Making a Difference

Meet Sue Ellen Doria, Senior Management Trainer

If you’re a NYCHA employee, you’ve probably already met Sue Ellen Doria. She is the first person to meet and greet all NYCHA employees on their first day on the job. That’s because Ms. Doria is the lead trainer for new employee orientation training, imparting important tips about such things as health plans and pensions. 

“When new hires start, I’m the first person they meet (now virtually),” Ms. Doria explained. “As part of the online orientation, I explain to them their benefits and give my name as a contact person should they need any advice or help.”  

Ms. Doria’s first day at NYCHA was in February 1995. Back then, she worked in the Queens borough management office as a floater – a substitute clerical assistant visiting various developments to help with the workload. It was her uncle and cousin who encouraged her to apply for the position at NYCHA. 

“I used to work in retail,” she said. “My uncle and cousin had worked for NYCHA for many years and told me that NYCHA is a great place to work and the only agency that had no layoffs. I said, ‘It’s a great track record!’ I applied and got the position. At one point I worked in every single development in Queens. As a trainer, now I tell my participants that I know how it feels to work in the field.” 

After two years of floating, Ms. Doria became a timekeeper for the Queens borough. “I was doing 500 time cards manually on top of my regular job,” explained Ms. Doria. “I took my job seriously because I was dealing with people’s pay.” 

After working in Queens developments and mastering timekeeping, Ms. Doria decided to apply for a timekeeping training position at the Authority: “When I worked in a retail position, we had the very first version of Kronos, and it helped me during the interview. My previous experience got me a promotion in the Authority.”

Cherry McCutchen, Ms. Doria’s supervisor and Director of Learning and Development in the Human Resources Department, described Ms. Doria as a superstar of the team: 

“We have dubbed her ‘The Queen of New Employee Orientation.’ She is thoughtful, caring, direct, and goes to the ends of the earth to ensure every new employee is familiarized and has the initial tools to be successful here at NYCHA. To say that her role is pivotal is an understatement.”

Ms. Doria often jokes that she is like a first teacher. New employees often keep in touch and come back to her for advice or to share the news of a promotion: “Over the years, a lot of people who had questions and didn’t know where to find answers remembered me and contacted me for help. That’s a great feeling, when I can help somebody who is struggling and doesn’t know where to go, who to turn to. Even if I can’t help, I can guide them in the right direction. Thinking that I did something positive today makes me feel good at the end of the day.”  

“I see the secretaries get promoted to housing assistants, then to housing managers,” she explained. “That gives me such a wonderful feeling when I see how far they’ve come. Some people thank me for getting them a good welcome and start. To think that I had something to do with it is so rewarding. That’s why I come to work every day.”