January 4, 2020

Hidden away in LVCC’s Administration office is the Fiscal Department. Although the staff does not have direct contact with the children, they are an essential component in LVCC’s daily operations. A valuable member of this team until her retirement in late 2019 included Accounting Assistant Jean Roberts.

For nine years, Jean came to work with a smile. Her humorous, pleasant personality made her well liked in the office. Her co-workers respected her and found her very easy to work with.

“It’s nice coming to work every morning to people you enjoy working with. It’s important to like everyone. And sometimes there’s donuts in the kitchen,” she joked.

A large portion of Jean’s job consisted of gathering data and creating monthly financial reports. With these reports, LVCC kept track of how many children were enrolled. LVCC could have over 1,300 children attending on any given day.

One surprising aspect of Jean’s job responsibilities included bookkeeping, budgets and bill payments for Alliance Hall. Alliance Hall is a nonprofit cooperative on 6th and Chew Streets in Allentown. The building houses multiple nonprofit organizations, including LVCC’s Judith Chase Early Learning Center.

“I was glad that I went back to get my degree, even though I was in my forties,” Jean said. “The more education you have, the better in this particular part of the [accounting] field. Nowadays, I think you need a lot more [education].”

Jean advocated for taking notes and kept the notebook that she brought to the first day of work. For those first entering the workforce, she left some great advice.

“Work as a team and try to get along with everyone. Help each other out. Not everybody works the same,” Jean said. Give yourself time to acclimate. Try to learn all the aspects of your job. You can’t just come in and expect things to go smoothly right from the start.”

By the time Jean started working for LVCC, her children were grown and no longer living at home. Working part-time made work/life balance less difficult. She made sure that she would be off or home early enough on Fridays to see her grandchildren get off the bus.

“That’s one thing I’ll never regret—taking that time to be with my grandchildren,” Jean said.

After retirement, Jean looks forward to spending more time with her children and grandchildren. She wants to lounge at her daughter’s pool in the summer and vacation in the Poconos. On her bucket list of travels may be a visit to Europe once her husband of 44 years retires. Jean hopes to take a long, overdue road trip with her sisters to see more of the United States. She also plans to travel to Maui to visit her son more often. Can we stow away in Jean’s suitcase?

Makani 'olu'olu e kai malie on your journey, Jean Roberts!