Maine DOE team member Georgette Valliere is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Georgette in the question and answer below.
What are your roles with DOE?
I have been working with DOE since April 1985 and have seen many Commissioners during my time here (Commissioner Makin is #15) and they are all completely different. My primary role with DOE is being the Assistant to the Commissioner & Deputy – scheduling meetings, handling correspondence, and arranging for all meetings and travel (including flights & hotel arrangements).
I also assist with other members of DOE that need help with travel arrangements, such as lodging or airline tickets, in addition to ordering books, office supplies, subscriptions, etc., I also assist around the office with troubleshooting video conferencing technology needs, and serve as a backup for building control issues, telephone orders/issues, when necessary.
I have also been helping to coordinate (along with DOE Leadership) the Annual Commissioner’s Conference for Superintendents, which entails handling a lot of logistics and attention to detail.
I have played in many roles and have had numerous responsibilities over the years, including homeschooling, Certificates of Employment for Superintendents, and currently I am assisting with processing DOE Diplomas. There are many things to list that sometimes pop up at a moment’s notice, so I have to shift gears!
What do you like best about your job?
The thing I like best about my job is the wonderful administration (people), and meeting people, the versatility of work, and keeping busy. DOE is a very caring department and since the COVID pandemic which has caused many to work remotely, I have not been able to meet as many employees.
How or why did you decide on this career?
I decided on this career many years ago after working in private business including working in the restaurant and hospitality industry, woodworking mill, furniture store, pest control business, shoe shop, property management, and motorcycle repair shop (which allowed my husband and I to meet a lot of different people across the US & Canada as they were travelling to Laconia, who had stopped with motorcycle problems). My experience with handling all the paperwork/accounting for the rental property and motorcycle business, along with working here full time and housekeeping made me finally make the decision to work in State Government for the health benefits & the retirement – so here I am!
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
I do rubber stamping (make my own greeting cards), and I like to make different styles than the regular open/close ones. I have also done basket weaving. In the summer I go to hotrod/car shows with my husband, he has a bright red 32 Ford coupe. I have a grown son who has his own home, and my husband and I have a cat, his name is Tommy Two Socks.