Photo provided by GCC of Jennifer Wakefield, left, and Justine Briggs.
Press release:
The GCC Business and Employee Skills Training (BEST) Center recently welcomed two new staff members to its team with the addition of Justine Briggs and Jennifer Wakefield in the roles of business training specialist and program coordinator, respectively. Briggs and Wakefield both began their new roles with the College on July 25.
"The BEST Center is extremely pleased to welcome both Jennifer and Justine," said Reid Smalley, executive director of workforce development and The BEST Center. "Both individuals bring outstanding professional credentials to our team, including new program development and training design experiences, and creative and innovative ideas to further expand our presence in the GLOW area."
Briggs, a Batavia native, graduated with both a bachelor's and master's degree in English from St. Bonaventure University. Her work experience includes multiple roles at Paychex in Rochester since 2012, including human resources online advisor and online services trainer. Among her many duties, Briggs was charged with researching and gathering information to implement new training processes across multiple products and designing and scheduling training sessions and webinars to new, existing and perspective clients. These skills will readily transfer to her new role with the BEST Center.
In her spare time, Briggs enjoys outdoor activities such as biking, swimming, hiking and running, and she also enjoys spending time with her family, which is about to grow. Happily married to her husband, Brennan, for two years, the couple is expecting their first child at the end of September. Briggs currently resides in Batavia.
Wakefield moved to Western New York in 2001 when her husband, veterinarian Tom Wakefield, became a partner at the Perry Veterinary Clinic. Originally from Ohio, she graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in International Studies and a minor in Spanish. Prior to joining The BEST Center, Wakefield taught Spanish at Holy Family Catholic School in Le Roy and at Genesee Wyoming Catholic School in Attica. Most recently, she worked at the Geneseo Migrant Center through Genesee Valley Educational Partnership in Leicester as a family educator and as a Spanish speaking outreach worker.
Wakefield has three children, twin boys, Tanner and Quentin, who are both sophomores at The University at Buffalo, and a daughter, Meryl, who is a junior at Warsaw High School. Her personal interests include watching Ohio State football games, watching her daughter's soccer games, running, cross-country skiing, cooking and increasing the stamps on her passport. She currently resides in Warsaw.
The BEST Center at GCC is the recognized regional leader in developing the skilled workforce that powers local economic growth. The Center serves individual employees as well as businesses large and small with seminars, workshops and trainings designed to improve the performance of people and processes. For more information, visit www.bestcenter.og
