Congratulations to Gina Ward, Supported Housing Manager, for being selected as the staff member of the month.   The Supported Housing staff nominated their manager Gina Ward as employee of the month. Gina is very committed to her staff and the Supported Housing program. She is always looking for ways to improve the program. Her staff would like her to know how much they appreciate all her hard work.

Scott tells all the work Gina puts in as Supported Housing manager. She manages 125 beds and 10 staff over 3 counties. She has also taken on new HCBS program currently approaching 20 clients and adding Allegany County to area served, growing waaaay faster than anybody thought it would. She is highly involved with Continuum of Care for Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Co. - the continuums are responsible for application, oversight and execution of HUD grants. She is involved with the Chautauqua County Homeless Coalition and Cattaraugus County Homeless Coalition.  She is co-chair of the Supported Housing sub-group of regional ACL meetings, and a board member of the Cattaraugus County Community Action.

I have been working with Gina and the Supported Housing Staff for 4 years. In those years, I have seen Gina’s exceptional leadership skills. If a staff member is in need, she is always there to lend her support. She listens nonjudgmentally and often asks for staff’s feedback.  I appreciate how she will ask me if I am willing or comfortable in doing certain task and not just assume I will do it.   She always gives staff recognition for a job well done. She always takes a negative situation and turns it into a positive one. The quality I love most is her compassion and understanding. She realizes staff members have lives outside of work and helps to accommodate them when she can. It is a pleasure to be part of the Supported Housing team. Janet Stowell

In the short time that I've been here I've come to understand that I can come to Gina about things that have been uncomfortable and trust that she will not only support but unconditionally understands and at no moment have I felt judged. Natalie

Gina Ward is the manager of The Supported Housing program in Jamestown. She has been a solid rock to her staff as well our consumers.  Gina is well known for great leadership, work ethic, positive attitude, and diligence.  Just recently on a Saturday morning while Gina had off, she learned one of our consumer’s apartment building had a fire overnight.  This consumer was evacuated from her apartment until further notice by the fire dept.  This client had nowhere else to go so she went to Tim Horton’s at 4 am to rest.  After learning this, without a drop of a dime, Gina went to this consumer’s aid immediately and returned with the consumer to her apartment building to gather information from the Fire Dept.  Gina was informed the fire was small but the electric is going to be down a few days. Gina assisted this consumer gathering her personal belongings then brought her to the Supported Housing office for shelter.  In the consumer’s own words ‘’ I can’t thank Gina enough ‘’this consumer is grateful and happy to have a family who cares even when they are off the clock.  Throughout the time I’ve known Gina, she has shown me time and again that she is a positive, motivated leader with amazing potential. We all work 40 hours a week, but what Gina does for her staff and the consumers is way above her job title and then some.  Please Join Supported Housing staff congratulating Gina on being nominated Employee of the month. Ina Wright

Thank you Gina for your on-going support and preparation for my annual audit with Erie County. Audits are never fun, but having Gina's support throughout the process is extremely helpful.  Willie Tell

Gina goes beyond being just a supervisor with her aiding her staff with problems that come up in daily routine of Supported Housing. Whether the crisis is personal or client related she always has the time day or night. She listens to staff input to problems and is good in giving advice on how to correct a situation. This is why she deserves to be staff person of the month. Bill Kaiser

I can honestly say that Gina can turn a "sticky situation" into a manageable one. Gina uses her sense of humor as well as her management skills to make her staff experience "got your back" syndrome, in a way that is reassuring, yet correcting. Thank you Gina for being there for all of us.