Awards
Our success is driven by the passion, dedication, and expertise of our incredible team, and we know that transformative learning experiences wouldn’t be possible without them. That’s why we celebrate their outstanding contributions through our Director’s Achievement Award, Great Gator Award and Flamazing Flamingo Pursuit of Excellence Award.
New!
Flamazing Flamingo Pursuit of Excellence Award
The Flamazing Flamingo Pursuit of Excellence Award, created to honor the legacy of the Flamingo at the Lastinger Center, recognizes associates who embody our core values: balance, community, emotional intelligence, positivity, self-expression, and renewal.
Erica Lopez, Human Resources Coordinator, is unmatched when it comes to caring for associates. She listens with empathy, provides thoughtful guidance, and is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure her team feels seen, heard, and valued. Her actions consistently reflect a deep care not just for her immediate team, but for the broader mission of the Center.
With an ever-changing environment, she takes the time to make sure everyone is well supported and comfortable in moving forward with new challenges. She deserves to be recognized for all of her hard work and efforts to make the center a better place to work.
Tiffany Taylor-Jones, Early Learning Content and Implementation Manager, is the embodiment of the Flamazing Flamingo spirit. She leads with authenticity, empathy, and vision—balancing strategic oversight with deep personal investment in her team.
She creates space for innovation while keeping the team grounded in purpose. She fosters work-life balance by encouraging self-care, supports cross-team collaboration to strengthen our One Lastinger identity, and ensures every team member is aligned with work that fuels their passions.

Erica Lopez

Tiffany Taylor-Jones
Fall 2025 Recipients
Director’s Achievement Award
The Director’s Achievement Award is given to associates or teams who contribute to achieving a data point toward the Lastinger Center’s Objectives & Key Results (OKRs).
John Houder, Ashlyn Comiskey and Allie Pearson
From the CMC team, John, Ashlyn and Allie have done exceptional, time-pressured and timely work redesigning/developing all of the Lastinger Center web properties. This work:
- Raises our profile and the public perception of us as an organization;
- Brings the Center into a new phase of operations that provides data to inform our marketing and recruitment work;
- Provides pathways for enhanced data collection to inform decision-making; and
- Extends the effort we have put into defining our brands over the last three years.
Hannah Goble and Pam Chalfant
Hannah and Pam are exceptional leaders who share a deep commitment to the Center’s strategic goals of Scale, Impact, and Sustainability. Together they oversee an expansive reach that encompasses all 67 Florida counties, with several large-scale programs including the Literacy Micro-Credentials and CDA Pathways.
Each provide specific leadership actions that contribute to significant knowledge gains for the workforce and improved outcomes for students:
- Pam anchors our large-scale initiatives by applying deep literacy and adult learning content knowledge; and
- Hannah brings a sophisticated understanding of the policy-to-practice pipeline, which allows her to effectively translate early childhood research into classroom reality; and
Together they drive our efforts through disciplined, complementary operational management.
They ensure associates have reliable, updated technology and have streamlined processes for efficiency. Their proactive communication and responsiveness make them invaluable, especially in supporting remote associates and major events like the LAX meeting.
Their joint leadership ensures that as the Center expands its reach, our structural integrity remains uncompromised across tens of thousands of educator touchpoints.

John Houder

Ashlyn Comiskey

Allie Pearson

Hanah Goble

Pam Chalfant
February 2026 Recipients
Great Gator Award
The Great Gator Award is passed along bi-annually from one associate to another in recognition of a colleague’s hard work.
Winter 2026
Christian Tang was selected by Michele Parker-McGriff for his consistent support, responsiveness, and problem-solving.
“As a remote employee, IT issues rarely happen at convenient times, but Christian is always quick to respond. Whether I am locked out of my computer at 6:45 in the morning or dealing with password issues in the middle of the workday, he answers immediately and helps resolve the issue without delay,” said Michelle. “One of our biggest challenges occurred when our Regional Partners suddenly lost access to critical Google Drive documents, including event content and supporting documentation they need to carry out their scope of work. This happened while we were traveling to Tampa for LAX, which could have caused major disruption. Christian responded right away and worked directly with UF IT to put a temporary solution in place so our partners could continue their work without interruption.”
This is just one of many examples of Christian’s solution-oriented mindset. His reliability and commitment ensure that both internal staff and the external stakeholders we support can stay focused on their work.
Summer 2025
Michelle Parker-McGriff was selected by Shalah Newsome for her dedication to the Center and her collaborative, goal-oriented approach. Her wisdom, positivity, and ability to uplift colleagues shine through in all that she does, leaving a lasting impact on everyone she works with. Her engagement and commitment to fostering connections across Lastinger Center teams truly set her apart.

Christian Tang

Michelle Parker-McGriff
Past Recipients
- Michelle Parker-McGriff
- Shalah Newsome
- Matthew Griffin
- Anna Clark
- Robin Gregory
- Lori Gully
- Dayna Galganski
- Cathy Cavanaugh
- Tim Mosunich
- Lucianna Grasso
- Shaunté Duggins
- Tiffany Taylor-Jones
- Mary Kay Rodgers
- Ron Viafore
- Sharon Jones
- Bryn Humphrey
- Lisa Langley
