Cura at Woodbury Senior Living

Woodbury, Minn.

Nominator: Christine Thompson, Cura district manager for healthcare

“Christine joined the Cura team in February of 2020 and had very little time to become familiar with our ‘normal’ operation before we had to close dining rooms and only provide meal service to residents in their rooms when the pandemic hit mid-March. Christine has made an impact in just a few months with both staff and residents, often going out of her way to provide physical support to her team as well as words of encouragement when things get stressful.

To keep her staff motivated and feeling appreciated, Christine provided an assortment of treats for them with expressions of gratitude like, ‘You’re all that and a bag of chips’ attached to a package of Ruffles Potato Chips. Employees could grab a snack any time they needed a pick-me-up!

Christine wrapped roses for the residents of the Villa and made bouquets for the residents on the TCU unit. She wrote personalized notes, using their first name, letting them know that she loved them, how she hoped they were having a good day and that better days are coming.  Christine provided more than flowers—her sincerity and authentic appreciation, and selfless giving for the residents was the real gift!

Christine assisted her Director, Nate Johnson, with the coordination and operation of a food pantry for all employees. Each employee was able to pick up a bag of groceries during four distributions over two weeks, which required much time and attention in addition to the normal operation of serving our residents.

While keeping a cool head and positive attitude, assuring staff that they are safe and being protected from the virus, Christine herself was exposed to COVID-19 and had to be isolated for several days while waiting for her own test results. She is a single mom with teenagers at home, and this not only kept her from the residents she enjoys so much, but also isolated from her family during that time. She was ecstatic when her results were negative, and she could resume her duties at work and at home!

Christine has been a joy to Cura and Woodbury Senior Living and is a True Foodservice Hero for going out of her way to serve without seeking recognition!”

Nominator: Max Silver, safety manager, Morrison Living

“Dayle Is responsible for all day-to-day food service operations, including retail food service, catering events and resident meals for more than 300 veterans in residence and in the day health program. William oversees purchasing, dining, laundry and housekeeping services for eight senior living communities in the New York tri-state area, including the Long Island State Veterans Home.

The COVID-19 coronavirus did not wait for communities to be ready for its arrival. Its spread was already gaining momentum when it hit the Long Island Veterans Home in Stonybrook, N.Y., where it rapidly infected staff and residents, killing 46 by April 2020. The community's executive director called the disease ‘the most wicked terrorist you could ever face.’

That terrorist faced formidable opponents in Dayle Bara and William Palumbo. Morrison Living had been providing services and staffing to the Long Island State Veterans Home for just under a year when the pandemic hit New York. Nevertheless, William and Dayle acted decisively, bringing quick thinking, organizational skills and inspirational leadership to the task.

Realizing that the community would immediately need to reduce contact between staff members, Dayle began realigning schedules and responsibilities while cross-training team members to do jobs that were outside their comfort zones. She also identified opportunities to provide some services remotely, ramping up the clinical dietitian team’s use of telehealth technology. At the same time, she sought ways to provide emotional support and guidance to staff members, enabling them to keep up with these dramatic changes to previously normal processes. She also led her staff to bolster morale for veterans now isolated from relatives with programs for Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day. As of the writing of this nomination, plans are in progress for recognition of Memorial Day in ways that will be meaningful to the community’s veterans.

William’s crisis management experiences honed during Hurricane Sandy enabled him to become the New York version of M*A*S*H’s Radar O’Reilly (known for his ability to procure the impossible when it was needed most). Sanitization and personal protection equipment were already becoming scarce. But, a combination of creative thinking, research and negotiation skills enabled him to procure everything that all of the tri-state senior living communities served by Morrison Living—including Long Island State Veteran's Home—would need. He reached out to a Colorado alcohol distillery that had shifted production to making hand sanitizer. He found 400 pairs of goggles for employees working in high-moisture dish and pot rooms. He networked online to source masks, gowns and other personal protection equipment from lesser-known vendors.

All the while, something bigger than the job at hand was driving both William’s and Dayle’s efforts. As the two were battling the spread of COVID-19, Morrison Regional Vice President Joseph Viviano was battling the disease itself. William recalls, ‘Joe was our leader, our mentor, the person we turn to in times of crisis. We couldn’t turn to him for his leadership and encouragement. So, we had to try to emulate him, to make him proud.’ Thankfully, Joe has made a full recovery—and his account of Dayle and William’s responsiveness to the crisis is what first inspired this nomination.

