You Are Special: Bernadette Downing

Bernadette Downing was one of 23 Framingham School employees honored at the 23rd Annual Salute to Framingham.

The annual Salute program recognizes Framingham teachers and staff who go the extra mile to make each day “special” in our public schools. These teachers and staff are given a “You Are Special” designation and are publicly recognized as part of the Salute to Framingham.

Editor’s note: Framingham Patch is publishing all 23 honorees profiles between now and the end of the school year, so the community can recognize the employee. Below is the profile of Downing, as it was read to the sold-out crowd of more than 500 people on Thursday, March 26.

Click here for a link of all profiles published on Framingham Patch.

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Bernadette Downing has shown that it’s crucial to hire a competent, well organized, personable office manager.

Since joining Potter Road Elementary School as an office aide, nine years ago, Bernadette has made her mark on the school.

If there’s a problem in the school, there’s only one person to ask: Bernadette!

In fact, when scheduling events, Principal Paula DelPrete often jokes, “Don’t ask me. Go see Bernadette. She knows everything that’s going on. She runs the school.”

Bernadette graduated from Pope John XXIII High School in 1991 and ventured to UMASS Lowell to study accounting. She quickly discovered that police work, not “number crunching” were her future as she traded in her Ticonderoga pencil for a police badge. She took the police exam and was sworn in as an officer in Revere in 1995.

While in the police academy, the recruit standing next to her pledged that once his hair grew back (he had it shaved off in the academy), she’d discover that he was something special. His dream came true as Bernadette married Bob Downing in October of 1997. Bob currently serves as a Lieutenant for the Safety Division in the Framingham Police Department.

Bernadette and Bob have two children, 15-year old Kaycie, a sophomore at Framingham High School
and 13-year old Robbie, an 8th grader at Cameron Middle School.

She joined Potter in 2006 as an office aide and eventually moved her way up to office manager. From answering questions, working the cafeteria, finding substitutes, problem solving, and generally, running the building, she truly does it all. She is the definition of an office manager who does much more than just run the office! She does it with a smile on her face and a sense of humor that keeps the school laughing.

When she’s not in charge at Potter, she enjoys spending time friends and family and can often be found in skating rinks throughout the Northeast United States watching both of her children play hockey.

With her law enforcement background, there’s truly no one else we’d rather have “minding the store” at Potter Road Elementary School.

For all of the above reasons, Bernadette Downing - You Are Special!