You might consider Recruitment and Retention Specialist Debra Luna the professional matchmaker of Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. Since November 2024, Debra has been working in the Human Resources department, connecting top job seekers to open roles at BOCES and ensuring that the connection goes both ways.  

“I'm making sure we're finding people who are the best fit for the organization and who move our mission forward,” Debra said. “But on the other side, it's also really important for me that the candidate is finding what's best for them.” 

While Debra may be relatively new to BOCES, she has been recruiting in some capacity for around 20 years. In college, Debra served as an orientation leader, assisting new students as they moved onto Emerson College’s busy Boston campus. In that role, she learned the importance of welcoming people at a transitional and often challenging time in their lives. 

“We went through a ton of training on how to handle all of that emotion and how to be welcoming and excited and make people feel embraced, comforted and supported,” Debra recalled. 

Debra carries those key skills into her role at BOCES now, where she sees herself as a steward of information and guidance – a crucial component of leadership, Debra said. 

“You'll never hear me say, ‘I don't know, that's not my job, I don't do that.’ I might not know the best way to do it, but let's learn it together and figure it out.” 

It’s this emphasis on teamwork that Debra said is something she looks for when recruiting for BOCES. But more than that, Debra said that she is searching for a special quality in candidates: a belief that they belong. 

“There has to be the belief that what we're doing is making a difference, and it might not always be apparent in the moment,” she said. “A current employee said something that really resonated with me. He said, ‘We're here because we're supposed to be.’ We are looking to hire people who are passionate about that and feel energized by that.” 

While Debra’s days are filled with job fairs, postings and screenings, by night she finds time to get back to her roots as a performer. 

“I am in a women's barbershop chorus, which sounds like it's not a real thing, but it is,” she chuckled. “We're called Rochester Rhapsody.” 

Debra also leads her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and helps with her son’s Little League team. And if you know Debra, you know she loves “any and all” dogs; she even found a way to weave them into the HR newsletter “The Loop” by instituting the engaging “Pup of the Month” challenge. 

If you or someone you know belongs at BOCES, Debra encourages candidates to visit the W-FL BOCES website, connect with her on LinkedIn or send her an email. 

And, of course, “dog pics are welcome,” Debra laughed. 

Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES is dedicated to Making Success Possible by providing programs and services in collaboration with 25 school districts throughout Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Cayuga and Yates counties in New York State.   

As a public organization, we provide educational services and instructional opportunities in partnership with local stakeholders to support vital regional resources and enhance the effectiveness of school operations.   

Do you see yourself Belonging at BOCES? Check out our current job openings here: https://wflboces.recruitfront.com/JobOpportunities