The impact that COVID-19 has had worldwide has been well reported in the news media. Unchecked, it remains devastating. However, at Long Island State Veterans Home, William’s and Dayle’s efforts made a dramatic difference. The community’s Nutritional Services, Wilfredo Wilke, asserts, ‘Both Dayle and William clearly care. In a time of challenge, they stepped up to the plate, calmly and with intelligence. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know how we would been able to do the job.’

Joe Viviano concurs, ‘Dayle transformed processes professionally, astutely and calmly while keeping up morale. And at a time when protection and sanitization products were in short supply, William was able to source what we needed, where we needed them both at Long Island State Veterans Home and throughout the tri-state area. Together, they led a complete change of course for a successful community response, virtually overnight, dramatically reducing incidences of the virus.’”

Cura at Holy Redeemer Lafayette

Philadelphia

Nominator: Tachee Bechton, Cura dining room manager

“Hannah is a server in the dining room at Holy Redeemer Lafayette in Philadelphia. She is not only an awesome server; she is an awesome person. She shows so much love and kindness for our residents. Although, we have not been open, she continues to think of our residents. On her own time and using her own money she goes to the store and purchases coloring books, puzzles, magazines, books and games for the residents. She leaves them on each floor so the residents can enjoy. One resident, Leo Boyer, would come down to the lobby every day to work on a huge puzzle. When residents were no longer able to congregate in the lobby, Hannah brought some puzzles just for Leo so he would still be able enjoy his passion for puzzles. That’s why I would like to nominate Hannah Curran for Foodservice Hero. She is thoughtful and her heart is so pure and kind.”

Cura at Holy Redeemer Lafayette

Philadelphia

Nominator: Tachee Bechton, Cura dining room manager

“Julio is a server at Holy Redeemer Lafayette in Philadelphia. Julio always goes above and beyond to make our residents here happy. We have a healthcare resident, Paul, who would come downstairs every night to talk to Julio. When COVID-19 prevented Paul from coming downstairs to talk to Julio he started to become depressed and withdrawn. Julio gave Paul his phone number so they could continue their friendship. Paul and Julio continue to talk every night. Julio also shows care for his fellow coworkers. He will bring in donuts just because. No job is too big nor too small for Julio he is always will to lend a helping hand. That is why I would like to nominate Julio Flores for Food Service Hero.”

Peter Becker Community

Harleysville, Pa.

Nominator: Grace Zarnas-Hoyer, Cura manager of public relations

“Josh manages dining at Peter Becker Community (PBC), a large continuing care retirement community in Harleysville, Pa. When the COVID-19 hit, Josh quickly assembled his team to continue to offer the Always Available Menu for residents who live at Maplewood Estates or from the Seasons Café and Garden Dining Rooms. The menu features a soup of the day, mozzarella sticks, onion rings and french fries. Entrees include grilled chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, grilled ham steak, meat loaf, cheese crusted tilapia or order sandwiches with sides and even fresh flatbreads. Also available are salads and desserts. 

In addition to the Always Available menu, which is all to go, Josh offers prepared salads by the pound such as tuna and chicken salad, meats for preparing in residents’ apartments or for the 185 residents who live in the cottages like filet of beef, chicken breast, salmon and ground beef. A makeshift grocery store was created that includes dairy, produce, deli, grocery and frozen ready-to-eat meals.

Residents order from the Always Available Menu and Grocery store by phone. The call team is made up of primarily high school students. We have a huddle with our call order team each morning to see what we have and what we don’t have. They will work with the residents on the availability and will work to see what they can replace or when that items will come in. According to Josh, ‘The huddles are important as it helps to train the students on more than just taking an order, we are training them to be concierges.’

