. She’s rock solid and always on target with all advice she provides….I’d liken her to that of a people whisperer. It has been beyond an honor and privilege to work side-by-side a person of Smita’s unparalleled caliber for the past 20 years. Belmont is fortunate to have her on our team, and her strong work ethic has helped to raise the bar for others to achieve the astonishing results she has. Congratulations and more importantly, thank you, Smita, for everything you’ve done and all you’ve given. You are one-in-a-million! - Cheryl Andolino
Melody Marchese 20 Years Melody started at Belmont 20 years ago as a Housing Specialist. She took on the challenging FUP caseload, where she developed a rapport with her clients and honed her skills and community connections to assist these families dealing with multiple stressors and crises. She joined the housing counseling team in 2004, and then in 2007 developed the United Way Works program which helped to build Belmont’s reputation with the United Way and the various community organizations with whom she developed partnerships. She provided financial education classes and individual rental counseling services at the Work sites, while also teaching various housing and financial classes around the county and taking on additional rental counseling clients in the resource center. She has provided training to a number of rental counselors on procedure, best practices and resources. Melody is a continuous learner, always seeking new training and resources to improve her service delivery and processes. After 10 years in UWW, she brought her program development skill to the fledgling GO Buffalo Mom initiative, a brand new medical/housing/transportation partnership being piloted in Buffalo to address the high incidence of pre-term births in our area. She provides the housing stabilization services and financial coaching, while working closely with the program’s transportation partner. She has worked with more than 120 pregnant Moms in the program to date, most of whom have achieved positive financial and/or housing outcomes. Many of these women are homeless and have high needs; Melody leverages all resources within Belmont and her community partnerships to assist in stabilizing them so they have healthy babies who become healthy kids! Melody is truly an “expert” in her field and is well-respected in the community for her knowledge and cando attitude. Many in the community call upon her to assist their own family members and loved ones because she has earned so much trust. In 2019, she was promoted to the position of Team Lead, and has been a leader and example for other counselors, helping to supervise our AmeriCorps intern who works with rental cases and FEMA/CARES funds, and developing processes to streamline our service delivery. She passed the challenging comprehensive HUD Housing Counseling Certification on her first try in December 2019—a great accomplishment. We look forward to Melody’s next decade with Belmont! - Colden Ray
Michele Rogowski 15 Years Before starting her career in property management, Michele earned a BA in Sociology and Social Welfare at D’Youville College and worked at Hamlin Terrace and Brothers of Mercy as a Social Work Assistant. From there she was the Program Director and Case Manager for Supportive Services. Michele then went on to be the Site Manager at School House Commons in 2003 and joined the Belmont Family when we assumed that property’s management in January of 2005. Sometimes when you prepare these milestone recognitions, not too terribly much changes over 5 years (except for changes in program regulations - sometimes it feels like these changes are daily). But a review of Michele’s 10-year recognition, brought to light just how many BIG events transpired in Michele’s life. The last 5 years have brought heartbreak and joy. Michele’s beloved Westies, Abby and Alvin crossed the rainbow bridge and she and husband, Tom, opened their hearts and home to two rescue dogs, Sadie and Boots as well as another (terribly spoiled) Westie pup by the name of Annie. The light of her life, son Tommy, got a great full-time job, got married and bought a house! Michele is now awaiting the next big event …. a granddaughter due in January!! Husband Tom, retired recently and, while challenging as she heads off to work every day, Michele keeps him busy with a honey do list! The changes over the past 5 years, haven’t just been on a personal level. Michele has worked her way through a variety of positions since she joined Belmont back in 2005. During her first 5 years, she oversaw a variety of different properties as a Site Manager. In 2010, she took on the challenge of a newly created position of Compliance Specialist and in 2017 she was promoted to the position of Property Manager having gained invaluable knowledge through her previous assignments. And though she left behind the Compliance Specialist title in 2017, she remains our ‘go to’ person for all things compliance related. Congratulations to Michele on her 15-year anniversary! - Pam Berger
Suzette Mendez 15 Years Hard work, loyalty and diligence make the best employees. Honesty, trust, empathy, humor make the best friends. I feel very lucky and privileged to have you as both!!! 15 years ago a young, shy, inexperienced girl walked into Belmont office‌ Today I see mature, confident, knowledgeable, nononsense woman in front of me! You have come a long way and we faced and confronted a lot side by side‌ Your contributions continue to inspire me every day, you are an integral part of accounting department! Happy 15th anniversary, Suzette! Many more to come. - Irina Poudy
Marcus Dilbert 15 Years In the two years I have worked with Marcus, he has been a tremendous help. In his 15 years with Belmont, Marcus has gained a great deal of knowledge in the maintenance field. This knowledge has helped him to be a great asset to Property Management. Marcus uses a teamwork approach, which he uses to establish and maintain positive relationships with myself, other staff, residents and our vendors. He is very attentive to tenant needs and conducts himself in a professional manner. His work is greatly appreciated, and his 15 years of service is a testament to his loyalty and dedication to Belmont Housing Resources. - Michael Doreen
