Saturday
September 7, 2024 
The Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU) recently honored more than two dozen retiring employees for their dedicated service to the agency’s students and programs.
The 31 retiring Bucks IU employees served a combined 691 years – almost seven centuries worth of time – in educational sites throughout Bucks County.
“This is clearly a milestone for all of you,” Dr. Mark Hoffman, Bucks IU executive director, said to the 2024 retirees during a June 18 recognition ceremony at the agency’s headquarters in Doylestown.
“We are so fortunate you chose to achieve this milestone with the Bucks IU,” Hoffman said. “In your work at the IU, you have left many markers for all of us to follow.”
The Bucks IU employs about 950 staff members, as well as a number of contractors, said Nora Cuff, the Bucks IU Supervisor of Recruitment and Retention who organized the retirement recognition ceremony.
The IU staff members work with hundreds of contracted personnel at sites throughout the county to serve students with autism, emotional needs, and multiple disabilities. The employees have a shared goal of helping all Bucks IU students “learn, flourish, and contribute.”
The students served by the educational services agency live in Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
The 2024 Bucks IU retirees include a mix of staff who worked in classrooms with students, provided the students with related services like physical or occupational therapy, transported students to and from school, and central office personnel.
Each of the retirees who attended the ceremony received a bouquet of flowers and a Bucks IU bag filled with Intermediate Unit keepsakes. The retirees were recognized by their supervisors, who shared a few words about them with school board members who represent the 13 school districts in Bucks County.
Jennifer Schmidt, the Bucks IU program director for school age programs celebrated retiring job coach/paraeducator Robert Wrzesniewski for his positive rapport with students and area businesses.
“Robert was always willing to pitch in and cover sites as needed which allowed programs to operate when others might be out.”
Wrzesniewski began working at the IU 20 years ago after a 35-year career with Xerox.
He worked primarily with teens and young adults to help them develop their job skills.
“You have to have patience and listen to the students, especially if they are stuck or have a problem,” Wrzesniewski said. “I got so much satisfaction seeing so many of my students get jobs. It is a satisfying job when they succeed.”
Gina Meissler, the Bucks IU program director for related services, hailed the commitment of all the therapists who were retiring.
“They are advocates of every child and support wherever and whenever they are needed,” Meissler said. “They leave a lasting impact with the Bucks IU.”
Physical therapist Rita Geddes is one of the retiring therapists. She served IU students for 30 years, primarily in the Bensalem School District.
“They have taught me and given me so much more joy than I could give them,” Geddes said of her students. “It’s amazing.”
The two 2024 retirees who logged the most years at the Bucks IU are Sharon Taylor, a special education teacher, and William Ziegler, a program and training specialist. Both were IU employees for 44 years.
The Bucks IU retirees said they plan to spend quality time with their families and friends. Many also plan to travel and pursue volunteer opportunities in the community.
They leave behind an agency better because of all their hard work, IU officials said.
“We are eternally grateful for their service and dedication,” Cuff said. “It is a great evening where we celebrate the longevity and dedication of our IU employees and wish them well in their greatly-deserved retirement.”
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