Prior to COVID-19, Josh was celebrated for the unique meals plans that he offers to residents. According to Josh, ‘Food is a huge part of the senior living residential experience. Today’s residents are looking for options and the traditional way of dining does not necessarily align with today’s care-free lifestyles.’ The move to creating multiple dining options for residents at PBC was not something new for the Harleysville-based community. ‘As part of our commitment to the residents at PBC, we involved PBC management and residents to create multiple dining plans that met their individual lifestyle,’ says Crandall. The result: Tier-level dining plans featuring multiple levels of participation, flexibility and opportunities designed to accommodate residents best suited for occasional dining, weekly dining as well as daily dining at all four PBC campus restaurants including The Courtyard at the Ridges, Season’s Café, Garden View Dining and The Chef’s Table. The plans offer nine dining packages (three for cottages and six for apartment living) that offer a base package with $100 dining dollars per month, which increase in increments of $50 to $450 in monthly spends. Each dining package features rewards such as discounts on purchases, restaurant exchange, gift card allowance, annual birthday meals, guest meals and special events, as well as complimentary fountain beverages and coffee. ‘And that’s only the beginning. There are daily and weekly special going on and meal must-haves like the Grand Buffet,’ says Crandall. A monthly dining guide complements the dining program and features the latest about what’s happening in the community’s food scene, creating new ways for people to experience food!

Residents were still able to participate on their meal plans during COVID-19, but a challenge came about three weeks ago when the executive chef and sous chef unexpectedly left and took other jobs. Josh immediately decided to stay at PBC in one of the vacant resident apartments to be available 24/7. It was difficult on Josh since he is married and has two young daughters. Josh never skipped a beat and continued to serve with the little staff he had until he found temporary culinary assistance.

Memorial Weekend was glorious as Josh was busy roasting 160 pounds of pork butts from Hatfield Quality Meats in his outdoor smoker in preparation for the Memorial Day holiday! Pulled pork sandwiches, along with traditional sides were delivered to resident apartments and cottages. Residents enjoyed housemade New England seafood chowder and delicious strawberry ice cream sandwiches on sugar cookies! Josh is a food service hero who goes above and beyond to make sure his residents are well fed and cared for!”

Mill Valley Care Center & Sunrise Villa Assisted Living

Bellevue, Iowa

Nominator: Chad Myers, culinary manager, Mill Valley Care Center & Sunrise Villa Assisted Living

“I would like to nominate my employee Karen Parramore, dietary cook, for the Foodservice Hero award. She has worked in this position since 2009. She is the cook for our facility for breakfast and lunch, and sometimes covers other shifts when needed.

The reason I am nominating her is for the exact reason you are doing the award, which is for going above and beyond her duties as a cook. I like to call it hospitality. She is phenomenal at making sure people are taken care of. There was a small amount of hesitancy when I started this position late last summer. I was new to the senior dining sector, and some of the ‘changes’ I have been making have been slow to implement. But as time has gone by, I think she is buying into what I would like to accomplish and is helping take the food program to the next level. She is a workhorse. She works relentlessly to accomplish all that she can in a day, maximizing her production.

As the coronavirus pandemic has come along, she has been more than accommodating with the multiple regulations, some of which changed within the same day. My first real menu came out in April and she has been very engaged in making sure that the vision I had was carried out.  I have been using recipes from my childhood, and she has been making sure that I approve of her decisions and everything tastes right.

She will step in and work shifts when other people cannot. We have an employee that is going through chemotherapy, and when this all started, she couldn’t work. Karen was more than willing to do whatever it took to get coverage on shifts. Her dedication to making sure that the residents are taken care of every meal service is a trait that you cannot teach. She also spends her own money to bring treats for the other employees. Examples include candy and making iced coffee drinks.

I feel like with what we are doing with the vision we have, it is working. Except for one resident, during the month of April, there was no weight loss in the facility. The dietitian feels that with all of the restrictions the residents have with eating in their rooms, family not being able to enter the facility, and group activities coming to a halt, they are obviously still eating. There is no way without Karen’s help that this would be possible. As far as Foodservice Hero now during the pandemic or anytime, Karen Parramore fits the bill.”

ManorCare Huntingdon Valley

Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Nominator: Madison Brennan, public relations/social media specialist, Sodexo

“Our team at ManorCare Huntingdon Valley is running a special today for their residents that are restricted to their rooms for meals. Keith Patterson, one of our cooks at the unit, is making specialty pizza for his residents for March Madness. While they are unable to watch basketball at this time, it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the food! What a wonderful thing to see, bringing some joy into our residents’ day during this difficult time.”

Canterbury on the Lake

Waterford, Mich.