Jill Bianchi 15 Years Fun Fact…when Jill initially applied to Belmont for the position of Housing Specialist in June 2005, she was turned down. Fortunately, we came to our senses and offered her a job within a couple of weeks realizing our mistake. From the moment Jill began training for the HS position, it was obvious she had something special. Her ability to learn quickly and apply the skills needed for success in her new position caused many to take note recognizing Jill had a bright future at Belmont. Jill did not disappoint! She has a cando attitude and welcomes any challenge thrown her way. After only a year on the job, she became our top mentor for new Housing Specialists, which is unheard of that quickly into the job. During her tenure, Jill has been an active member on numerous committees both internally and externally (too many to list). Through hard work and dedication, Jill earned the respect of her peers making her their person of choice….asking her questions, seeking her advice, asking her to confirm processes and so much more. For a short stint, Jill jumped over to the Property Management team and came to the realization that her heart still belonged to the Section 8 Program. Luckily for us, she returned to her first love. Based on Jill’s exceptional performance, she was promoted to a Sr. Housing Specialist where she was provided with the opportunity to help shape the future of our programs in a leadership role. Jill has pretty much done it all with regard to the Section 8 Programs; taking on specialized caseloads, implementing new programs, and writing training manuals to mention a few. For example, her role as the VASH Housing Specialist was invaluable. Under her direction the Veteran’s Administration and Belmont took the VASH Program to new levels helping to improve and solidify effective work collaboration and workflow processes. In 2017 Jill received another promotion to Housing Programs Manager. Dare I say…I swear I saw staff (her peers) doing cartwheels down the hall at the news of her promotion! To this day, Jill has the admiration and respect of everyone she works with. Her ability coupled with her intelligence to dig deep in order to find answers and solve problems puts her in a class all her own. On a personal note, it has been my distinct pleasure to work with Jill for so many years, getting to know the amazing woman she is, and to call her a friend. In addition to the admiration I have for her as an employee, I would be remiss not to mention the fantastic Mom she is to her son, Mason. As you can imagine from her work life, Jill is one of the best Moms I’ve ever seen. No matter what Jill does, she’s going to succeed as we’ve witnessed time-and-again. Thank you, Jill, for accepting our offer 15 years ago. At the time one couldn’t have imagined where that acceptance would lead. However, one thing’s for sure…Belmont’s a better place with you here!! - Cheryl Andolino
John Hoelcle 10 Years John Hoelcle has held the position of Custodian for 10 years and his attention to detail has made a difference. Over the years he has developed a system that ensures balanced care of each building he takes care of. He puts his all into making his properties the best they can be. He has connected with the residents on a personal level, getting to know them well and notices if something seems off – an important trait particularly when working in senior buildings. A couple of years back he noticed an issue with one of our senior residents and John’s quick actions resulted in saving their life. John is at the point in his career where his goals are simple - to be healthy enough to work another year and continue to provide great service to Belmont’s residents. Congratulations to John on his 10-year anniversary. - Nick Cinelli
Brittany Germano 5 Years In 2015 Brittany joined the Belmont family when she was hired as a Housing Specialist. Early on it was evident Brittany was a quick study and had the ability to take on additional responsibilities outside the normal caseload. Therefore, she was asked to assume a specialized caseload consisting of the Family Unification Program, fondly referred to as FUP. Anyone who has ever worked with FUP can attest that it is a fast paced, non-stop caseload. Brittany immediately embraced the challenge and created a special bond with her clients. So much so, that she assumed the lead FUP Housing Specialist role. In this capacity, she worked closely with the Erie County Department of Social Services and another Housing Specialist ensuring a constant flow of FUP client referrals. Additionally, she oversaw the FUP eligibility processing and closely monitored the success of their lease up onto the Section 8 Program. To add to her accomplishments during her time as a Housing Specialist, Brittany wrote the program manual for FUP, was instrumental with on-boarding new staff by assisting with their classroom and individual training, acted as one of our fraud meeting officers, and was one of the go to Housing Specialists among her peers. Thus, earning her a promotion to Housing Programs Manager in 2019 where Brittany continues to increase her portfolio of responsibilities. During her short time as a manager, Brittany has assumed numerous reports, fields fraud calls, acts as frontend liaison, helped to build the Section 8 Administrative Assistant team & responsibilities, and currently has several large projects in the works. When Brittany’s not at work she’s spending time with her husband and beautiful daughter. She’s an avid reader and does so often (usually into the wee hours of the morning). Brittany also has a strong passion for the theater and volunteers at Shea’s Performing Arts. You may not be aware, but Brittany herself is a performer! You may have witnessed this first-hand if you’ve ever walked by her office and caught her mid-song or sometimes even in mid-sentence, she’ll bust out singing a few words. We are so glad to have Brittany on our team and in a leadership role where she’s able to help shape the future of Belmont’s Housing Programs Team. Congratulations, Brittany on five (5) years of service. - Cheryl Andolino
