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Pace Setter : June 2019
CDPHP WTC T-Shirt Contest Teams – Part 2: NYS Assembly Majority to YMCA
This is a continuation of the teams from Part 1 who contributed to make the CDPHP WTC T-Shirt Contest the success it was. Pictures of teams wearing the t-shirts they designed for the contest are here along with write ups from some teams as to why they feel this race sponsored by the HMRRC is so important to them. Enjoy browsing through them and maybe next year your team can enter the contest. Happy running!
NYS Assembly Majority
The New York State Assembly Majority participates in the workforce challenge every year because we enjoy the health benefits and fun!!! It gives us an excuse to create a t-shirt, run-around and celebrate. It provides us with some levity during the busy time of the legislative session and gets us outside of the Capital for some fresh air and sunshine.
NYS Board of Election
The New York State Board of Elections has participated in the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge for about ten years. The challenge is more about camaraderie than it is about running. In the beginning, our group size was three colleagues. The group grew into runners, walkers and those who “hold spots” for post-race analysis and commentary. In 2019, our group is 20 colleagues strong with representation from six of our seven units. It is a great way to interact with colleagues outside of the office. Keith Possen, who is part of our Election Operations Unit, has participated in the Ironman Lake Placid, the Ironman 70.3 Syracuse, the Vegan Power 50K and the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon. Bob Eckels, who is part of our Compliance Unit has been running in races for about 10 years. He has run many 5K’s, 10K’s, and 15K’s, as well as 3 half marathons. Bob’s most recent race was the Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon, which was April 13th, where he finished with a personal best of 1:45:35. Unfortunately, Keith Possen was called to active duty and will not be able to participate in the challenge this year.
NYS Department of Labor
NYSERDA
As for NYSERDA runners, we are a mixed bunch comprised of NYSERDA employees from the Albany, Buffalo, and NYC offices. We have a Running Affinity Group and try to schedule runs in each one of the NYSERDA offices regularly. You may see us running the State campus, SUNY-Albany, the city of Buffalo, or the streets of Manhattan. Several team members have completed half and full marathons and have more races in their sights. Most recently, Bram Peterson completed the Boston Marathon and Macy Howarth finished a full marathon in Delaware. Other team members are veterans to the Mohawk Hudson Marathon and Hannaford Half Marathon, Palio and Vermont City Marathons, the Boilermaker 15K, just to name a few. Our group is not limited to marathoners – we encourage our colleagues of all fitness levels to participate and enjoy time spent outdoors in the environment we are working hard to protect and preserve.
NYS Governor's Office of Employee Relations
For the past five years, we have had a very small team, between 2 - 5 people. This year, our team consisted of 18 people, which was a good number considering GOER only has about 130 employees. The agency has three locations in the Capital District, so unfortunately it would be difficult to work out together. There was one woman who has worked for GOER for 37 years and she was inspired to do the WTC for the first time and loved it. It was great to meet before the race and take our photo. My hope is that the GOER participants share their experience and inspire other GOER employees to participate next year.
I have been a team captain for the WTC for 20 years. I was with the NYSDOH for 15 of the 20. I love this event, the energy, the crowd and the camaraderie.
NYS Information Technology Services
New York State Museum
NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
NYS OTDA works together as a team throughout the year. The agency helps vulnerable New Yorkers meet their essential needs and advance economically by providing opportunities for stable employment, housing, and nutrition.
OTDA staff cares deeply about the work they do and the programs and services they provide make a tremendous difference in the lives of families and individuals in need. OTDA employees also participates in several fundraising activities through-out the year, such as CDPHP Workforce Challenge, SEFA, Toys-4-Tots, Adopt-a-Family, food drives and blood drives.
NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services
NYS Office of Victim Services
The New York State Office of Victim Services was happy to participate in the 2019 CDPHP Workforce Challenge. Our team members come from various running backgrounds, some were eager to run and push themselves while others enjoyed walking the course through our beautiful city. The challenge gives us a chance to get to know each other outside of work and raise awareness to the community about our agency.
OVS has a three-tiered mission to provide compensation to innocent victims of crime in a timely, efficient and compassionate manner, fund direct services to crime victims via a network of community-based programs and advocate for the rights and benefits of all innocent victims of crime. We designed shirts this year to symbolize that our office is a bridge for those on the path for help, healing and hope.
We look forward to next year’s CDPHP Workforce Challenge!
