Retzlaff-Hurtgam
TONAWANDA — Despite working full time at two different courts and juggling family responsibilities, CSEA Western Region Judiciary Local member Harmony Retzlaff-Hurtgam is finding time to further her formal education and give back to her union brothers and sisters.
Retzlaff-Hurtgam, a resource coordinator at the Unified Court System who works at the City and Town of Tonawanda court, recently received the Flo Tripi Scholarship to further her education.
The Flo Tripi Scholarship Award, established in 2019 in memory of the former CSEA Western Region President who passed away in 2018, offsets tuition costs for CSEA Western Region union members who enroll in labor studies courses offered by Cornell University’s School of lndustrial and Labor Relations (lLR) Extension Division.
Retzlaff-Hurtgam, a 16-year CSEA member, is the 2020 Winter Session award recipient.
She recently became a grievance representative at her workplace and is very committed to her service with her local’s Women’s Committee.
“I have always had an interest in labor history and learning new things,” Retzlaff-Hurtgam said. “I took an online class with the Cornell ILR School and just loved it. After the class was done, I came across the announcement for the Flo Tripi Scholarship on social media and thought, ‘why not apply?’ I was really happy to learn I received the award.”
Retzlaff-Hurtgam, who holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Niagara University, readily admits lifelong learning will always be part of her story.
“It’s more than just personal enrichment for me,” Retzlaff-Hurtgam said. “I am actively using what I learn at the ILR School and applying it to my grievance work and with community members who come to our offices daily to find the help they need when navigating the legal system. I’m always looking to build my skills and avoid complacency. I eventually would like to complete the ILR certification program — in fact, I know I will.”
Linda Donahue, senior extension associate at the NYS ILR School of Industrial and Labor Relations-Cornell, said she couldn’t be happier to administer the Flo Tripi Scholarship Fund for CSEA members interested in expanding their knowledge of union and workplace issues.
“Flo herself took our labor studies classes many years ago, and we have no doubt that she would be delighted to see members following suit thanks to this scholarship in her name,” Donahue said. “We also commend CSEA for making this generous fund available to students taking labor studies courses and look forward to seeing more CSEA members enroll in our classes.”
CSEA members in good standing may apply for assistance to the Flo Tripi Scholarship Fund no more than twice in a calendar year. Learn more about the scholarship at https://cseany.org/workforce/csea-regions/region-6/applications-available-to-csea-members-for-the-flo-tripi-scholarship-fund.
— Ove Overmyer