Nominator: Alyssa Malmquist, marketing communications manager, Unidine

“L’Toya is a cook in the kitchen. She is cross-trained in all of our stations in the kitchen including our hotline, baker/salad area, prep area, is and pm production. L’Toya has worked for Unidine since July 2019 but has been with Compass since January of 2017. Canterbury has a strict policy that if you are to come in or call off from work with any symptom of the COVID 19 pandemic, you will be off for seven days and quarantined. Any time we have had an employee that is off due to this policy, L’Toya is always the first step up to stay a couple of extra hours to help a coworker finish their job or to do the job of the person that was off after she has finished her shift. L’Toya has also been trained as a dietary aide. She often has taken off her chef coat to hop in and help the dietary aides when they are short due to the pandemic. She wears so many hats in our community! We have nicknamed her the ‘Welcome Wagon’ for all of our new staff that has come in during the pandemic. She is always there to offer advice, training, or a bright smile.

Mayfair Sienna site

Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Nominator: Lucy Niro, senior regional marketing manager, Aramark Canada East

“For the past two years, Mark has taken the lead at our Mayfair Sienna site, a retirement residence. Mark continues to push the envelope focusing on resident satisfaction, safety and staff engagement. His vision involves everyone ‘being on the bus’ and not accepting the norm. Mark spent endless days securing the operational effectiveness within the home during COVID with all challenges presented including employee turnover, increased expectations on the client front and continued focus on resident experience:

• Increased staff engagement and focus on boosting morale by organizing weekly events

• Developed menus that aligned with both Aramark and Sienna’s visions

• Managed service models with cleaning frequency increased by 300% to 400%, expanded seating services in the dining room and took on many out-of-scope duties as part of his regular routines.”

Phoebe Berks

Wernersville, Pa.

Nominator: Jim Crossin, Cura district manager-healthcare

“Mark manages at Phoebe Berks, a senior living continuing care retirement community in Wernersville, Pa., where Cura, Phoebe’s senior living and healthcare dining services partner, prepares and delivers more than just meals…they are sending messages, providing hope and smiles!

Mark manages a team including a team of 75, including 19 high school student servers from Conrad Weiser High School and Wilson High School who help to assemble 1,000 meals that are prepared fresh and delivered to resident doorsteps daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The students also draw messages on the to-go containers.

The day begins at 6 a.m. for the dining staff of 75. As the team gets ready to take 225 ‘phone-in’ meal orders from the residents as early as 7 a.m., Executive Chef Eric Shocket and Nate Phillips, sous chef, are very busy managing our back-of-the-house kitchen operations. Together, all day, they prep, dice, sauté, grill, cook and bake. They ensure our residents can select from several made-to-order options for breakfast and lunch including a variety of deli sandwiches and housemade chili! Home-cooked dinners always feature two specials that changes daily. A sample dinner menu is minestrone soup, smoked sausage, baked lemon pepper catfish fillet, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and spring vegetables. And, who can pass up desserts like cookies and pies baked fresh onsite like coconut custard and pecan! In addition to a traditional Easter dinner, the dining team will prepare themed dinners including a recent St. Louis Barbecue themed dinner featuring ribs, big butter beans and cornbread! ‘This is a special team. We have adult team members who work 12- to 13-hour days to make sure our residents are fed and well cared for,’ says Olszewski.  

Themed dinners are Mark’s specialty. Prior to COVID-19, Mark offered a Taste and Travel America, a monthly dining series where seniors received a ticket for a virtual summer road trip all over the USA. Each month, Cura Hospitality chefs and cooks recreate the culinary traditions and trends of a different American city.

Guy Fieri’s hit show, ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,’ inspired Mark Olszewski to bring iconic road-trip grub into the comforts of home for residents. ‘Seniors aren’t able to get out much anymore, so wouldn’t it be fun to bring it to them. We build a menu around the different areas but it’s more of an event, too,’ Olszewski says. The first culinary road trip took residents to a fixture in Philadelphia since 1893, the Reading Terminal Market. Roast pork and broccoli rabe sandwiches inspired by the DiNic’s stall at the market (recently named the Best Sandwich in America by the Travel Channel) kicked off the series in a memorable way.

A culinary excursion to Kansas City took an unexpected turn (or twister) to the Emerald City, with a Wizard of Oz-themed meal. Emerald City salad represented the movie’s iconic switch to Technicolor, with oranges, pineapples, cherries, coconuts, pecans and mini marshmallows with a sweet cream sauce.

The menu for each ‘destination’ is split into two sections: food on one side and interesting facts on the other. For the Kansas City trip, on the other side of the menu was ‘fun facts you may not know about the Wizard of Oz,’ like the fact that Dorothy’s blue dress was originally pink.

