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.

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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).

Tess Hutchins

As our payroll and accounting coordinator, Tess has been instrumental in tracking and understanding the Center’s financial performance and budget alignment. Her work to identify gaps and find practical solutions has resulted in:

Dashboards for increased financial transparency
Improved tools and processes for operational efficiency
High-quality reports that inform financial decisions

Tess’s work has provided quality financial processes that are3 crucial for honoring our commitment to support learners and educators across Florida.

Michele James

Michele supports our New Worlds Reading Regional Partners program by effectively managing contracts, accurately handling invoices and processing partner payments in a timely manner. Her professionalism and attention to detail has supported:

Nearly 500 events
Reaching students and families across the state
More than $4 million paid to partners

Michele’s ability to manage high-volume, complex financial operations positions the Center for continued success and scalability.

Tess Hutchins

Michele James

Gretchen Loyd

Emily Simmons

May 2026 Recipients

Gretchen Loyd

Gretchen’s thoughtful and strategic work as our assistant director of human resources has fostered:

A collaborative and productive work environment
Data-informed improvements
Nearly 100% participation in our internal performance check-ins

Gretchen’s commitment to the success and wellbeing of the Center’s team members helps drive our educational impacts forward.

See Past Recipients

Emily Simmons

Over the past several months, Emily has played a key role in improving the accessibility of the Center’s courses, at-home literacy activities and other materials for our stakeholders. Her recent efforts include:

Coordinating a large accessibility working group
Sustaining project momentum to meet deadlines
Maintaining project priorities and agility

By undertaking and managing this complex and important project, Emily is stewarding our mission of helping teachers teach and students learn.

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