K 816: Congratulating Diane Cooper-Currier upon the occasion of her retirement, as Executive Director, after more than 40 years of distinguished service to Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.

 Assembly Resolution No. 816 BY: M. of A. Barclay CONGRATULATING Diane Cooper-Currier upon the occasion of her retirement, as Executive Director, after more than 40 years of distinguished service to Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. WHEREAS, This Legislative Body seeks to acknowledge those individuals whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to enhance the stature of the State of New York; and WHEREAS, In 1984, Diane Cooper-Currier joined the staff of Oswego County Opportunities (OCO), Inc., as Supervisor of the agency's Girls Group Home; in this capacity, she supervised a group home for youths in foster care; working directly with youths at the house, she helped the young people see hope and let them know that they are resilient and able to survive various situations; and WHEREAS, With her passion for helping young adults, Diane Cooper-Currier became a member of a group which focused on issues with runaway and homeless youths in Oswego County, leading to several volunteers in participation with OCO; and WHEREAS, Under Diane Cooper-Currier's supervision, volunteers conducted a research project to document incidents of runaway and homeless youths in Oswego County; this led to her writing grants that would help OCO receive its first funding for these young people; and WHEREAS, With the expansion of youth programming, all services were brought together under one umbrella, and OCO established the Youth Services Division, naming Diane Cooper-Currier as Director; and WHEREAS, In 1998, Diane Cooper-Currier took a leave of absence to earn a master's degree in social work from Syracuse University in 2000; upon returning to OCO, she served as Training and Development Performance Coordinator for the agency; and WHEREAS, As Training and Development Performance Coordinator, Diane Cooper-Currier used similar adult learning principles to train staff and improve the systems and procedures for OCO; and WHEREAS, In 2002, Diane Cooper-Currier was appointed as OCO's Deputy Executive Director, demonstrating her abilities as an inclusive and supportive leader; she developed community partners and additional potential partners to further OCO's mission to meet the needs of the community; and WHEREAS, In 2007, Diane Cooper-Currier was named Executive Director; for the past 18 years, under her leadership, education services, which were primarily Head Start and Day Care, now offer after-school programming and adult learning; she also led the development of OCO's Backstreet Bookstore and Coffee Shop, providing training for community members to gain experience in retail services and other skills; and WHEREAS, Under Diane Cooper-Currier's capable guidance, the homeless services programs, which were primarily focused on youths, now serve individuals, families, and young adults; OCO's residential services for populations, such as adults with mental health issues, expanded, and the agency moved into building and providing affordable and workforce housing; and WHEREAS, During Diane Cooper-Currier's tenure, OCO has built and developed residential homes for its programs, providing services for individuals who are developmentally disabled, dealing with substance abuse disorder, or struggling with behavioral health issues; and WHEREAS, Throughout her many years of dedication and service to OCO, Diane Cooper-Currier has earned the admiration, esteem, and affection of her colleagues; she has dedicated her life's work to improving the lives of others by helping them succeed and see their full potential; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate Diane Cooper-Currier upon the occasion of her retirement, as Executive Director, after more than 40 years of distinguished service to Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Diane Cooper-Currier.