Katelyn Gravell 5 Years Prior to joining the Homeownership team one year ago, Katelyn Gravell-Militello had already been promoted twice since starting at Belmont. She began as Eligibility Specialist, then was promoted to Housing Specialist a year later, and eventually became a Senior Housing Specialist in 2019. She was a highly respected Housing Specialist by her peers and by her clients, being knowledgeable about the program and able to communicate concepts clearly and in a compassionate way to both clients and other staff she trained. She brought this skill, organization and attention to detail to the Housing Counselor position (specializing in foreclosure prevention), eagerly and quickly learning the complexity of the mortgage industry. She has already taken on nearly 90 cases of clients in mortgage default and foreclosure, many of whom have received home retention outcomes. She also manages the intake line and referral process from our legal partners, keeping the team organized and ensuring all clients receive prompt intake calls. Performing the extensive intakes can be a difficult role and Katelyn fulfills it with compassion and skill, effectively using the various County and State databases to verify information and determine a client’s stage in the process. Her knowledge of rental, Section 8, and Fair Housing topics has been a huge asset to the entire HO Team, and she quickly became a “go-to” for staff and managers seeking information, clarity and resources. Katelyn joined the HO Team at the end of 2019, shortly before the move to 2393 Main and the subsequent COVID shutdown. Despite the rather turbulent first year on the Team, she is excelling in her new role, as confirmed by her peers, manager, clients and Belmont’s legal partners. She passed the challenging comprehensive HUD Housing Counseling Certification on her first try in June 2019—a huge accomplishment. We look forward to Katelyn’s next 5 years with Belmont! - Colden Ray
Pamela Jackson 5 Years When Pam Jackson first came to Belmont in 2015, she was hired as Resource Specialist for the Housing Resource Center. With her background in Social Work, Pam quickly turned the position from referral and resources, to full housing counseling and case management. Pam did such a fabulous job as a Resource Specialist that she was swiftly promoted to Housing Counselor/Financial Coach for the Buffalo Promise Neighborhood. Pam offered many program improvements to the BPN families, none more inspiring than the Mom’s Team. A group of Mom’s with children at the BPN schools met monthly and motivated each other to work towards goals. Mom’s met goals such as attending college, paying down debt, seeking better employment, and buying homes. The Mom’s Team also inspired Pam to reach her own goals, and she is currently working on her master’s degree at the University at Buffalo. Pam currently works at two Buffalo Public Schools and with families receiving the Housing Choice Voucher through the Family Stability program. The Family Stability Program is a partnership between the Siemer Institute, the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, and Belmont to provide a variety of services including case management, coaching, and linkage services focused on helping low-income families improve their housing, financial, and educational stability and prevent homelessness and student mobility. In 2020, the John R. Oishei Foundation recognized the amazing work that Pam provides to the community and invited her to join their 2nd annual Fellowship for Leaders of Color. Thank you to Pam for 5 amazing years at Belmont! - Karyn Hausknecht-Yetman
Jessica Kowalczyk 5 Years During Jessica’s five years at Belmont we’ve seen her grow into an integral member of not just the accounting department, but the entire Company. Over the years, Jessica’s role and duties have expanded, making her an invaluable team player, always up to the task and always willing to complete duties outside of her normal scope of work. She keeps the wheels turning within the accounting department with prompt payments, pleasant reminders and coordination between departments. You never need to ask her to get the job done because it’s already completed. Thank you, Jessica, for all that you’ve done for Belmont and here’s hoping to many more years of top-notch service. - Jed Jacobi
Michael Masterman 5 Years Mike is “on loan” from the state where he retired from 5 years ago and joined Belmont as a Maintenance Technician. And although they still try to get him back on-occasion he has chosen to remain with us until he retires for good next summer (say it ain’t so, Mike!). When Mike applied with Belmont, his resume contained a unique skill set. With so many years working at the Psychiatric center we knew he would be a perfect fit! Mike is a maintenance floater and has the flexibility to quickly adapt to whatever is thrown his way. The ‘float’ is a key position that enables us to respond to ever changing needs of the properties. Congratulations to Mike on his 5-year anniversary! - Nick Cinelli
Javier Rodriguez 5 Years Javier joined Belmont as a Maintenance Technician, floating to a variety of properties as well as most recently being assigned to work at the corporate office. His dependability and high work ethic makes him an invaluable member of the team! Just knowing that we have him available to complete any tasks at a high standard makes life easy on everyone in the Property Management Department. He is a Pastor of a small church on the West Side of Buffalo with duties that involve working with prisoners and outreach to his native Puerto Rico. There was a point where work and pastoral life were competing for his time, we were able to offer him a part time position. Things worked out in the end and Javier reassumed his full-time status – much to everyone’s relief! Not only has Javier brought his own skills to the team, he’s recommended a few members of his congregation who have also become welcomed and valuable additions to the Maintenance Dept. Congratulations to Javier on his 5-year anniversary! - Nick Cinelli
Thank you to our honorees and to ALL OF OUR STAFF for your service to Belmont and to the community! You are appreciated!