~ JOYWORKS
Joyce Thomas - For the Joy of Working
EDUCATION
- 2006, Certification, Real Estate Principles & Practice
- 1987-1989, Certification, Psychosynthesis Therapy, The Synthesis Center, Amherst, MA
- 1981-1983, MCW, Masters of Child Welfare, St. Joseph's College, West Hartford CT
- 1973-1975, BA, Applied Social Relations, ECSU, Willimantic CT
- 1970-1972, AA, Liberal Arts, Mohegan Community College, Norwich CT
POSITIONS HELD
May 2007 to present, Real Estate Consultant
Licensed realtor. Referrals assisting both home buyers and sellers.
March 2007 to present, Office Manager/Web Design
March 2002 to March 2007, President
Bizgrok Inc (DBA) Bizgrok Web Design & Internet Services, Norwich CT, 860-887-5600
Incorporation and start-up, web design, non-profit consulting, training, AR/AP
In addition to customer sites, webmaster for sites:
Owned by Bizgrok:
bizgrok.com,
nedv.net,
believeyoucanfly.org,
downtownnewlondon.org,
Owned by Joyworks: joyworks.net,
courtcafe.com,
morethansoup.org, puttingintheseed.com,
yellowcanary.com
Non-Profit Pro-Bono Sites:
Connecticut Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools, Hope for Ariang (South Sudan),
Leffingwell House Museum, david-morse.com/darfur/
Non-Profit Sites:
John E. Julian Memorial Scholarship Fund,
New London Main Street
Business Sites: 3-C Golf,
Campbell Trial Lawyers,
Gregorc Associates,
Homes Plus Inc,
The Best Home Inspection LLC,
RUCK Systems
May 2005 to December 2005
Blue Onion, Inc, (DBA) Blue Onion Cafe, 200 North Main Street, Norwich CT
Start-up for cafe serving breakfast and lunch featuring "home cooked" meals.
Incorporation paperwork, web design, general start-up management
December 2002 to June 2003, Instructor
Ridley-Lowell Technical & Business Institute, New London CT, 860-443-7441, ridley.edu
Lesson plans, lecture and lab instruction for computer and writing/communications related training for small classes of mixed course students.
April 1997 to March 2002, Managing Partner
DownCity LLC, ISP, Norwich CT
Web design, customer relations, training, non-profit consulting, design/construction office/noc, tech support, database management
August 1978 to April 2000, Social Work Supervisor
Department of Children and Families, State of Connecticut
Supervised, trained and evaluated case aides, social workers, and clerical staff. Played essential role in a variety of projects:
- Collaborated with contractor, Lockheed-Martin, in design, development and testing of statewide application for child welfare caseloads, perpetrator tracking and federal reimbursements (LINK). Prepared, edited same application rollout instructions and provided state-wide training to all levels of agency staff
- Authored statewide manual that integrated policy and practice issues with step-by-step application instructions. Performed statewide distribution, training and support
- Drafted original policy and implemented Voluntary Service Pilot project unit. Project model was adopted statewide. Within pilot, created first joint supervision collaborative
- Developed curriculum, trained and supervised pilot project for evaluation of the position of Case Aide. Position then implemented statewide. Curriculum incorporated into standardized state-wide training.
- Chaired regional Residential Review Committee responsible for the successful movement of children from residential placement back into their communities with 80% non-recidivism rate. Accomplished while creating a savings to state of $800,000 in a single fiscal year (1992-1993)
- Developed statewide reporting standards tool for Probate Court work
- Conceived and implemented first Parent Training for Protective Services Families
- Worked collaboratively with community service agencies to establish, Windham County Sexual Abuse and Molestation Collaborative, a forerunner of the Multi-Interdisciplinary Teams (MIT) operating throughout the state of Connecticut.
1980 to 1999, Emergency Services (HOTLINE), Social Work Supervisor
Department of Children and Families, State of Connecticut
Department of Children and Families, State of Connecticut, Middletown CT
Evaluate reports, supervise social work staff, determine risk and assess need to investigate during non-regular business hours. Crisis intervention both via phone with principle participants as well as with on-call field social workers.
Spring 1984
QVCC, Danielson CT, Adjunct Instructor, Foster Parent Training
August 1975 to August 1978, CEO
Mohegan Community College Cooperative Child Care Center
Conceived and developed the first cooperative independent child care center in Connecticut licensed to provide care for infants as young as six weeks old, developed field placement program for the Mohegan Community College Child Development program, authored standard operating procedures and guidelines, hired/fired staff, liaison to the board.