When asked if it was a difficult transition to go from traditional sit-down meals and the former promotions to all to-go orders, Olszewski and his team never missed a beat as this was not the first, but the third dining transition this year. Just prior to the pandemic, over 130 independent residents were served their meals in the community’s auditorium due to an extensive front-of-the house renovation of their community dining rooms. The dining team currently is using the auditorium to assemble meals, but beginning next week, will move to the newly renovated dining areas for assembly. ‘We just go with the changes and make sure that the residents never think that their dining experience is compromised. We continue to prepare and serve a full menu and will try to accommodate anything they desire,’ says Olszewski.

Staples and other grocery items are also available for purchase through dining including milk, orange juice, iced tea, eggs, deli meat and salads by the pound, frozen Stauffer’s meals, breads sold by the loaf, freshly baked cookies, condiments and Turkey Hill ice cream…of course! ‘Our caring, young and responsible student workers will also grocery shop for other items. A group of seven students who take the grocery lists of 90 residents and grocery shop for them at the local Redner’s,’ says Mark. 

Mark works very hard and manages a great team who support a very large community!”

Tudor Manor/Aramark Canada

Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

Nominator: Lucy Niro, senior regional marketing manager, Aramark Canada East

“Randy has served as a cook at Tudor Manor for the past year. He has voluntarily taken on extra duties due to COVID-19, and, as result, has been working six day per week to fill vacant shifts. He has also worked 12-hours shifts due to short staffing. Randy gave up a second job with another company in favor of working full-time for Aramark’s healthcare division because, as he says, ‘I love seniors and I will make myself available to assist at Tudor Manor during COVID-19 outbreak.’

Randy not only cooked food for 150 residents but has also assisted other areas such as serving food from the main kitchen to residents in their rooms and also in dining halls.

Randy also displayed tremendous leadership skills after he took it upon himself to help other employees wash dirty dishes even though he wasn’t asked to do so. 

Although he often faces food shortages, Randy quickly puts together alternative meal/recipes much to the delight of his clients.

For example, Laura MacLean, a licensed practical nurse, had this to say about Randy: ‘Good news about the meal this evening, several residents stated how well the roast beef was done tonight. They really liked it, even ‘Chef Nichol’ resident in room 149 was pleased with it.’”

The Forum at Rancho San Antonio/Morrison Living

Cupertino, Calif.

Nominator: Tracy Blazer, regional director of operations, Morrison Living

“At most senior living communities, the utility staff—people who wash dishes, clean up and help with deliveries—are largely invisible. And, if they do their jobs well, people probably don’t even notice them at all. Romeo Mauricio does his job very well—and has gone well above and beyond the requirements of his job as his community has had to respond to COVID-19.

When Director of Dining Services Victoria Gumila recognized the dangers of the coronavirus, she became concerned for the well-being of her staff, as well as the community's residents. Being older than 65, Romeo was a member of a vulnerable population. But when Victoria informed him that he might want to stay home to protect his family, he looked her in the eye and affirmed, ‘This is going to be a very difficult situation. You are going to need all the help you can get.’ He  added, ‘As long as I am healthy and strong, I will keep on coming to work, don’t worry about me.’

Romeo saw that the dishwashing and janitorial areas would be especially critical in the fight to keep the coronavirus from spreading. He assumed a sense of ownership, insisting on cleanliness and order. Victoria explains, ‘The primary purpose of food and beverage is the food. But right now, cleanliness is especially critical. No one here is ‘just’ a dishwasher or cleaner. Today, the dishwashers and cleaners are keeping people from getting sick.’

No one should have been surprised by Romeo's commitment and can-do spirit. Before the pandemic, he was known for his generosity and attention to detail. He led younger employees by example, demonstrating the value and importance of a job well done. He would often bring in food from his native Philippines—pickled papaya and hearty rice dishes—to share with other dining services staff members, inspiring a sense of family. Indeed, the team calls him Tatay (Papa) Romeo as both a nod to his Philippine heritage and a gesture of respect.

Romeo’s wife works in The Forum’s laundry department, and there are days when their shifts don't line up. However, after dropping her off in the mornings, Romeo often waits in the parking lot, ready to step in, should someone not show up for work. He keeps an extra uniform in his car even on his days off, ‘just in case Victoria needs me.’ 

