DAILY NEWS PEOPLE : MARILYN BRUNSDON.Byline: - Sharon Cotal Re-entering the workplace can be difficult for women, especially those experiencing economic downturns such as divorce, layoff Layoff 1. When a company eliminates jobs regardless of how good the employees' performance. 2. A risk reduction, made by investment bankers, that minimizes the potential downside associated with a commitment to purchase and sell a stock issue unsubscribed by stockholders holding or dependence on welfare. It helps to have someone to turn to for advice and encouragement - someone like Marilyn Brunsdon. Brunsdon volunteers as a mentor for Jewish Vocational Service (JVS JVS Job Vacancy Survey JVS Jewish Vocational Services JVS Joint Vocational School JVS Journal of Vegetation Science JVS Journal of Vascular Surgery JVS Juvenile Visceral Steatosis JVS Jewish Vegetarian and Ecological Society ). She provides constant guidance on day-to-day work issues and helps others keep their career on a clear and more focused path. ``It's not difficult to be a mentor,'' Brunsdon said. ``I just give the benefit of my own experience.'' AGE: 59 RESIDENCE: Chatsworth BORN AND RAISED IN: Born in Wyoming; raised in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . OCCUPATION: Human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. director for Lamps Plus LAMPS PLUS, Inc. is a privately held corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells portable lighting, fixture lighting, home décor items and a variety of other related products. . MARITAL STATUS marital status, n the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her marriage state. : Married to Duane for 37 years. CHILDREN: Susan, 35; Nancy, 33; one grandson Grandson (gräNsôN`), Ger. Grandsee, town (1990 pop. 2,473), Vaud canton, W Switzerland, at the southwestern end of the Lake of Neuchâtel. , 2-year-old Alec. VOLUNTEERISM vol·un·teer·ism n. Use of or reliance on volunteers, especially to perform social or educational work in communities. volunteerism : Brunsdon volunteers through the JVS ``Wo-mentoring'' program that matches women who need help entering the workplace with women who already have successful careers and are willing to share their expertise for one year. Brunsdon was matched with Gayellen Davis, a single parent who decided to pursue a career in human resources after working at a temporary job in that field. ``It's great to have a mentor who is already where I want to be,'' Davis said. ``She makes suggestions and gives me helpful ideas.'' HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?: ``I became acquainted with one of the women at JVS through my work at Lamps Plus, and she suggested that I talk to program director Bobbi Yanke about becoming a mentor. Bobbi was very enthusiastic and made it sound like fun. She provided my initial training on how to be a mentor and has always been there for me with ongoing support throughout the year.'' WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER?:``Because I'm a very lucky person in that my family and I all have our health and we all live close by each other and can support each other. I want to help those who are out there who are not so lucky. I chose the mentoring program because I wanted to volunteer in an area where I wouldn't need a lot of training, and since I've worked in human resources for 20 years, I felt I could help someone who was interested in that field.'' BIGGEST DILEMMA: ``My biggest challenge is finding a volunteer position where I can truly make a contribution. There are so many things to do, but I want to help out where I have the skills to do a good job.'' FAVORITE DAILY TASK: ``Going to work, because I have a job that I love, I am surrounded by people that I enjoy being with, and I feel I make a contribution.'' GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: ``My husband and I have two daughters that we are extremely proud of, because they turned out to be such good people. They are successful at what they do, they are self-confident and caring - they are our greatest accomplishment.'' GOALS FOR THE FUTURE: ``My goal is to find the right position where I can become a volunteer who can make a difference. I need to push myself and get out of my easy world so that I can help somebody else.'' WHO RELIES ON YOU THE MOST AND WHO YOU RELY ON: ``I rely on my family very much for support, love and validation See validate. validation - The stage in the software life-cycle at the end of the development process where software is evaluated to ensure that it complies with the requirements. . They make me feel worthwhile, and I hope I do the same for them.'' ROLE MODELS: ``My mother was a wonderful role model for me, but I never realized how much she meant to other people until she died and all these people came forward whose lives she had touched. She never had a career - she was always at home - but she taught me the value of work and she was very active in our community.'' HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?: ``Success in life means that you have left your mark. Whether it is with a lot of people or just one person, it is important to have an impact. I don't feel that I've left my mark yet; I guess my life is still a work in progress.'' VALLEY HANGOUTS: ``My favorite My Favorite is an independent synthpop band from Long Island, New York. They released two CDs: Love at Absolute Zero and Happiest Days of Our Lives. My Favorite broke up on September 14, 2005, when singer Andrea Vaughn left the band. restaurant is Los Toros Toros,a version of Greek word Taurus, may refer to:
dip - tasty mixture or liquid into which bite-sized foods are dipped is the best.'' FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: ``I love taking classes and learning new things - I'll always be a student. I love to read, go for walks and work on the computer. We go to Dodgers games as often as we can, and we have season tickets to the L.A. Philharmonic.'' WHAT WOULD BE A PERFECT DAY FOR YOU?: ``I love going to work. I'm definitely not ready to retire yet, because I still have time to do things I love, to spend time with my family and volunteer.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Marilyn Brunsdon Andy Holzman/Daily News |
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