PUBLICATIONS
LINK Instructional Manual, Step-by-Step Instructions with Integrated Policy Guidelines for the state-wide computer system, Department of Children and Families, State of Connecticut, 1999
ARTICLES
"Adult Learning and Employer-Sponsored Training", Bizgrok, Inc, 2003, Updated 2004
"Email Marketing v Electronic Pollution", Bizgrok, Inc, 2002, Updated 2004
"Keeping Your Customers", Bizgrok, Inc, 2002, Updated 2004
"Internet Security Tips for Small Businesses", Bizgrok, Inc, 2002, Updated 2004
"Secure Your Web Location", Bizgrok, Inc, 2002, Updated 2004
"Web's Impact on Marketing and Advertising", Bizgrok, Inc, 2002, Updated 2004
"Keeping in Touch with Your Web Site?", Bizgrok, Inc, 2002, Updated 2004
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Family Connections- State of CT Voluntary Services Pilot Project, N.E. Child Welfare Conference, Hartford CT, 1992
REFERENCES
- Anthony F. Gregorc, Ph. D, President, Gregorc Associates, Inc., Box 351, Columbia, CT 06237, 860-228-0093, gregorc@earthlink.net, gregorc.com
- Penny Parsekian, CEO, New London Main Street Program, 860-444-2489, penny@newlondonmainstreet.org, newlondonmainstreet.org
- David Morse, author and journalist. Contact http://david-morse.com/contact/.
- Jennifer J. Davis, Program Supervisor, Department of Children and Families, Manchester CT, 860-533-3600, or c/o John E. Julian Memorial Scholarship Fund, 114 Stafford Street, Stafford Springs CT, 860-684-0450, jennifer@johnejulian.org, johnejulian.org
- Carol Maranda, MSW, Program Supervisor, Department of Children and Families (retired), State of Connecticut, call Joyce Thomas 860-887-5600 for contact number
COMPUTER SKILLS
- Expertise in MSWord, MS Publisher, QuickBooks, desktop publishing, design/edit brochures, newsletters, customized business forms.
- Fluency in XHTML, PHP, Stylesheets, Win98/NT/XP, WordPerfect, PowerPoint, Access, Paint Shop Pro, graphic design, variety of Internet browsers/Email clients, FTP
- Competencies in Excel, Abode PhotoShop, most windows based applications
ORGANIZATIONS
- Sponsor, New London Main Street, The Atrium, Suite 101, 165 State Street, New London CT, 2002-present
- Secretary of the Board, Child Adoption Resource Association, Inc., 2 Union Plaza, New London CT, 2001-2003
- Secretary of the Board, Chelsea Business & Professional Association, Norwich CT, 1998-2002
- Member, National Association of Protective Services Workers, Chapel Hill, NC, 1980-1986
- Co-founder, Windham County Sexual Abuse and Molestation Collaborative, a forerunner of the Multi-Interdisciplinary Teams (MIT) operating throughout the state of Connecticut, 1986-1990
- Founder/Director of the Board, Mohegan Community College Cooperative Child Care Center, Hunters Road, Norwich CT, 1975-1979
- Founder/Board Member, Mohegan Community College Alumni Association, 1972-1976
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
- Connecticut Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools, Newtown CT, pollutionfreeschools.org, Volunteer Webmaster August 2003 to present
- Leffingwell House Museum, Norwich CT, leffingwellhousemuseum.org, Volunteer Webmaster September 2006 to present
- Journalist David Morse's Darfur site david-morse.com/darfur/, Volunteer Webmaster September 2006 to present
- Hope for Ariang/Sudan, Volunteer Webmaster (Created & maintain site for Gabriel Bol Deng) August 2007 to present
- World Vision Child Sponsorship, worldvision.org, Sponsor March 2007 to present
- Childreach Plan USA, childreach.org, Sponsor 1978 to May 2007
- Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut, 179 Gallivan Lane, Uncasville CT, Volunteer 2001 to 07/2005
- Child Adoption Resource Association, Inc., 2 Union Plaza, New London CT, Volunteer Webmaster 2001-04/2004
- Foster Care Support Groups, Killingly and New London CT, Group Facilitator 1980-1986
- Parent Education & Training designed for Protective Service Families, in conjunction with Parent-Child Resource Center, Willimantic CT, Trainer 1984-1985
- Parent Support Group, Groton CT, Facilitator 1980-1982, Outgrowth of parent training class designed for child protective services families in southeastern Connecticut 1981-1983
- Democratic Town Committee, Canterbury CT, Member 1979
- Parent-Teachers Organization, Canterbury CT, Board Member, 1978-1979
- CONTACT, Norwich CT, Volunteer Counselor 1970-1974
MEMBERSHIPS
INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES
Child Welfare, Education, Housing, Home Repairs/DIY & Kitchen Design, Poetry, the Spoken and the Written Word, Traveling, Women's Basketball, Photography, History/Civics, Synthesis and Sense
~ Each for the joy of the working
