Alaska invited TJJD clinicians to share expertise working with capital offenders
TJJD's Business Director leaves the agency with fond memories
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications
Many of our TJJD staffers have wonderful career success stories to tell. They worked for many years at the agency and retired confident that they made a big difference in the lives of countless young people.
These folks worked up close in direct care or in classrooms or as support staff. They kept a steady course and a sunny outlook. They stretched to learn new things. They stayed cool through countless changes. They didn’t just teach the youth resilience and commitment, they modeled it.
Today we want to highlight just one of these employees, Sheree’ Case.
Case started as a parttime file clerk at Gainesville State School more than 25 years ago and retired at the end of August as director of Business Operations, proud of her accomplishments at TJJD and still a tad amazed at the upward course of her career.
“I loved my accounting job – I’ve loved every job I’ve had (here). I love TJJD and what it stands for. Even in the worst of times, I was proud to say I worked at TJJD,” she said. (See what we mean? Sunny outlook.)
Case’s career at TJJD/TYC was not a part of any grand life plan. She had enjoyed work as a flight attendant, but after having two children, she sought a job closer to home. She was working parttime at a North Texas antique mall, where then-Gainesville State School Supt. Jerry Day had a booth. He suggested that the Texas Youth Commission’s state school might provide a good job.
She started soon afterward, in Feb. 1997, as a temporary parttime file clerk at the Gainesville campus. She moved to permanent parttime, then to fulltime and then to a new position as the Release Secretary (handling paperwork for released students).
Case clearly impressed her supervisors, because soon she was the Student Trust Fund Administrator, handling accounts for the 400 or so youth on campus at that time.
Just a few years in, the Halina, Oklahoma native became an Accounting Supervisor, then the Purchaser and finally, the Facility Business Coordinator, overseeing the Gainesville campus and three halfway houses in the D/FW area.
She’d found not just a job close to home, but a challenging, satisfying career that suited her.
“I despise math. But I love crunching the numbers. Making it all fit,” she said. “I liked putting the puzzle pieces together.”
Another piece that got put together was Sheree’ meeting Truman Case, a longtime Gainesville State School employee who had worked in risk management and then became the supervisor of the Maintenance Department.
Sheree’ and Truman got married in 2004, a second marriage for each. Relatives and their “work family” turned out for the event.
“They’re not coworkers, they’re family,” Case said. “That camaraderie is what gets you through the difficult times. You’re not in it by yourself.”
Truman helped raise her son and daughter and together, they embraced his grown children, and along the way, welcoming grandchildren. Today, Sheree’ has three grandkids and three great-grandkids (the greats from Truman’s side of their blended family).
Sadly, she lost Truman in 2016, just shy of their 12th anniversary. The local church pews once again filled with work family, offering their love and support.
By then, Case had added to her work credentials by becoming a Certified Texas Procurement Manager (CTPM) in 2012, a new level for purchasers with the state of Texas.
“I never pass up an opportunity to learn something, and I was very fortunate all of my supervisors afforded me the opportunity. If I didn’t’ come to them, they’d come to me and say, are you interested.”
“Throughout her tenure with TJJD, Sheree has made countless contributions to the agency and the population we serve,” said Emily Anderson, Chief Financial & Operating Officer for Fiscal Affairs and Budget. “She almost always had a solution to any issue that came up and if she didn’t, well the ‘sweet tea’ was that she would know who to ask for help with a solution.”
In April 2019, Anderson promoted Case to Director of Business Operations for TJJD. Case spent the next years overseeing all business matters for the campuses across Texas, and she continued to thrive.
“Probably my greatest accomplishment at TJJD was when I became the Business Coordinator for Gainesville. That’s when I felt that all the hard work had paid off. I was able to effect change and put policies into place that helped us move forward as an agency,” Case said. “And when Emily asked me to come to Central Office, I really felt I had done something right.”
Case’s knowledge of the agency and her connection with the staff is simply irreplaceable, Anderson said. “While we are excited for her and her new adventure, I know the agency will not quite be the same without her.”
Sheree’s next chapter will kick off far from Gainesville’s quiet campus. This fall she will take an extended trip to Paris. She plans to discover the sights, the cuisine and “who Sheree’ is without TJJD,” she said with a laugh.
Back home in Whitesboro, she will be ready for the grandkids, the holidays and “whatever life has in store.”
