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After nearly 29 years of hard work and devoted service, Barbara Holty, senior AP/AR accountant, will be retiring from PAR this week.

Barb’s attention to detail, willingness to put in extra time and effort, and commitment to excellence pale in comparison to her incredible thoughtfulness, unending kindness, and extreme warmth. Barb will truly be missed here at PAR. Below, we share a few stories as we send Barb on to her well-deserved next step.

 Donna Drackett, executive vice president and chief financial officer: I have many stories about Barb, but two stand out. My very first day at PAR, I was sitting in my office reviewing some new employee documentation. Barb stepped in my office and shared with me, “Honey, the girls and I were talking and we wanted to let you know that amongst the five of us, we have over 75 years of experience at PAR.” Truth is, there is nothing I had to worry about in my new role, as my team had done it all and had everything covered! I was blessed beyond belief to come into a department with so much experience!

Years ago, I received a call from a Customer. One of the many things that Barb was responsible for throughout the years was collections on our accounts receivable. When Customers were past due, Barb had the fun job of reaching out to obtain payment status. A Customer (who was in collections) called me to share that Barb was the nicest person that had ever worked with her to collect an outstanding accounts receivable. Not many collections specialists receive compliments or appreciation—but knowing how Barb treated everyone with the utmost respect, it didn’t surprise me!

Barb has been such an important team member for so many incredible years. We are sad to see her go, but pray that her future endeavors are filled with abundant blessings—more than she could ever imagine! Enjoy every second of retirement!

Sue Trujillo, clinical assessment developer: With Barb’s attention to detail, my data collectors were always paid promptly!

Terri Sisson, educational assessment advisor: Barb, as a new employee, you were always there to help me when I had a question or needed guidance. I appreciate your patience and support over the past year. I wish you the happiest of retirements. You deserve it!

Tamara Dwoskin, customer relationship manager: I am proud to say that I have worked with Barb for over a quarter of a century. To me, she is a friend, confidant, and one of the vital members of our PAR family. Barb is one of my very favorite people because she is not only one of the strongest people I know, but also one of the most caring and devoted to her families—both at home and at work. Not a day has gone by that I do not admire her professionalism, her always matching outfits, her pleasant demeanor, and her “hum” while you work or take a break mentality. Despite any struggles, whether they were business or personal, Barb has always been one of the first people to come to me concerned and wanting to talk—really just wanting to make sure that I was alright. We have shared joy and heartache during our time here, but she never lost sight of being there for me and I will never forget that. Always one of the first to say “Hi, sweetie,” or “Are you OK, sweetie?” It’s in that genuine interest in being there for all of us, and being the best version of herself she can be, while making sure that the company bills get paid completely and on time, that I can truly say there will never be anyone I work with quite like her. I will miss Barb so much, but she deserves the most wonderful retirement possible, in good health, and surrounded by the love of her adoring family.

Frank Filippone, copywriter/project manager: Barb, your presence here at PAR will be very much missed. You always have a warm smile and a kind word for everyone you encounter and I mean always—you make all of us feel welcome and at ease, and that’s no easy task. Thanks for all you do and best wishes as you begin your next adventure!

Melissa Messer, director of product development: My most memorable account of Barb was from about 15 years ago. I was getting married and unsure yet if I was going to change my last name. She needed to order a new credit card for me—I think she was converting the entire company’s credit cards at the time, so it was a big project. She called me to confirm my name change. I shared my ambivalence with her about changing my name and she stayed on the phone with me for about 15 minutes talking through the pros and cons. She mentioned that if I had kids, they would not have the same name—which was something I had not even thought about, and ended up being the deal breaker for me. This story represents Barb’s kind heartedness in taking the time to talk through a personal issue, but also represents the hard worker and task master that she is—we were not getting off the phone until she had what she needed!

Robert Bossio, senior software developer: I hope you enjoy every day as if it were a vacation day. Congratulations on your retirement! It was a pleasure working with you.

Jamie Goland, senior editor/digital content manager: As a remote employee, I don’t get to see Barb as often as I would like. But every time I’m in the office, I always make sure to swing by the accounting department for a quick visit. Barb always takes the time out of her busy day to chat, ask about my family, and catch up. Barb, I wish you all the happiness in the world in retirement (though I’d be totally thrilled if you decided to change your mind and stay).

Nancy Fazioli, sales operations coordinator: Every year, Barb headed up the walk to raise money for juvenile diabetes. She always prepared lunch for the walkers the day before the race to thank them for walking.

Daniel McFadden, director of customer support: In a company that is filled with kind and friendly people, Barb has always been one of the kindest. She has a full-body laugh that just cannot be faked. I've enjoyed trying to make her laugh over the many years we’ve worked together. Although I'm very sad I won’t get to see her every day, I’m very happy that she’ll be getting to spend more time with her family. I wish her all the best!

Kristin Greco, chief executive officer: When I think of Barb, her smile and cheerful greeting are always what come first to mind. I can hear her saying “Hi, sweetie! How is your day?” She is always festive for each holiday—showing her warmth and spirit for celebrating. She is so dedicated to her family—always gushing over her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her warmth and loving spirit will certainly be missed here by her PAR family. She is a ray of sunshine to each day.

 Barb, you will be missed by your PAR family, but we wish you the very best in retirement!


A photo of Barbara Holty from early on in her career at PAR.


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Join PAR's discussion group on our LinkedIn page!

