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Welcome to Our People: The Power to Make a Difference, a monthly feature dedicated to the stories of Central Hudson employees who volunteer in the communities we serve. We hope that you will check back regularly to meet some of the men and women who give of themselves to "make a difference" through a wide variety of causes serving the region we all call home.
Chris Rottkamp at work as the Director of Project Management for Central Hudson, top, and on-site with the Central Hudson team at a home in Beacon on National Rebuilding Together Day. Rottkamp is pictured to the far right next to employee volunteer coordinator Accountant Jay Tompkins (both in orange). |
Like most children, I liked to build things when I was young. Throughout my teenage years, my building projects changed from Legos to “real” work around the house. So when I learned I could earn a college degree in construction management and engineering, the choice was clear and my career path was made. I wanted to manage projects and help to build the world around us – especially right here in the Hudson Valley where I grew up.
We all have special skills that we bring to the workplace. I have learned that not only do our employers need our skills, but so does our community. Volunteering is a great way to share these skills. Several years ago I learned about Rebuilding Together (formerly Christmas in April). One of the organization’s signature events each year is National Rebuilding Day, when they work to preserve affordable home ownership by bringing volunteers and communities together to rehabilitate the homes of low-income homeowners. The goal is to keep families warm, safe, dry and independent. I participated in my first project several years ago. As “house captain,” I used my leadership and project management skills to orchestrate volunteers in completing over a dozen significant repairs on a veteran’s house, all in a single day.
When I came to Central Hudson as an employee in 2011, I learned that the utility was the very first sponsor of a Rebuilding Together Dutchess County house in 1992. Central Hudson has been an active sponsor ever since, contributing thousands of volunteer hours to fixing homes of those in need. This year I was honored to be “house captain” again, leading a team of 18 Central Hudson volunteers to make repairs to an elderly woman’s home in Beacon. On Saturday, April 28 we all converged on the house with tools in hand, performing many repairs. We patched and painted portions of the house previously damaged by a leaky roof, made plumbing and electrical repairs, fixed broken ceramic tile floors, repaired stair railings, caulked windows and bathtubs, tested smoke and CO2 detectors, replaced several doors, and made other various repairs. My primary duties included purchasing all the necessary materials within the allotted budget, matching the skills of the volunteers to the work, and ensuring that the day ran as efficiently and safely as possible.
Performing this kind of volunteer work is extremely rewarding to me and all the other employee-volunteers on the team. You see instant results as well as the joy and emotions of a homeowner who would not have otherwise been able to make the repairs. At Central Hudson I work in project management, overseeing upgrades to our extensive gas and electric infrastructure. I am happy to apply those same skills in our community, helping our neighbors.
Sincerely,
Chris Rottkamp |
Kyle Bragg at work as a Assistant Transmission Design Engineer for Central Hudson and geared up as a volunteer for the Highland Fire Department where he serves as a 1st Lieutenant. |
During my senior year of high school, my twin sister Heather was the victim of a serious motor vehicle accident that rolled her truck onto its roof, trapping her inside. She escaped the incident with only minor bumps and bruises due in no small part to the swift and professional actions of the Highland Fire Department. To this day I’ve never forgotten the call from my uncle Ben (then a past chief and active member of that fire department) describing to me what had happened, and the indescribable feeling of relief from his voice saying that she was going to be all right.
It was then that I decided I wanted to be there for others just like my uncle and the rest of the Highland Fire Department was for my sister and my family when we needed them the most. I joined my uncle, cousin and grandfather as a member of the Highland Fire Department in 2006, while enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During college you could usually find me back home on the weekends down at the firehouse studying for school and sifting through the endless stacks of Fire Engineering magazines and training videos. I attended training drills and classes, trying to learn anything and everything I could so that when the time came to act, I would know just what to do.
We have a proud organization comprised of approximately 50 volunteer members, seven pieces of fire apparatus, four command vehicles, and one utility trail rescue vehicle occupying two fire stations. In 2011 the Highland Fire Department responded to more than 600 individual incidents ranging from automatic fire alarms, structure fires, mutual aid to other departments, car accidents, public service calls, carbon monoxide alarms, odors of natural gas and even a dog rescue from inside a roadway culvert. In addition, members also attended monthly company training, bi-monthly “Duty Nights” to check equipment, annual self contained breathing apparatus training, extrication and driver recertifications, and firefighter assist and search team training.
In 2011, I was elected by the membership of the department to the position of 1st Lieutenant. As part of my responsibilities I work with the other officers to coordinate training, complete our annual OSHA requirements and maintain equipment and facilities. Most of all, we work to ensure that each and every time we respond to an alarm that our members have the necessary knowledge and training to mitigate the incident as safely as possible so that we can all return to the firehouse and our families.
