Name: Mary Guldenschuh
Department: Workforce Development and Youth Bureau
Tell us about what you do with the County: In my role as Deputy Director I tap into my organizational skills to track and report program outcomes to our funders and advisory boards. As a leader, I support the direct service staff to ensure they have what they need to fully focus on assisting customers. In the spring it’s time to draw on my creativity to plan the largely attended Teen Recognition event. Summertime brings the Livingston Youth Employment Program where I get to hire teenagers into, oftentimes, their first job. In the early fall I plan the Candlelight Vigil for Suicide and Overdose Awareness to hold space for loss survivors.
What part of your job motivates you the most/makes you happiest? I believe our department saves lives. I can report on customer data and statistics but the real impact we are having is in the stories. Stories of struggle, resilience and hope. A young mom who wants to show her child she can go back and finish what she started by earning her high school equivalency diploma. The adult son afraid to go home to tell his parents he was fired because they rely on his income. While sitting on the brink of overwhelm, he found a caring shoulder and the help he needed to find a new job. When our neighbors make their way through our doors they will find kindness and a trusted source. These stories are my fuel.
Any notable professional accomplishments you'd like to share? I was challenged with planning the Teen Recognition Event in 2021 as the state mandates for limited public assembly were in effect. We were opening but still unable to gather for a banquet style celebration. We decided to hold the event at the Avon Drive In Theater and I set about making a movie to celebrate the winners. With a whole lot of curiosity and very little experience I recorded video and audio; Edited in music and spliced everything together using free basic movie maker software on my desktop. Watch the movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAj5DKHO714&t=2s
Favorite sports team, if any? I don’t follow any sports team but you may find me watching the Olympic Games, especially, skiing competitions.
Favorite hobby? As a wanderer at heart, my favorite activity is hiking, whether it’s a meandering trail or high peak climb.
If you had to bring one movie, one book and one album to a desert island, which ones would you pick? Movie: What About Bob? A book about edible plants so I can survive on this island. Album: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Full Moon Fever.
Best place in the County to relax? Home. I live on 10 acres in West Sparta that look and feel like a park. Partially wooded with trails to wander, a pond to fish from and reflect by; Native perennials blooming and sun warmed wild raspberries to eat right off the prickly vine.
What’s something unique about you people would never guess just by looking at you? I have a chainsaw certification needed to do trail work for the Finger Lakes Trail. To begin the certification test I have to name the main components of the chainsaw and then mark the spot where my felled tree will land. Points deducted by how many degrees my cut notch is off, how wide my hinge is and how many inches my tree is off the mark. Not to mention, at a minimum, I need to remember all the safety protocols: wrapping my thumb around the handle, face shield down, ear protection in place, what is my escape plan? It’s intense!