Victoria affirms, ‘The dishwasher isn't always the person you think of as heroic. But especially right now, sanitation and safety have never been more important. As far as I'm concerned, Tatay Romeo is the definition of a true hero.’

Romeo's insistence on cleanliness and order has played a significant role in keeping the virus from spreading through the community—with no new cases since March 2020. It is equally important to note that the kitchen staff members were the first in the community to voluntarily begin wearing masks and reducing contact with others, well before state mandates. As a result, in the earliest days of the crisis, they felt alienated from the rest of the community. Romeo inspired the team with a sense of connection and belonging, as well as recognition that no job is unimportant. ‘Tatay Romeo is a role model,’ states Victoria Gumila. ‘He raises the caliber of everyone around him. He holds everyone to a higher standard. And that raises everyone's work to new levels of excellence.’”

St Mary’s Highland Hills/Metz Culinary Management

Watkinsville, Ga.

Nominator: Maureen Metz, executive vice president, Metz Culinary Management

“Scott and his team worked tirelessly to make this very stressful and confusing time for his residents a little sweeter. At least three times a week, the team would put together something together to make his residents smile. Started with ‘I’m bananas for you!’ scratch-made banana muffins delivered directly to their rooms with love [and] resident happiness collection, where they took candy bars and wrote fun messages on.

It was a long few weeks before Good Friday, as a treat Scott prepared a wonderful staff lunch! He decided to do an early Easter brunch omelet station. He wanted them to stay sane and stay safe!!”

The Reutlinger senior living community/Morrison Living

Danville, Calif.

Nominator: Tracy Blazer, regional director of operations, Morrison Living

“Reutlinger serves approximately 150 assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation residents. Sonia has worked at The Reutlinger for 18 years, starting as a server and working her way up while simultaneously pursuing education and professional certifications.

Sonia is responsible for the supervision, administration and operation of dining services at The Reutlinger. This work includes managing 20 employees in support of a café, bistro, main dining room and room service.

In a field where caring about the residents and staff is a job requirement, Sonia takes her commitment to unprecedented levels. ‘Helping her staff and residents to feel loved and cared for is more than Sonia’s job,’ explains Katie Sprague, RD at The Reutlinger. ‘There is something deep in her soul that says anything worth doing is worth doing with creativity and joy.’ As a result, throughout her career, she demonstrated her thoughtful attention to detail in everything from holiday celebrations to birthday cakes.

When the coronavirus crisis hit, however, Sonia brought her commitment to an entirely new level. When asked to find ways of breaking up the monotony for residents confined to their rooms, she began creating mini celebrations. Since residents could no longer attend cooking demonstrations in the community's teaching kitchen, Sonia arranged to stream the demonstrations online, during which staff would deliver samples of the food to residents' rooms. She brought hand-decorated baskets filled with fresh berries to residents for National Pick Strawberries Day.

‘Anyone could send snacks and treats to residents in their rooms. This is different because Sonia has such amazing attention to detail—making sure that everything is meaningful and beautiful,’ notes Tracy Blazer, regional director of operations for Morrison Living, the dining services provider for The Reutlinger. ‘When you look at everything we’re trying to do to engage and cheer our residents, what makes them special is Sonia.’

Sonia’s commitment to improving life at The Reutlinger during COVID-19 extends to the staff, as well. In April, it came to her attention that one of her team members would be graduating from high school, and another was earning a university degree in criminal justice. Unfortunately, it being 2020, there would be no graduation processions or parties, no senior proms. Sonia responded at once, decorating a meeting room and creating a special (and socially distanced) graduation procession and prom at The Reutlinger for her graduating employees. She even included a special ceremony crowning the two graduates as Prom King and Queen. In short, she turned a couple of disappointments into a community celebration.

For some people, the terms ‘senior living’ and ‘retirement community’ conjure images of frailty and decline. That's definitely not the case at The Reutlinger—both for residents and staff—and Sonia Gonzales’ positive energy and leadership are a significant part of the reason why. She brings together two qualities that might seem like opposites in anyone else: She insists on the highest quality standards for herself and her teams—and she also is easily delighted. As a result, the people who work with her feel compelled to bring their best effort to the community—and the community thrives, even in this time of crisis. Indeed, everyone asked about this outstanding leader says the same thing. ‘Sonia inspires everyone.’”