Here at Central Hudson I work as an Assistant Transmission Design Engineer, but in my community I’m a son, a brother and a volunteer.
Sincerely,
Kyle Bragg |
Commercial New Business Counselor Jerry Amato and Estimator 1/C Angele Rightmeyer – one of many coworkers who helped facilitate the fundraiser – are pictured with the chocolate houses Amato made. The proceeds from the sale of the houses were donated to Wounded Warrior Project. |
Weeks after graduating from high school, I went off to college to pursue an engineering degree. But my grandfather didn’t. Instead, like so many men and women, he joined the armed forces.
Growing up, I listened to my grandfather’s stories of his time in the service. Today I listen to similar stories, told by my friends and coworkers who are veterans themselves, or whose sons, daughters, spouses and loved ones serve the United States, here and abroad. That’s why this past holiday season I raised funds for Wounded Warrior Project.
Through the sale of handmade, decorative chocolate houses, my coworkers and I raised nearly $1,000 for the Jacksonville, Fla.-based organization.
The holidays are a special time for my family, and making chocolate houses with my parents and sisters as I was growing up wouldn’t have been the same without grandpa’s stories. These days though, many soldiers aren’t able to spend the holidays with their families; but for some of those who can, Wounded Warrior Project is here to help.
Wounded Warrior Project’s mission is to help foster the most successful generation of wounded service members in the country’s history. Through raising awareness, providing programs and services to help wounded service members, and by enlisting the aid of those who are willing, the organization helps wounded service members reacclimate to civilian life. For my coworkers and friends who have loved ones serving in the military, that means assurance that their soldier will be well supported, should they be injured in the line of duty.
I earned my degree in engineering in 2002, and shortly afterward, I began working at Central Hudson. Today, I serve our customers as a Commercial New Business Counselor – Estimating Supervisor in the eastern portion of our service territory, but with the help and support of my coworkers, I’m able to do my small part for those who serve the United States.
Sincerely,
Jerry Amato |
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 When the new and gently used stuffed animals begin to pile up, I know the holidays are getting closer. That’s because each year I collect them on behalf of a long-active, local group of grass-roots volunteers led by Poughkeepsie’s John Flowers – a Christmastime charity event that provides local residents in hospitals, nursing homes and the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie with stuffed animals for the holidays. For the past four years I’ve also helped coordinate collections for families through Astor Services for Children and Families. Most recently though, I began working with Semper Fi Parents of the Hudson Valley to collect items for soldiers serving in the military who can’t be home for the holidays. Late last month we wrapped, packed and shipped more than 350 care packages.
Recently, a coworker asked me why, with all of the hustle and bustle that already surrounds the holiday season, I would voluntarily get involved in so many causes at once. Then it occurred to me – I hadn’t ever really thought about it before. The more that I did, though, I realized that it’s probably because I didn’t have much growing up. For the first half of my life, I watched my parents struggle to pay bills and put food on the table. By the end of the week there was barely, if any, money left, so we made do with what we had. It was hard, to say the least, but even more difficult than living that way was watching the toll it took on my parents.
Fortunately, things changed over the years and I met and married a wonderful man. My husband and I worked together to create the life we live today. Now, after nearly 25 years of marriage, raising three children, decades of hard work at home, and years here at Central Hudson and in my community, I also know what it’s like to not have to struggle.
Because I’ve experienced the difficulty of not having enough, and because now I’m blessed with having all that I need, I want to bring happiness into the lives of others – whether the joy that I can help create lasts a lifetime, or just through the holiday season.
Everyone has his or her own story, and as a Customer Service Representative, I hear many such stories every single day. My coworkers and I, in Central Hudson’s busy call center, work hard to listen to the needs of our customers, and to assist each individual in the best possible way. The support I receive from my coworkers during the workday is only rivaled by their support of my charitable undertakings throughout the holiday season. Each year they donate time, gifts, and money, and they help me make the holidays happier for our neighbors in need.
Sincerely,
Lisa Vladick |
Customer Service Representative Denise Bliss, seen above near the rose garden at a Great Strides Walk fundraiser at Bowdoin Park in Poughkeepsie, and also at her desk at Central Hudson's Poughkeepsie office, tries to approach her work on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation the same way she does in her role assisting customers at Central Hudson. |
I remember the day vividly; my son Matthew – then in second grade – came home from school and asked if he could donate all of the money in his wallet to his new friend, Eric. I knew he only had $7, but I asked why anyway. “He’s sick,” Eric said.
Needless to say, my son’s selfless act was life changing.
That’s the day Matthew introduced me to cystic fibrosis. It turns out Eric was quite sick, and so was his younger sister. Both children were born with the genetic disease that affects roughly 30,000 children and adults in the U.S., and 70,000 people worldwide. I, too, wanted to help my son’s new friend, so I met his family, joined the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and got to work.