Originally started as a group for our University Partnership Program, we’d like to invite all PAR Customers to join our group where you can ask questions about—or share your experiences with—our assessment products. The group is designed to encourage the discussion of academic uses, research pursuits, and assessment instruction using PAR proprietary instruments. Whether you are teaching students how to use assessment products and looking to share ideas with other instructors, using a PAR product and looking to connect with other users, or simply wanting to discuss assessments with other professionals, this group is an open forum for discussion on the use of PAR products. 

Join the discussion! https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8668065

 

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Forty years ago this week, Bob Smith started PAR on his kitchen table. There was just one product—scoring keys for the MMPI. Today, PAR carries approximately 500 print and digital products to help psychologists and other mental health professionals in their assessment process. Along the way, PAR has succeeded in more than just publishing quality assessment products to serve our Customers; PAR has created a culture of caring that extends to staff, our community, and the world at large. This weekend, in celebration of this milestone anniversary, PAR staff presented this video to thank Bob and Cathy Smith for everything they have done to make this a truly special place to work. We invite you to share our open letter to our founders.

 

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This Friday, we will be closed in celebration of our 40th anniversary. In honor of four decades in the test publishing business, we present a list of things you may not know about PAR. Check back next week for a recap of our festivities!

1.      PAR released its first product in 1978—scoring keys for the MMPI.

2.      PAR was started on Bob and Cathy Smith’s kitchen table. That kitchen table is now in the break room of our South Building.

3.      Our Customer Support team has a combined 120 years of experience, making them exceptionally well versed on all of our products.

4.      PAR’s Distribution Center has a 99.99% accuracy rate, meaning you get exactly what you need, delivered when you need it.

5.      We love to give back. We participate in about 50 events annually to benefit community organizations and donate time and financial support to more than 70 organizations per year.

As we celebrate, we do so knowing that our Customers have made the last 40 years possible. Thank you for your loyal support and patronage.

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We are so proud to share what we’ve been working on—a brand new online experience for visitors to http://www.parinc.com! Here is what you should know:

Search for products more easily! A more sophisticated site search and a Product Finder will help you locate exactly what you need!

Reorder your favorites in just a few clicks! Once you are logged in, you’ll have easy access to reorder the products you use most!

Find what you are looking for easily! A more intuitive design will guide you quickly to what you need.

View our site easily on mobile devices! An enhanced site experience awaits you on your tablet or smartphone—making it even easier to visit us on the go!

Order PARiConnect products faster! PARiConnect products are seamlessly integrated into the main product page, making it easier to order print and digital items at the same time.

Everything you loved about the PAR Web site is still here. Your account information transferred to our new site seamlessly. And one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to industry-leading Customer Service. If you do need help, our friendly Customer Support team will be here to assist.

Welcome to our new site; we’re glad you are here!

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We are hard at work on a brand new www.parinc.com experience! Visit us this summer, and it will be even easier to reorder your favorite products. Simply log in and we will show you your recent orders and allow you to quickly restock your inventory and get back to what you are do best--helping people!

This is just one of the improvements you will find on our new site. If you have any questions, please visit our overview blog.

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We are hard at work on a brand new www.parinc.com experience! Visit us this summer and an enhanced site experience will await you on your tablet or smartphone—making it even easier to place orders on the go!

This is just one of the improvements you will find on our new site. If you have any questions, please visit our overview blog.

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We are hard at work on a brand new parinc.com experience! Visit us this summer and experience our enhanced search feature, which will help you easily locate the products you need. A new Product Wizard will give you an additional way to browse our offerings.

If you have any questions, be sure to visit our overview blog. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on!

The PAR Assessment Toolkit provides shortcuts to the tools you use on a daily basis—now streamlined with more functionality, a more modern look and feel, and improved features. As always, the PAR Assessment Toolkit is free.

  • Browse products by construct using the PAR Product Finder™.

  • Link directly to your PARiConnect account to review reports; add, remove, and edit client information; and make client notes.

  • Convert scores for the BRIEF®, BRIEF®-SR, BRIEF®-A, BRIEF®-P, MMSE®-2™, MMSE®, NEO-PI-3™, PAI®, PSI™-4, PSI™-4-SF, RAIT™, TOGRA™, and VAS—for free!

  • Read about the latest psychology news and watch PAR videos.

  • Stay informed about where PAR will exhibit and the various informative Webinars we offer.

  • Link to our Twitter, LinkedIn®, and Facebook pages and to Google Scholar™.


Your favorite features from the prior version are still included. If you already have the PAR Assessment Toolkit on your device, it will update automatically. To download the app, visit Google Play or the App Store.
The PAR blog now has a sleek, modern look that’s not only attractive but easy to read and navigate, as well.  Updated weekly, our blog is a great forum to catch up on news about psychology and assessment, find links to new research studies, sign up for a Webinar, meet our authors, learn about a conference, or even watch a video about a new product or service.

We know that a lot of you are reading the blog, and now we’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to become an active participant. At the top of each post, just below the headline, there is a “Leave a comment” button. Interested in the topic or have something to add? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment—or respond to a colleague’s comment.

Looking for a blog on a particular topic? Skim recent blogs, browse previous issues by category or date, or search the “tag cloud” on the righthand side of the page—just click on a word in the cloud to find posts related to that key word.

If you’ve arrived at our blog through an existing bookmark, be sure to go to the new site (http://blog.parinc.com) and update your bookmark so that you can see our updated look and access the new features.

We hope you find our blog useful and you like our new look.  And as always…we want to hear from you, so leave a comment and join the conversation!

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