Clients

When Verdugo Mental Health — the stalwart nonprofit that provides thousands of local clients with counseling and other mental health services — announced that it was bankrupt, the potential for a massive problem began to unfold. The organization, which has been providing services to the region for decades, is major catch basin for the mentally ill. Without it, thousands of clients would be forced to seek services at less efficient or effective providers. And that’s assuming they would continue to seek services at all, opening up the possibility that illnesses could worsen and compound.

Seda Petrossian’s hair salon of choice is in an unlikely location: Glendale High School. Petrossian has been going to the salon in the school’s cosmetology lab for several years, getting her hair cut and colored by high school students and recent graduates who are taking cosmetology classes at the school. She enjoys being a client of students who are learning a craft, and learning it well. “The students are very attentive,” she said. If the students have questions or problems as they work with clients, the teachers are there to help, she said.

People say Tom Burke has a gift of working with people who are developmentally disabled, but he believes he gets more in return from the experience than his clients do. The Burbank resident has been sharing that gift for more than 23 years at BCR “a place to grow.” The Burbank center provides day programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities, including mental retardation, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy and others. Clients come to the center from Burbank, Glendale and neighboring communities.

Dilbeck Realtor's GMAC La Cañada Flintridge office branch managers Lynn Beckenhauer and Carole Kunz are pleased to announce that Leona Dukes recently joined their staff of professionals. Dukes has over 12 years of real estate experience and comes to Dilbeck from another local firm. She specializes in residential, business and commercial properties n the Foothill areas including Glendale, Eagle Rock and Arrowhead. Dukes' strong negotiating skills, extensive knowledge of the market, ability to listen to her clients' goals and provide solid real estate guidance throughout the process makes her the perfect choice for a realtor.

The student infirmary at GAR Services has been renovated for the first time since 1986. Formerly known as the Glendale Assn. for the Retarded, GAR Services offers job placement and training to nearly 80 adults with developmental disabilities. The infirmary equips GAR’s clients with a place to rest or tend to any medical needs. “It’s the most utilized room,” said Salpi Kerkyasharian, a multi-cultural counselor for the nonprofit. “We have individuals who have seizures, cerebral palsy, trips, falls — injuries are common.” Kerkyasharian was one of several members of Leadership Glendale, a group of local business and civic leaders sponsored by the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, who took on the project.

Susan Lindsey, branch manager of Dilbeck Realtors GMAC's La Crescenta office, was pleased to congratulate Chuck Lamm . "At Dilbeck's annual awards event held recently, Chuck was named our first place Office Associate of the Year and presented with the Award of Excellence," said Lindsey. "He took a seat once again on the prestigious President's Council and was inducted into the coveted winner's circle for the eighth consecutive year." Twenty years of constantly fluctuating markets has allowed for a vast variety of experience that Lamm brings to every meeting.

Dilbeck Realtors GMAC's La Cañada Flintridge office branch managers Lynn Beckenhauer and Carole Kunz were pleased to announce that Jennie Manders was once again named Quarterly Production Leaders. Jennie Manders is a real estate professional who is passionate about making a difference in the world around her. With over two decades of experience as both a broker associate and realtor, clients can feel confident that Manders will offer the guidance, support and the knowledge required to make any move a complete success.

The grand experiment going on at the Glendale National Guard Armory this winter is a noble one: surround homeless clients with a plethora of services and accountability measures in an effort to get them transitioned into more permanent housing by the time spring rolls around. The idea - even if it means serving fewer homeless clients over the winter season - is that the case management will have a much more long-term effect on the region and on the lives of those who seek shelter.

Tahra Goraya, district director for State Sen. Carol Liu, has been named in a lawsuit alleging that in her former role as national director for the Council on American Islamic Relations she oversaw a fraud scheme where dozens of clients received bogus legal help. She was reportedly served while working at the senator’s Glendale office. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of former clients who received legal aid through the council, alleges that the organization’s resident attorney, Morris Days, practiced civil rights law at the organization’s Virginia branch without a law degree.

Millie Alvarez with Dilbeck Realtors GMAC's La Crescenta office was recently applauded for her outstanding performance in 2006, said branch manager Susan Lindsay. Millie is an agent who is dedicated to her client's needs and best interests. She has over 20 years of experience in the corporate world and is currently a member of the Pasadena/Foothill Association of Realtors, the California Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtor. Millie has brought to the real estate industry her expertise in technology, professionalism and organizational skills.