NYS Thruway
Everyone on our team works in various offices within the Thruway but always look forward to getting our team together for the CDPHP Workforce Challenge. The Thruway also does a great race where teams are formed and whichever teams walks/runs the most miles wins.
Phillips Lytle LLP
Plumbers & Steamfitters Locall 7
Local 7 participates in many different activities such as golf, dodgeball, softball, pond hockey, cross fit and other charity events throughout the year. Local 7 is very active within our community and takes pride in supporting not only our members but the Capital Region as well.
Progressive Insurance
We had over 50 registrants for our office, from all different departments and all different skill levels, from hardcore runners to casual walkers. We recently had a step challenge in our building, which grouped us with people we may not have socialized with before. Our own Jonathan Lindendauer even placed 2nd in this year’s Workforce Team Challenge! We had many new faces in our group, and they are excited to join us again next year, and push themselves harder.
Regeneron
The Workforce Team Challenge is a great opportunity for employees to engage in a healthy lifestyle and support charities in need right here in our local community. Watching thousands of people come together for the race each year is truly awe-inspiring and we look forward to growing Regeneron’s participation next year. Regeneron has a young workforce and our company’s running team has about 400 participants. Our company sponsors our team members registration fees in about a dozen events each year, including Dodge the Deer, SingleCut 5k, Freihofer’s Run for Women, Firecracker 4, Jingle Bell Run, Great Pumpkin Challenge, Dunkin Run, and the Helderberg Half Marathon.
SEAT Social Enterprise & Training Center
Superior Controls
Team Superior Controls has been participating in the team workforce challenge for the past seven years. Each year, our company President Rick Pierro comes out from NH to compete against our Albany branch. He awards any employee that beats him $100. Needless to say, it is a great motivator! We are very team-oriented and try to get together for team-building activities like this as often as possible. We look forward to competing in this event for many years to come!
Tech Valley Talent: Certified Woman Owned Business
This was the first year that our company participated in the race and we really enjoyed it! We plan to come back next year since it’s a great way to catch up with coworkers and get some exercise.
Townsend Leather
Townsend Leather has a large group of health-minded community-focused runners who participate yearly in the CDPHP Workforce Challenge 5K. Our Partners are always very excited to participate in anything that betters themselves and helps local charities, so we love this event. Our team is made of Townsend Partners from all aspects of the company, so this is a lovely way for Partners to spend some fun, healthy time together. This year, as a good tool to gear up for the CDPHP Workforce Challenge a few of our partners are also participating in our local Triple Crown 5K’s Series. Townsend Leather is also a sponsor for this local series. “Wellness” is a cornerstone value of Townsend Leather, engrained in the culture of who we are. We love having an opportunity to act on our passion for wellness in the holistic sense of self, team and community wellness that is developed by the CDPHP Workforce Challenge. We are looking forward to feeling and spreading the love!
Transfinder
2019 marked the fifth year Transfinder has participated en masse in CDPHP’s Workforce Team Challenge.
Beginning in 2014, under team leader and avid runner Liz Chauhan, Transfinder has had a strong contingent run in the challenge. That first year, we had 18 employees participate. It’s grown steadily since, with 26 participating this year, including our president and CEO Antonio Civitella and his wife Maria.
The only year Transfinder did not participate in the Challenge was the year we held our major Annual Client Summit at the same time.
Tony Civitella said in a Times Union blog post that there are several reasons he supported this race, including that it promoted a healthy activity, running or walking, and it was also a great team-building exercise.
“Nothing brings people together like panting, sweating, gasping for breath, dying of thirst … Too much?” Tony wrote. “Seriously, struggling together through a common goal connects people like nothing else. And hearing teammates encouraging you at the finish line can only strengthen those relationships. I like that this race is called the Workforce Team Challenge. Team is a big part of this event and a big part of what Transfinder is all about, working together as a team to help schools.”
U Albany
As one of the largest employers in our region, the University at Albany is committed to the health and well being of our campus community. As such, we believe the CDPHP Workforce Challenge supports our mission of public engagement.
YMCA
Our larger Association team represents the Capital District YMCA, and at the event we had representatives of all of our branches, our administrative office, and some of our early learning centers. The Workforce Team Challenge is a great opportunity for those of us who do not work together day-to-day to be together for a common cause.
At our Greenbush branch this year, we ran a Staff Couch to 5K program to prepare for the Workforce Challenge, and one of the participants said she would not have run the race without the program and loved it.
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