School office manager keeps school running

10/3/07

For more than two decades, Ronnie Mayer has served as the help desk, troubleshooter, health aide and surrogate mother at Jordan Elementary School.

Mayer, the president of Lowell Joint Chapter 294, was named 2007 CSEA Member of the Year for office services.

“The school runs with Ronnie Mayer,” said fellow CSEA member Rochelle Haworth. “We have a standing joke that the school can do without the principal but can’t do without Ronnie because she knows where everything is and she always knows what to do.”

Always prepared to help
Haworth said that as the office manager, Mayer is always prepared to help parents, students and staff with anything they might need. Whether it’s answering an inquiry from a parent or a student to making the day easier for a co-worker who’s having it rough, Mayer is always the one to count on.

“She’s just a very good person to have in the front office,” Haworth said.

Beverly Hursh, another of Mayer’s co-workers, had the opportunity to interact with Mayer as a parent nearly 20 years ago when Hursh’s son entered kindergarten at Jordan.

“She treats the students like a mom would,” Hursh said, adding that Mayer provides just the right blend of discipline and care.

Since the school district is small, Mayer said that she has learned to handle the various tasks required of her as the office manager. She can shift gears quickly from being the school’s health clerk to tackling any computer problem that may arise at the front office.

Thrives on challenges
Mayer said she doesn’t mind the fast-paced, multi-faceted front office job. In fact, she thrives on the daily challenges.

“I like the variety of the job,” she said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

Part of the reason Mayer decided to work for a school in the first place is because she wanted to contribute to education.

“Part of your job has to be about making a difference somehow,” she said.

Mayer added that one of her favorite times is the beginning of the school year.

“The first day of school is amazing,” she said. “You have all of the experienced kids and parents, and on the other end, you have the first-year kids and kindergarten parents.”

Remembered by students
Since Mayer has been doing this job for more than two decades, she is remembered by many former students.

“Kids are always running up to me outside of school,” she said.

Some of those former students have returned to the school as parents. Soon, Mayer said that she will be welcoming grandchildren of former students to Jordan Elementary School.