As a mother of two, I’ve always volunteered in my sons’ schools and taken an active, hands-on approach to parenting. It’s the same approach I apply to helping Central Hudson customers. For five years I’ve worked as a Customer Service Representative and for five years I’ve been actively working to solve customers’ problems, one telephone call at a time. I apply that same sense of dedication to my work for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Since I joined the board more than a decade ago, I’ve raised funds and advocated for the cause, and I’ve helped organize the annual Great Strides Walk at Bowdoin Park in Dutchess County, as well as other events in our area.
The community always turns out to support the walk, and so do my coworkers. Each year a team of Central Hudson employees walks to show their support for the cause that is so important to my family and me.
Today, both of my sons are attending The College of St. Rose in Albany, and I’m proud to say that Eric is in college too. At birth, Eric was given just 19 years to live; this year he celebrated his 20th birthday. Tragically though, Eric’s sister lost her battle with cystic fibrosis four years ago, at just 13 years old.
Eric’s plight, a plight he shares with countless others who are also affected by this genetic and life-threatening disease, is a humbling reminder of the importance of compassion and community. Together, with the support of my family, friends, coworkers and community, I am able to make a difference.
Sincerely,
Denise Bliss |
2011 40 Under Forty award winner, Kyro Ojulo, is the Central Hudson Supervisor of Customer Account Services in Consumer Outreach. |
Like many of the customers I assist on a daily basis, I understand what it’s like not to be able to meet your basic needs. I grew up in a single-parent household and we faced financial challenges daily. So, in my role as the Supervisor of Customer Account Services in Consumer Outreach at Central Hudson, I’m able to relate to many of those who call for help.
Every day I hear from customers who are having trouble making ends meet. Many are in danger of falling behind on their utility bill payments, while others are already in arrears. Whether they’ve experienced job loss, illness, or something else that has resulted in financial hardship, my colleagues and I try to help them get the help they need – whether from us, or, if possible, from an agency or organization that is better able to assist them.
I try to apply the same compassion and dedication that I demonstrate at work to my roles at Dutchess Outreach and New Horizons Resources, Inc.
At Dutchess Outreach, a Poughkeepsie-based nonprofit agency dedicated to helping low-income residents meet their basic needs, I serve on the board of directors. As a member of the board, I strive to promote the agency’s mission by raising funds, assisting with food and clothing drives, and contributing in other capacities. I also fundraise for New Horizon Resources Inc., where I’m a board member. Located in Pleasant Valley, the agency provides developmentally disabled individuals with the opportunity and environment to develop the skills and confidence needed to live independently.
While the agencies serve separate demographics in our community, they both have similar goals: to help those who may find it difficult to help themselves. I’ve been there, so I appreciate that someone may need a helping hand – whether putting food on the table, finding suitable shelter for themselves or their families, or paying their utility bills.
Helping people – whether at Central Hudson or in the community – is what I love to do.
Sincerely,
Kyro Ojulo |
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My name is Karen Kosack and I am a Customer Service Representative at Central Hudson. I’m also a single mother of two. When I’m not serving customers or spending time with my children, I’m working to help those with autism and their families in the Hudson Valley.
Top: Central Hudson's Karen Kosack cuts the ribbon to open the Autism Society Hudson Valley's 10th Annual Autism Walk & Expo on April 10, 2011.
Bottom: Kosack at work helping Central Hudson customers. |
I am the president of Autism Society Hudson Valley, and the founder and chairperson of the annual Autism Walk & Expo. This past April, Autism Society Hudson Valley celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Autism Walk & Expo. The event drew more than 3,500 participants to the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, and raised more than $100,000. Since it began 10 years ago, the event has raised more than $930,000.
Central Hudson has twice recognized my commitment to our community during the company’s yearly community service recognition ceremony; and last year when I received the Spirit of Dutchess Award from our local chapter of the United Way, the company matched the United Way’s $1,000 donation to Autism Society Hudson Valley.
This year I celebrated my 23-year anniversary at Central Hudson and during my career I was blessed with two beautiful children, both of whom were diagnosed with autism at a very young age. At first, I was devastated, but 15 years after the first diagnosis – while there is still no known cause or cure for the disorder – I find strength in the challenge. My life is challenging; my childrens’ lives are more challenging; but after two decades of assisting Central Hudson customers, I recognize that at times, we all have our own struggles.
As a Customer Service Representative, I not only listen to the customers, I also hear their concerns and I solve their problems to the best of my ability. In my role as the president of Autism Society Hudson Valley, and as a mother to Casey and Alexis, I employ many of those same skills.
Not a day goes by that I don’t recognize how fortunate I am to have learned so much about service – from my children, my company, and from the customers we serve. As a result, I work hard to give back to my community, every chance I get.
Sincerely,
Karen Kosack
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