As part of the Center for Child and Family Policy's 25th Anniversary celebration, we are honoring faculty, researchers, and staff who have contributed to the Center's work, culture, and impact.
Erika Hanzely-Layko was most recently the Senior Events Manager at the Center for Child and Family Policy. After nineteen years, she retired from planning conferences, meetings, and events for the Center at the end of June 2024. She currently works as a part-time staff assistant at the Center.
Read on to learn more about Erika's most memorable guest speakers, favorite books, and legendary halloween costumes.
What year did you start working at the Center for Child and Family Policy and how long did you work here?
I began my 19-year career at the Center in 2005. Although I officially “retired” at the end of June 2024, I’m still working at the Center part-time to help with events and special projects.
Could you briefly describe the focus of your work at the Center?
My main responsibility at the Center was to plan, promote, and execute events, including small research-focused lectures, larger public-facing Sulzberger Distinguished Lectures, legislative impact seminars, and large and small conferences, as well as team-building events and social gatherings for our employees. My goal has always been to promote the Center’s important research, but also to highlight respected researchers from other universities to help our community learn more about what policies do work and don’t work in improving the lives of children and their families.
What were some of your earliest memories of joining the team at the Center for Child and Family Policy?
When I joined the Center, Ben (my youngest) had just started kindergarten and my daughter, Rachel, was in third grade. I was just coming back to the workplace after three years of staying home with the kids. Since we live in Apex, I had a crazy routine of getting the kids on the bus in the morning, driving to work, working part-time and then racing home to meet the bus after school. Remote work wasn’t possible then! I was grateful for the positive leadership and understanding from Barbara Pollock and Geelea Seaford, which helped me survive those first hectic years. Joel Rosch was also instrumental to my success in building lists of contacts in those early years.
What are you most proud of from your career with the Center?
I am proud of the relationships I built while working at the Center. I embraced the responsibility of being the “face of the Center” to our invited speakers, Duke faculty, students, event attendees, donors, co-workers, and other stakeholders. Recently, we hosted a Sulzberger speaker who had visited 10 years ago, and he mentioned how much he enjoyed that previous visit and was glad to see me again, which was very rewarding. I am also very proud about securing the amazing Raj Chetty for a Sulzberger Distinguished Lecture in 2021. The recording of his talk has been one of the most popular on our YouTube channel.
On a side note, I am really proud of the five-year winning streak I had in the Halloween costume contest.
What’s one of your favorite stories or memories from your years at the Center for Child and Family Policy?
I remember driving Nobel Prize winner James Heckman to downtown Raleigh. This was before Waze and GPS, and I’ve never had a great sense of direction, so I had no idea where I was going. Dr. Heckman was chatting away, and I really just needed a quiet moment to get my bearings. Of course, I couldn’t tell him “Shhhh!” like I would my kids, and I was mortified to let on that we were lost!
Regarding other memories, our holiday parties have been a lot of fun. One year we had a gingerbread house decorating competition and sing-along. Other years people frantically unwrapped a giant ball of plastic wrap with prizes inside. And the white elephant gift exchange has been a highlight for every year I can remember. Some of the most beloved gifts are the frame with the worst employee headshots imaginable, the Bod Spray, and the collection of colorful paper mache fish. Competition is always fierce but friendly.
How is being part of the Center unique compared to your experience at other institutions?
Prior to working at the Center, I was planning large-scale events for a software company in Cary. Like many of the tech companies on my resume, it no longer exists. So, the long history of the Center is very different from my past work experiences. Also, the Center’s mission of research and interventions to help children and families is vastly more satisfying career-wise than creating tradeshow booths to sell software.
What’s something people might not know about the Center that you would want people to know?
I want people to know that our employees are deeply committed to improving life outcomes. I especially admire the work that Katie Rosanbalm and her team are doing in helping teachers learn to consider how their students’ life experiences are affecting their behavior and performance in the classroom.
What’s something people might not know about you?
I was part of a small team of neighbors who challenged a developer to ensure that he set aside land for a community park in a new neighborhood adjacent to ours. The town of Apex had designated the land as a park in its long-term development plan, but the developer wanted to pay the town money in lieu of ceding the open space to the town. Today, that park has a beautiful walking trail around a large pond where people fish regularly, kids cavort on the playground and ducks sail through the waters. I walk there almost every day.
What is your favorite children’s book and why?
My favorite children’s book is The Velveteen Rabbit, which both questions what it means to be “real” and explores the deep love children have for their toys. I couldn’t hold back tears every time I read my children the scene where the fairy kisses the rabbit and he becomes real. The edition I have features stunning illustrations by Donna Green; it is my favorite gift to give to friends who are expecting.
Are there any books that you continue to return to and why?
I rarely intentionally return to a book (because so many books, so little time), but I have caught myself partway through a book before I realize I’ve already read it! 😊 My all-time favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird because the characters and storyline are so compelling and Harper Lee herself is such a mysterious character. These days, I’m encouraging people to read Louise Penny’s mystery series featuring Inspector Gamache. Start at the beginning because the main characters are as interesting and colorful as the plot.
What was your favorite game as a child?
I wasn’t too much into games, but I was a relentless reader. Our library was about a mile from our house, and my favorite thing to do was to ride my bike there and bring home a bag full of books.
Do you have any pets?
No pets currently, as my husband and I want to travel a lot during our first years of retirement. Luckily, our son Ben has a sweet dog named Marcie who we get to dogsit occasionally.
The 2024-2025 academic year marks the 25th anniversary of the Center for Child and Family Policy (CCFP) at Duke University. In celebrating this significant milestone, we are shining a light on individuals who have been instrumental in shaping the legacy of CCFP. In these 25th Anniversary Spotlights, we’re asking current and former faculty, researchers and staff a series of questions designed to delve into their personal stories and experiences.