San Antonio quilting group spreads the love, giving several handcrafted quilts to youth at Ayres Halfway House
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications
When service-minded people collaborate, it’s amazing what gets stitched together.
In this case, it was stacks of beautiful quilts.
Their makers recently delivered these mood-brightening, toe-warming lovingly crafted blankets to Ayres Halfway House, where they donated them to the youth so they could use a selected quilt while at Ayres and later take it home.
The receiving youth were so happy, they blanketed the delivering quilter, Debbie DeCamp, with thanks. And despite it being nearly 100 degrees that day, many of the youth wrapped themselves in the quilts, demonstrating their excitement.
“I’ve worked in a lot of volunteer positions over the years and had some pretty rewarding moments . . . but none like I had this morning! These young men were so appreciative, their excitement was contagious,” she told her fellow quilters later.
“I cannot describe the look in their eyes when they shook my hand made direct eye contact and told me how much they appreciate what we have done.”
Fittingly, the quilting volunteers who had assembled to produce these quilts for Ayres House, in San Antonio, had named their group, “Stitching for the Journey.” They came up with that name to highlight their support for the Ayres’ teens as they journey toward a better life.
About 25 quilters have signed up to be a part of the group, with about five actively pitching to join the founders in making the quilts, DeCamp said.
DeCamp, a longtime volunteer for underprivileged communities, and Rebecca Rindahl, a San Antonio educator, selected the halfway house to receive the craftwork, because they saw the need.
DeCamp said she’d been working with a group that makes quilts for children and adults in hospitals, but felt that there were more than enough quilts going to these destinations.
“We had been looking for an organization to make quilts for that nobody else was serving,” she said.
They found it when Rindahl talked to an acquaintance who worked at TJJD. That woman put her in touch with Patty Garza, the volunteer coordinator for Ayres house.
The three got together and discussed how quilts would be such a perfect gift for the youth at Ayres, providing them not only physical comfort during their stay, but something to take home and keep.
Knowing the time and effort it takes to produce these quilts would be “a beautiful reminder of emotional comfort that people really do care,” Garza said.
Each quilt can take 20 to 50 hours or more to make and has a value of $300-$500, she said.
After their discussion, Rindahl and DeCamp reached out to fellow quilters for volunteers and organized “Stitching for the Journey.”
DeCamp encouraged her quilting volunteers by reminding them how much their work would mean to the young recipients. “As you piece your quilts remember each stitch is an encouragement for these young men,” she told them.
After weeks of piecing together these handcrafted textiles, the group delivered 14 quilts to the youth at Ayres on Sept. 1.
“The boys were in awe and excited to select the quilt of their choice and make their beds with this symbol of care and love,” Garza said.
“This was our way of reaching out and saying, ‘you are loved,’” DeCamp said.
Photos: Top right, Patty Garza and Debbie DeCamp with youth receiving blankets at Ayres House. Youth in a shared room with the newly received bright quilts on the beds.
Glen Knipstein honored for 35 years of service to state of Texas
By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications
Glen Knipstein is having a winning month.
Last weekend, a cousin invited him to the UT game against UT-San Antonio. The weather was sunny, the crowd roared, and the Longhorns won. Light up the tower!
It was a rust orange moment to savor for the home crowd and Knipstein, who got both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UT-Austin.
A few days before that, Knipstein enjoyed another star moment when he picked up his certificate marking 35 years as an employee of the state of Texas.
He served the first 29 years at the Texas Department of Transportation, where he retired as Director of Accounting. The next six years came after he launched a second career in 2016 at TJJD, where he’s now the Director of Fiscal Affairs and Budget.
“The work that TJJD does is very important and helps TJJD youth increase their chances of success in life. So, I feel very lucky and happy to be working with the great professionals at TJJD, and I plan to work another year or two before I retire,” Knipstein said.
He is grateful to Emily Anderson, TJJD’s Deputy Executive Director – Finance and Operations, for hiring and promoting him.
“I have worked with Glen for almost 18 years,” said Anderson, “and he is one of the most knowledgeable government accountants I have ever worked with. He has been instrumental to the continued success of TJJDs Finance Division.” Before TJJD, Anderson and Knipstein previously worked together at Texas DOT.
Knipstein acknowledges that the people in his department do not work directly with the youth. However, the finance department provides important support.
“We work to make sure the bills get paid,” he said. “My area does all the payroll payments – making sure they (employees) get their paycheck so those working at facilities can focus on the youth and their own families.”
