Bon Voyage, Susan!
One of the few certainties in life is the fact that things change. At the end of this month, Susan Wolfersteig, our beloved Purchasing Manager, is retiring after almost 20 years with IA Stage.
Susan spent the majority of her career in accounts payable/receivable. Approximately 8 years at UPS gave her solid experience with domestic and international shipping. Her relationship with IA Stage began with a phone call. “I was working at Daytona Employment,” she said, “and Vickie* called us looking for help. Of course, I helped her, but I went and asked her if I could send my resume, too! It was an interception!” Susan came on board in November 1998.
When I asked her what she’s enjoyed the most about working with us, she was thoughtful. “I really like the people. There are a lot of good people here,” she said. She added, “I’ve enjoyed watching the company grow and seeing the product [lines] develop.” She also valued building relationships with vendors over the years.
Owner Mark Black describes Susan’s retirement as bittersweet. “I’m sad at the loss of a solid team member, but I’m happy that she’s off to new horizons with the IA Stage alumni badge of honor.”
General Manager, John Gitzy, said, “Susan has been a good friend to me and a great asset to IAS over the many years that she’s been here. Always dedicated to getting the job done. I hate to see her go but she has new adventures planned. We will miss her!”
Asked what she would miss the most, she quickly replied, “I won’t miss the commute!” Travelling, however, is what Susan’s looking forward to when she retires. That and spending time with her family. There’s already a family trip scheduled to Lake Nottely in July and a cruise with her daughter in September. Susan says she will put her travels on a brief hold after the cruise, though. “My 6th grandbaby is due in October,” she said, “and I definitely want to be home for that.”
From all your friends at IA Stage, enjoy that cruise! You’ve earned it!