Working at St. Ann’s Home was only going to be temporary for William Peachey.
Six years later, he’s still here. And he’s still helping residents, just in a different way than when he started.
An Irondequoit resident, Will got his start at St. Ann’s as a Dining Assistant, a job he took when the restaurant where he was a cook and manager closed.
His talent, personality, and work ethic opened new opportunities for him. He advanced to positions including Dinner Cook, Environmental Services Assistant, and eventually Team Leader in Environmental Services, leading a team of 40 responsible for keeping St. Ann’s looking good.
In August 2018, he was recommended for—and got—a position as a Maintenance Mechanic. Once again he welcomed the opportunity.
“I’ve always had jobs where I had to work weekends and nights,” he says, noting that sometimes he rarely saw his wife, a teaching assistant at Mary Cariola Children’s Center. “This one is weekdays, 7:00 to 3:00, and I’m enjoying it.”
He also has more opportunities to interact with residents.
“People I knew from seeing them in the dining areas, I’m now in their rooms hanging pictures, fixing curtain rods, adjusting their closet doors,” he says. “These are little things, but to them they’re big things. I’m helping make their day brighter.”
Will’s background in electronics with the Navy (he was an electronic warfare technician) and his skills in home carpentry are helpful in his role as a mechanic.
“He’s willing to learn and he takes the initiative to ask questions,” says Maintenance Foreman Steve Beckler. “He even brought his own tools. We’re glad to have him on the team.”
Will credits St. Ann’s Academy, the leadership development program for employees, with helping him gain new skills.
“You learn about leadership styles and things like crisis management and public speaking,” he says. “But you also learn a lot about yourself. And you build bonds with people you work with who you really didn’t know before.”
What would he say to those starting in entry level positions like he did?
“St. Ann’s is an awesome organization. If you work hard here, you can definitely move up.”
He’s proof of that.