Working with Champions at Kirby Pines

November brings so many joys and memories for me. The splendor of the leaves. The crispness of the mornings…Football…Pumpkins (and Pumpkin Pie, my favorite!), Turkey…that extra hour of sleep…Veterans’ Day… and of course, Thanksgiving with Family. Today, I am adding a new one. My gratefulness for the staff who surround me and our Residents here at Kirby Pines! 

Once a month, we celebrate our “Champion of the Month”. This is an hourly employee who has gone above and beyond in the performance of their duties. Nominations come from Residents, peers and the management team who have observed their job performance. I started thinking about who my nomination would be as I was walking out my door at 6:15 am. There, I noticed one of our dedicated Housekeepers, already working on cleaning an apartment who recently housed a visiting family member. “Good Morning! I just wanted to get started early so none of my scheduled residents would be inconvenienced.” Here I am. Trying to walk McCoy before my first cup of coffee, and she is smiling, singing to herself, and on the job, worrying about not missing scheduled times for her next Residents. She could be my Champion! 

Walking, I was reminded of last night’s “Exquisite Cuisine” Event. Mark and Skye did a remarkable event bringing some of my favorite tastes of the Old World to Memphis. But what really struck me was the excitement that Ty, Terra, and Keith had on their face, how professional they looked in their uniforms, knowing that in a few minutes they would be delivering these culinary delights to our residents with amazing pride. Here are my Champions! 

But then, there was the incident around Lake Latimer this month. While a husband was strolling with his wife in a wheelchair, he turned to drop a piece of trash away into the receptacle. With her wheels unlocked, she rolled into the lake, chair and all. Within 2 minutes, Security responded and jumped immediately into the water without hesitation. Caleb’s quick response surely averted what could have been a tragedy! Caleb is truly our “Champion of the Month”! 

What is my message here? With the beginning of the Holiday season, I want to give thanks to all our great employees who come in every day they are scheduled and give their all to their departments and fellow employees, their supervisors, and to me! I…we all are truly blessed to be surrounded by such great employees! 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I will see you around the Estate!