Every Year International Nanny Association honors a Nanny with the award “Nanny of the Year”. This week we are going to take a look at the bios of 4 previous winners and the current, 2009 NOTY. We honor our leaders in the industry during this National Nanny Recognition Week. With permission, all 5 Bios have been copied from the INA website. Enjoy the legacy these Professional Nannies are leaving on the hearts of Children and their peers.
In 1992, Glenda worked with the late Harriette Grant, Eva Harkness (now Dr. Eva Harkness, Ph.D) to form the National Association of Nannies.
After 8 years with her first family (the one that nominated her for NOTY) she left, and in 1993 she went back to work as a Child Care Center Director. Completely miser able, after 4 months she decided to go back to the nanny profession. Ironically she found her next nanny job through a parent in the center. She was hired for that job in September of 1993, and started working in December of 1993. She is now approaching her 14 th year with that family and has been honored to help raise 2 wonderful, beautiful and bright children. Her charges are now 9 and 14 and although she only works for them 2 days a week, her employer recently told her that she wants her to be there for as long as she wants to stay.
The children in her first family are now 37, 35, 23 and 20. She still sees the youngest ones fairly regularly, talks to another on the internet and was privileged to have the two youngest participate in her 1996 wedding. In 1995, at the age of 42, Glenda finally got it right and met a wonderful man. They were married in June of 1996. Glenda says that he is the best thing that ever happened to her and that he loves the children she nannies for. Her charges don’t have family in St. Louis, so Glenda and her husband have become their “St. Louis family.” Glenda and her husband both love attending birthday parties and school activities, being a part of childhood milestones and hosting lots of overnight and weekend visits.
How receiving the NOTY award has impacted her career: Glenda says that receiving the NOTY award was the most wonderful day in her life- that is, until her wedding day. Receiving the award gave her the confidence, self esteem and validation she needed to carry her through the tough times she encountered the next 2 years of her life.
2009 Update: Glenda is still working part time for the same family and celebrated 15 great years with them in December 2008. She considers it such a privilege to be able to start with a newborn baby and stay until the job is finished. “So many nannies do not have that opportunity and it is one of the highlights of my nanny career” says Glenda. Still married to Terry, they stay very busy as part owners of the local airport. Glenda feels fortunate to have a husband that has always supported her professional activities. “My work in INA and NAN helped prepare me and give me the confidence I needed to jump on many of the opportunities that have come my way over the years. My life has truly been enriched by being involved in the nanny profession on a national level. I’ve met so many amazing people along the way.”
Words of wisdom: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! Know what you want, know what you need, stand up for yourself, but also try to be supportive of your employers. Don’t present a problem without offering a solution and always be ready to meet in the middle.
Since receiving the award, Kellie has lived and worked near Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. She has spent the past 10 years working with divorced families as a nanny/household manager. In 1998, Kellie joined the INA Board of Directors and has since worked on several committees. She also has served as Vice President, Treasurer and as conference chair for many years. Kellie also worked part time in an agency in Atlanta, facilitating placements with families and nannies, training nannies and providing general office management. She found that experience, where she could see both sides of the placement process, to be valuable. One of Kellie’s greatest accomplishments was writing and obtaining a grant for $56,000 from AT&T. This grant provided all day training to daycare workers for AT&T employees in the metro-Atlanta area.
How receiving the NOTY award has impacted her career: “It was an honor to be recognized by my peers and industry professionals for the work that I love to do and my dedication to my profession” says Kellie. “Receiving NOTY allowed me to really seek out jobs that would treat me as the true professional that I am and to be recognized and appreciated for the professionalism and ethics I bring with me to the job.” The children in Kellie’s care also recognize the importance of being a NOTY and are quick to correct anyone who mistakes her for a baby-sitter. “They take pride in the fact that their nanny is a NOTY.” A highlight in my term of NOTY was being invited to Nashville to meet with local nannies and assist them in starting a local nanny group for nannies in their area. In the fall of ’97 (Louise Woodward)?? was sentenced, and as a result I was sought out by the media for comments.
2009 Update: 2009 Update: In July 2004, Kellie moved to the Washington, DC area, where she has been with a family for six years. Kellie is currently the President of ADCAN – Association of DC Area Nannies (www.dcareanannies.com), is co-moderator of Nanny Island (www.nannyisland.com), authors several blogs including All Things Nanny (www.allthingsnanny.com), Nanny Groups (www.nannygroups.com), NNRW (www.nnrw.org), and is part of the development team of Regarding Nannies (www.regardingnannies.com). Kellie also holds membership in INA, NANC and APN.
Words of wisdom: Be involved in local nanny groups and national organizations. Nanny groups are an essential part of a nanny career offering networking, friendship, education and resources. If there isn’t a nanny group in your area, consider starting one.
3. NOTY 2004 – Michelle LaRowe
For the past 10 years, Michelle has been a career nanny who specializes in caring for twins. She has been with her current family since her charges were 10 days old. They recently celebrated their fifth birthday. Although she holds a bachelor of science degree in chemisry, Michelle says that she truly knows what it means to find what you love to do and then find out how to earn a living doing it. According to Michelle, there is no other job that is more satisfying and rewarding then working with children as their nanny.
Michelle is an active member of the nanny community on the local, national and international level. In 2001, she founded Boston Area Nannies Incorporated, a local non profit educational organization dedicated to improving the quality of in home childcare. Michelle holds membership in the National Association of Nannies as well as serves on the Board of Directors of the International Nanny Association. Michelle chairs the INA Cookbook Committee and co-chairs the INA Nanny Mentor Program. She has also passed the INA Nanny Credential Exam.
