Jeff Pries – Supervisor Spotlight

Jeff’s Background

Jeff Pries, facility assistant coordinator, has worked in food service in one way or another since he was 16. He’s visibility passionate about making things as safe and as comforting as possible for the people Cazenovia Recovery serves. He obtained his education at the Military Community College of the Air Force and focused on Hospitality Management while he was studying. Jeff loves to cook and even went to culinary school.

This experience allowed him to easily assume the role of facility assistant when he was hired by the agency in 2003. He began his career with us at New Beginnings, our former Community Residence on Buffalo’s west side that helped men in recovery. Jeff explained that facility assistants are primarily responsible for keeping the programs in compliance with various regulations. They also oversee food service, order supplies, and provide transportation, vehicle maintenance, and other services when necessary. The job is one that keeps people on their toes. “You have to be flexible and open-minded,” Jeff said. Thankfully, our facility assistants across the agency are open to change. “They want to help,” he said.

Jeff’s New Role

The position of facility assistant coordinator was created last year. Until recently, Jeff multitasked between this newly-created position and the facility assistant position at Unity House. He fully assumed the position of facility assistant coordinator earlier this year. According to Jeff, “the agency needed someone to streamline things.” With our recent growth, it made sense to have someone coordinate the activity of our facility assistants to make them consistent. In this new role, he can easily share suggestions from the facility assistants to our leadership and vice versa. “We’re reviewing ideas and collaborating on what we think might benefit the programs,” he noted.

This new position will also allow Jeff to organize many of the positive and exciting changes that are coming to the programs. “I’m inspired by the direction the agency is taking,” he expressed. As the programs become more familiar with Jeff’s new responsibilities, they are beginning to welcome the supportive and unique possibilities that his new position can bring.

Jeff is excited to learn more about what the people we serve would like to see across the agency. “I’m excited to make us shine,” he said. We’re all very excited to see what he has planned.