APO Training - Mayor's Alliance Provides Unique Training Opportunity for AC&C Staff - March/April 2006 - Out of the Cage!, the E-Newsletter of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

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APO Training

Mayor's Alliance Provides Unique Training Opportunity for AC&C Staff

The Mayor's Alliance sponsored four AC&C staff members at the New England Federation of Humane Societies 61st Annual Training Conference in New Haven.

NYC's Animal Care & Control (AC&C) staffers took New Haven by storm — along with many of their peers attending the New England Federation of Humane Societies 61st Annual Training Conference, April 24–26. The conference was held at the Omni New Haven Hotel, just steps away from the Yale University campus.

In keeping with its commitment to provide training opportunities to its participating organizations, the Mayor's Alliance sponsored four AC&C staff members at the conference. Those attending the conference included Cindy De Witt, Staten Island Shelter Manager and New Hope (Rescue) Coordinator; Najiyyah Ali, Brooklyn Shelter Assistant Manager and New Hope backup; Pedro Rosario, Manhattan Shelter Assistant Manager and New Hope backup; and Renee Collins, Manhattan Shelter New Hope Coordinator.

Janell Granier, Director of Programs for the Mayor's Alliance, who also attended the conference, explained that the four key AC&C staff members invited to attend were selected based on input by AC&C's new Shelter Operations Manager, Liz Keller. "All four individuals have shown tremendous potential for absorbing new information and acting upon the information, but their exposure to new ideas has been limited due to lack of funding for conference attendance," explained Granier. "The new Shelter Operations Manager would like for staff to begin attending conferences and sharing what they learn with their coworkers to expedite positive change within the shelter environment."

This year's conference included workshops on topics relevant to some of the major problems facing AC&C today: disease transmission, measuring results, feline environment to increase adoptability, conflict resolution, compassion fatigue, and managing people. Attendees were assigned to sessions based upon their needs and interests.

As an added benefit, the conference setting provided an informal environment for AC&C employees to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, Maddie's Fund, and AC&C.