One of Michelles’ greatest accomplishments of this past year was organizing Back to Basics, Boston’s first nanny conference day. There were 130 attendees from 9 states present. This was a free educational event for the nanny community supported by over 13 industry businesses. The most rewarding part of the day for Michelle was that “For the first time, some of these woman realized that ‘hey, I am not just a babysitter, I am a nanny!'”
In her spare time, Michelle enjoys traveling domestically for snowmobile excursions, playing on a basketball league and keeping current with her Creative Memories scrapbooks.
2009 Update: After receiving the NOTY award, Michelle was featured in several newspaper and magazine articles and she appeared on several different television programs. As a result, she was contacted to write a parenting book, and has since authored Nanny to the Rescue! Nanny to the Rescue Again! and Working Mom’s 411. Her fourth book will be out in 2010. Michelle also wrote a chapter in the Experts’ Guide to the Baby Years and she regularly contributes articles to several magazines, including TWINS Magazine.
Michelle continued working with the boys she cared for since 1999 until they relocated across the country in December of 2006. She still talks to them often and has had the opportunity to visit them in their new home.
In 2007, Michelle got married, relocated to Cape Cod and in July 2008, Michelle and her husband Jeff welcomed their first baby, Abigail into the world. “Being a nanny for so long has certainly prepared me for all the ups and downs motherhood has to offer” says Michelle. “Abigail is amazing and although everyone kept telling me I’d do things so differently with my own, I haven’t experienced that yet.”
Michelle recently became an employee of the International Nanny Association and enjoys manning the office from home. You can learn more about what Michelle is up to at www.michellelarowe.com.
Christy Ochs is not your typical nanny. She is the mother of four who took an unusual path to becoming a nanny, a professional caregiver who is a genuine advocate for children, and she represents a positive role model for the in-home child care industry and the International Nanny Association (INA). On May 18, INA awarded Christy its highest honor, The 2007 Nanny of the Year (NOTY) Award during its 22nd Annual Conference held in Alexandria, Virginia.
When Christy turned 42, she decided her child rearing days were not easily left behind—even though she had already reared four children, one with downs syndrome, and two step children. “I chose to be a nanny because the idea of doing for the parents what I would have loved to have had done for me as a young parent was very appealing. I loved the idea of not only providing a secure and loving environment for their children, but also taking some of the daily pressure off of their shoulders by doing their laundry, straightening up the house and helping the children with their school assignment.”
Christy is now working with her third family and cares for three-year-old Hawk who attended the conference with his mother. During the award ceremony, he presented flowers to Christy. “My boss, Jill, nominated me for the NOTY. I was so honored and touched to have been nominated, especially by my employer. Lot’s of people go through their entire working lives without feeling appreciated. I can’t tell you how much this nomination meant to me. Every time my little charges say “I love you Nana!” I feel like Nanny of the Year.”
What does it take to be INA’s Nanny of the Year? Officially, it takes at least five years of professional nanny experience; an education in the field of child care; a nomination from a nanny recruiting agency or employer; and several references. Unofficially, it takes a lot of love and patience.
Christy is the founder/moderator of the Denver Area Nanny Association. She has been a member of INA since 2001, and is also a member of NANC (National Association of Nanny Credentialing) and Nanny Support Group Leaders. She was inspired to start the Denver Area Nanny Association in 2003 after attending her first INA conference. Now with 28 local members, the group arranges play dates, nanny dinners and coffee gatherings, and organizes and participates in CPR/First Aid training for nannies.
2009 Update: Since receiving the NOTY award, Christy has enjoyed working with the same family that nominated her. She has now been with that family for 6 years and her charges are now ages 6, 4 and 2. In January of 2008, the family moved into a new house and Christy was able to reduce her hours to 30 per week so that she could help out with her new grandbaby.
Christy continues to play an active role in her local nanny support group, Denver Area Nanny Association. Last spring she asked one of the other nannies in the group to take over leadership. “The new moderator is doing a super job and we have such a wonderful group of Nannies here in Colorado!” said Christy.
1. Current NOTY 2009 – MaryAnn X. Meddish
Being a nanny means that I am able to immerse myself in what I love. I love working with children, and I have been blessed with the ability to follow my passions, enjoy my loves, and use my skills in my career. I want to know that I make a difference in others’ lives and being able to make children’s lives fun and interesting, while also gearing their environment and activities to develop their skills and interests, thrill me. What other job in the world allows you to arrive at work to smiles and squeals of delight, play and receive hugs and kisses all day, and be sadly missed at the end of the day?
I am an excellent nanny who has always strived to do my very best. For years, I have looked to my mentors and seen areas in my own life that I would like to grow and develop. I have worked hard to become the person I am and to reach my personal goals. The thought of being considered a leader use to scare me, but then a wise friend told me, “You have the ability to use your knowledge to mentor others and to help the next generation of nannies reach their goals to be their very best, and that is what you should do.” That is my current goal. I want to give back to the nanny community that has helped me become the person I am today
Are you up to the challenge in the future? Read about the process and what it takes here.
An insightful post on cincynanny.blogspot.com
I did come across a websitehttp://www.gotoaid.com/. It’s has all information on first aid emergencies. It has information on Human emergencies and even for pets like cat or dog. Hope it help you guys too.
Signature: Online First Aid Kit