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Jodi O’Neill recently celebrated her 25th anniversary Ebenezer Child Care Centers. During this time, she has worked in various roles and at different locations, including as an Assistant Coordinator and Program Director. For the last 16 years, she has been working in a variety of positions at our Oak Creek location.
A luncheon was held in honor of Jodi’s 25 years at our Oak Creek location. Ebenezer management and Jodi’s immediate family joined in the celebration.
We thought it would be fun to share some fun facts with you about Ms. Jodi:
Why have you decided to make Ebenezer your home away from home for so many years?:
I have stayed with Ebenezer for so many years because Ebenezer is been a place where I have been able to grow as a childcare professional and feel part of team working with a mission and vision that fit my personal and professional values.
Family:
My husband, Robert and I have been married for almost 30 years. We have three adult children: Michael, Andrew and Kate. All three of my children attended Ebenezer Child Care in their early years. Kate is currently a seasonal employee at our Oak Creek location while she is in college and she also painted a great mural on the wall at our West Allis/Wauwatosa Center. Andrew worked one summer as a Maintenance Assistant at Ebenezer while he was in college. And, Michael has volunteered and provides special guest sessions during Ebenezer’s Summer Programs.
I also have a very close relationship with my mother, Janet, also known as Grammy; my brother, Greg; and my twin sister, Julie. We get together often to share meals and play trivia games.
Favorite Past Time:
My favorite hobby is photography. My sister and I have a small business taking high school and college sports photos, senior portraits, and family portraits. My other hobbies include running, playing soccer, and reading/listening to mystery novels,
Favorite Food:
Mexican food is my favorite category of food for meal times. Ice cream, especially vanilla with chocolate toppings, is my favorite dessert.
Favorite Band:
My favorite band to watch perform are Super Low and Certain Stars which are my brother’s bands. Super Low is a cover band while Certain Starts has all original songs. I do enjoy listening to music from the 80’s and 90’s on the radio.
Favorite Movie:
My favorite movies are the Harry Potter series and the Princess Bride.
Favorite TV Show:
My favorite current TV shows are Escape to the Chateau and NCIS. I also enjoy watching sports such as English Premier soccer and the Packers but really any sport will do.
Favorite place in the world:
My favorite place is wherever I can be gathered with my family.
How did you end up working for Ebenezer?
My family moved back to Wisconsin in the spring of 1996. I had previously worked for a hospital childcare center in Kansas City, Missouri. I absolutely loved my work environment and coworkers. I wanted to find a place where I felt a part of a team and could work in a professional childcare environment. After settling down after our move, I started talking with friends and family to share recommendations of quality childcare in the Milwaukee area. One of my good friends had a neighbor working for Ebenezer Child Care, so I decided to learn more about agency and put in an application for a Lead Teacher position.
What do you most enjoy about working at Ebenezer?
I truly enjoy working with so many fantastic children, families and staff that are a part of Ebenezer Child Care Centers. I enjoy the special connections that we make during our interactions with one another which become meaningful experiences.
What centers and classrooms have you worked in during your tenure with Ebenezer?
I started working for Ebenezer at our Tannery location in the two-year-old classroom. I then moved into the Assistant Coordinator position at the same location. My next position was as a Training Specialist as part of the Program Department working with teachers at all of our locations with an office at our St. Jude location. After several years working as a Training Specialist, I took on the position of Program Director heading the Program Department. When my children were getting older and involved in many afterschool activities, I took a position as a Floating Teacher at our Oak Creek location. A few years ago, the Administrative Coordinator position at Oak Creek was created and I took the opportunity to get back into a management roll with Ebenezer. In June of 2020, I stepped in the role of Curriculum Specialist at Oak Creek which is similar to my previous role as a Training Specialist.