Knipstein knows how important it is to have time for family. His break in state service came when he left DOT earlier than he’d planned to take care of his aging father. It was something he’s glad he did.
After his father’s passing, he was gratified to put his expertise back to work for TJJD. He started as a temporary worker, helping with a specialized annual finance report, but then applied and was selected for fulltime work commensurate with his experience.
In addition to following his alma mater’s sports teams, Knipstein enjoys coin collecting in his spare time. He has fond memories of his boyhood when he, his sister and their father would comb through bags of pennies from the bank to see which ones had “wheat ears” – two shafts of wheat embossed on the back -- and rare mint markings from the early 20th Century.
The pennies, he said, are not very valuable, but it was fun to find those that were not in great circulation.
He’s also proud to have served in the Army Reserves from 1983 to 1998. Knipstein was called to active duty during the first Gulf War and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Finance Corp at Fort Hood.
He enjoys work at TJJD because “everybody works together and supports each other. They’ve definitely contributed to my success.”
Tina Saenz discovered her life's work at Evins Regional Juvenile Center
By Fidel Garcia, Volunteer Resource Coordinator, Evins Regional Juvenile Center
Looking back and reminiscing over 35 years of life is quite a task, let alone working those 35 years and more within two state agencies. Tina Saenz, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg, accomplished this and is still going strong. She has worked at TJJD/TYC for 33 years.
Saenz began working as a clerk with the Rio Grande State Center in Harlingen, Texas back in 1986, but she wasn’t enjoying her duties there.
“I had a friend who worked at Tamayo House and she advised me of an opening for a clerk with TYC, so I applied. I got the job and started on May 5, 1989. In June, I found out that Tamayo House would be closing, and a halfway house would be built in Houston. Staff were transferred over to Evins and I was placed as the first clerk for the education department. We had one clerk and two teachers,” Saenz said. (Tamayo House later reopened and remains open today.)
After a short stint at Evins, she was transferred to Beto House in McAllen, also a part of TYC back then. During a restraint with a youth she was injured, and after being medically cleared by her doctor, she returned to work and was re-assigned to Evins. This time, she was a Youth Activities Supervisor (YAS), then a Juvenile Correctional Officer (JCO), and then a clerk for case management and finally, moved to her current role as an Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent. Today, that Superintendent is Eduardo Garza.
She also works closely with Asst. Supt. Emmanuel Ortiz, who said Saenz has shown her commitment throughout the years, as she's been appointed to different positions.
"Her dedication is unparalleled," he said. "Ms. Tina, we are lucky to have you."
What started as a referral from a friend became a rewarding lifetime passion
When Ms. Saenz first walked onto the Evins campus, there was no landscaping yet. The new buildings were in the final stages of construction and being turned over to the state. In August of 1990 the first group of youth arrived and were housed in what is now called Dorm One.
She recalls with a laugh that one time when a staff member had radioed in that youth were running around the café building, only to find out that it was staff running around the building chasing each other. The youth were inside the building, laughing and watching through the tall windows.
That’s a memory from the very early days at Evins. As the years rolled by, there were many more and for Ms. Saenz that’s been part of the charm of working at Evins and being a part of helping young people turn their lives around.
“Many times, I have been at Barnes & Noble, HEB or other places and I hear my name called out. Former residents come up to me and ask me if I am still at Evins, because they were here at one time before and remember me and other employees.”
We may not always agree on things, but we are there for each other
“To be honest, these 35 years have gone by so fast. I think back to where we started and where we are now. As a campus we have gone through so much, but when times are hard, staff always come together. We may not always agree on things, but we are there for each other when needed,” she said.
The teamwork and camaraderie are the greatest strength of the campus, she said.
Working at TJJD is not for everyone, she noted, and her words of advice for new staff are this: “This is a very difficult job, but it does have its rewards. You may not think so, but when you see these youths out in the community, and they are productive citizens, you realize that they were listening to us,” she said.
“Many times, they will thank you for being there for them and not giving up as many (others) out there in their lives have.”
Thirty-five years sounds like a long time, but for Ms. Saenz who is still employed at Evins, it seems like it was just yesterday.
And while she enjoys her work, she also values her free time. She enjoys watching classical and animated movies and reading romance novels.
She knows that one day she will retire, as many other have with whom she’s been privileged to work. But for now, her work, her passion, continues and she keeps building beautiful memories.
Photo: Tina Saenz and Asst. Superintendent Emmanuel Ortiz