The two horses Amy cares for at her Newfield home.
Join us in welcoming Amy Jacot to the Workforce Development staff! She will be joining the team as Administrative Coordinator to help ensure the department runs smoothly. Amy previously coordinated COVID-19 testing for Tompkins County employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleased to have her back in the County workforce!
Amy’s most recent position was Deputy Clerk at the Village of Cayuga Heights. “I made amazing connections there,” she says. “I am so proud of that community.”
Although she loved the time spent there, she wanted something new, leading her to seek out employment at Workforce Development. “I’m in my years of growth now.”
Amy was born in Tompkins County, and after living in Florida for most of her childhood, she returned at 25 years old to raise her family in Newfield. She has also cared for a number of animals over the years, including horses, parrots, dog, cats, and goats.
Amy shows a love for the local community, including through her support of Circus Culture, an organization based in Downtown Ithaca’s Press Bay Alley. Her family's bed and breakfast, the Wilderness, offers discounted housing for traveling performers in return for the structure and support that Circus Culture classes provide for her daughter. Amy appreciates how much the organization gives back to the community, including by providing scholarships for their programs and employing students.
Amy also brings experience from TST BOCES. One of the accomplishments she is proud of is the program she started for students in need of clothing. Its origins arose from Amy noticing how few students were interested in attending the school dance. Turns out, many simply did not have the money to spare for buying formal wear. Amy collected donations and thrifted clothing to give students the option to dress up and attend the event.
“It made a huge difference,” Amy says. Later, when she noticed students’ apprehensions about going swimming, Amy provided bathing suits to students who could not afford them. Once again, interest in extracurriculars increased and students took advantage of access to the Ithaca Swim Club pool.
Amy K. Jacot, Workforce Development's new Administrative Coordinator
Through her experiences raising her daughters, Amy became interested in advocating for better mental health support for youth. Since 2020, she has served on the Patient Family Advisory Council for Cayuga Medical. She brings her perspectives as an advocate, mother, and former public health worker.
Because of this council, changes at Cayuga Medical have included mental health training for Emergency Room staff and the hiring of patient advocates who act as liaisons between patients and medical staff. Amy’s influence through this council is a testament to how crucial community involvement can be to the success of essential services.
“I am proud to serve on the council alongside so many wonderful community members who share a common goal,” she says. Together, they work to create solutions that better patients’ medical experiences with Cayuga Medical.
Amy recognizes that there are some real deficiencies in mental health support in Tompkins County. Even still, she has found gems like Dr. Katherine Durrant’s Whole Wellness Counseling, Racker’s Lighthouse Program, and Dr. Sally Manning, coordinator for Children’s Single Point of Access (C-SPOA). Amy credits these organizations and people for the support they have provided for her daughter and herself.
Although she is already well-connected, she looks forward to learning about and connecting with more people in Tompkins County talking about real solutions to the challenges in the community. Welcome to the Workforce Development team, Amy!
Webinars for Jobseekers
The New York State Department of Labor is hosting informational sessions on Zoom every weekday for the rest of January except for the 20th. These virtual workshops are free and available to the public through online signup links. While most of the webinars are in English, some topics are also covered in Spanish during separate webinars. The following are some great topics to look forward to this month: Su Guía a Ser Contratado (Spanish: Roadmap to Getting Hired), Learning about Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), and Civil Service.
Southern Tier Career Fair
The NYS Department of Labor's monthly Southern Tier Career Fair is on January 16th at 11am to 2pm. Register and attend to network with employers such as J.M. Murry Center, NYS Department of Civil Service, and Hampton Inn. Job openings for attending businesses include childcare worker, driver, social worker, and IT specialist. Register to discover more.
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