PayrollOrg (PAYO) and Wisely® by ADP joined forces during the 41st Annual Payroll Congress to provide payroll professionals with payroll education packages.

Christena Verrill, Payroll Manager at L.L. Bean, located in Freeport, Maine, received the complete PAYO Payroll Education Package.

Linda Almendarez, CPP, Uniform Payroll Manager for the City of San Antonio Fire Department, received the Wisely® by ADP Payroll Education Grant.

Both received registration for Payroll Congress, registrations to four 90-minute webinars of their own choosing, access for one full year to a complete library of PAYO publications, plus PayTrain®.

Verrill, who has been a PAYO member since 1995, was thrilled to hear Education Grant Committee Chairperson Lisa Poole, CPP, share the great news.

“I was awarded the Global Cash Card Publication Grant in 2016 and the Meritorious Service Award in 2017, but I have never been awarded an education grant. This is so exciting,” she said.

Receiving this grant will enable Verrill to accomplish several goals that she has had for several years. One of those goals involves studying to earn her Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation.

“I plan to recertify for the CPP,” she said. “I originally received my certification back in September 1995, but unfortunately, I was unable to recertify during the past windows. But with this award, I will have the opportunity to accomplish this goal.”

Almendarez, who has been a payroll professional for 12 years, said she was thrilled to receive the call from Poole.

“I was so very excited to receive this news,” Almendarez said.  “I had applied a couple of time in the past, and I was not awarded, so I was so grateful and excited to hear I was chosen this year. I have never received an award like this from PayrollOrg. Lisa said there were a lot of applicants this year, so I’m extremely grateful I was chosen.”

 Almendarez said she plans to use the grant to grow her payroll knowledge and to share what she learns with other payroll professionals.

 Verrill, who is also the Vice President of the Maine Association of Payroll Professionals and the Treasurer of the New England Payroll Conference, said she plans to pay it forward and wants to use what she learns to help others.

 “I would love to help inspire others new to the payroll profession by sharing my experiences and learnings,” she said. “I am so incredibly grateful to PayrollOrg for this opportunity.  The best group ever!”

 The other education grant recipients this year are:

  • Lisa Moran, CPP, Payroll Manager at Barry Callebaut USA LLC, received the Wisely® by ADP Payroll Publication Grant
  • Tamela Gillenwater, CPP, Willory LLC, received PAYO’s Course/Conference Grant
  • Shawn Hodges, CPP, Senior Manager of Process Improvements, H&E Equipment Services Inc., received PAYO’s Course/Conference Grant
  • David Scorza, CPP, Project Lead Client Support, ADP Employer Services Major Accounts, received the Payroll Source Plus® Grant
  • Laura Butrick, CPP, Payroll Accountant, TGW Systems Inc. received the Payroll Source Plus® Grant
  • Emily Tietyen, CPP, Human Resource Manager, NEW Water received the Payroll Source Plus® Grant