When was the last time you left a job? Did you hold the position for long? Maybe you did; staying through good times and bad, growth and change. Maybe, like Marj Leone, you celebrated anniversaries at 5 years, 10, 15 and then 20.
After celebrating her 20-year anniversary this year, Marj, former Salvage Services Manager, has announced that she’ll be moving on to pursue her next adventure. “I am grateful to have spent the past 20 years working with such a dedicated group of individuals as we make the salvage of building materials easy and accessible,” Leone said. “The community has been so supportive of us in our efforts to preserve materials, and I feel so honored to have been able to provide such a valuable service.”
Marj was a trailblazer, rising up in what many would consider to be a male dominated field. She first joined The RE Store in 1998, a mere three years after we opened, as a salvage crew member. In those first years, the crew was busy assisting the Seattle School District with safety renovations. The days were long and hard, but Marj’s 15 years of experience as a carpenter prepared her with the necessary skills.
In 2010 she moved into the role of Salvage Services manager and grew the program into the well-utilized service that it is today. She was integral in building partnerships with local construction firms and city officials, partnerships that helped bring awareness to the value that salvaging has to offer. Her passion for conservation and forest preservation drove a creative approach to material salvage and building deconstruction.
Continuing Marj’s legacy and filling her role is Kayla Janyk, an experienced builder and deconstruction expert who joined the salvage crew in 2016. “Under Kayla’s guidance, the current crew is well placed to continue this much needed work,” says Marj.
Marj is joined in her enthusiasm by Kurt Gisclair, The RE Store Director. “I am very excited to welcome Kayla as our new Salvage Services Manager. Following Marj’s 20 years of offering excellent salvage services to our community, she handed off the baton to Kayla’s very capable hands. Kayla brings a high level of dedication to our mission and relentless desire to divert usable materials from out landfills. She leads a competent crew that is committed to serving our community,” Glisclair said.
We hope you’ll join us in wishing Marj the best of luck in her new venture, and in congratulating Kayla on her new role. To contact Kayla about your salvage and deconstruction needs, visit our Salvage page.