July 2009 - Heritage Ministries hosted its annual Employee Recognition Dinner on June 30th at the Girl Scout Council in Jamestown.  The event honored 51 Heritage employees for a total of 485 years of dedicated service to this non-profit, human service ministry organization.  Heritage Ministries also honored two outstanding employees with prestigious awards.

The Rev. LeRoy L. Lundgren Servant Leadership Award was presented to Gerry Eklum, Assistant Director of Nursing at Heritage Park Rehab & Skilled Nursing (Jamestown).  In the nomination submitted by Sharon Walters, who is supervised by Ms. Eklum, it was noted that Gerry, “displays servant leadership to all; always treats everyone, including co-workers, residents, and family members with respect.  She goes out of her way to resolve issues and assist in meeting needs.  Gerry is a true servant leader.”

When presenting the award to Mrs. Eklum, David Smeltzer, Executive Director for Heritage Ministries Management Company, explained, “The late Rev. Lundgren lived a life of service to Christ and to others.  As a resident of Heritage Village Retirement Campus, this commitment made a profound impact on residents and staff alike.  As a supervisor, Gerry exemplifies the servant leader qualities that LeRoy displayed.”

The Mary Lou Clark Outstanding Customer Service Award was presented to Mary Terrill, Director of Housekeeping at Heritage Village Rehab & Skilled Nursing (Gerry).  Mrs. Clark, a current employee and the award’s first recipient, was on hand for this special award presentation.

In the nomination submitted by Heritage Village Chaplain Sam Shreffler, Mary was described as someone who, “has gone above and beyond serving others with a desire to make their day better.  Mary has a willingness to do whatever is needed to make a resident feel ‘more at home’.  Her open spirit and willingness to go the second or even third mile makes her a true ambassador for customer service.”

In order to promote improved customer service throughout the entire organization, Heritage Ministries runs a program titled, “You Are Valued.”  The organization’s commitment to customer service states that, “All employees must be committed to establishing and maintaining meaningful, positive relationships with customers in order to produce consistent, high-quality services designed to meet and exceed the needs and expectations of those customers.”  Gerry Ecklum and Mary Terrill are two prime examples of this commitment to outstanding customer service.

For more information regarding career opportunities with Heritage Ministries, please call Laura Blake, Human Resource Director, at 716-487-6872 or visit www.heritage1886.org.  There are immediate career opportunities currently available for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Registered Nurses.

Following is a list of employees who were honored for their years of service:

Heritage Village Rehab & Skilled Nursing (Gerry)

• 5 Years – Carol Frontuto, Cynthia Harvey, Anita Mosher, Michael Palmieri, Mary Ann Padgett, Harry Reese & Darlene Shreffler
• 10 Years – Karen Goodwin, Debbie Jedrysik, David Linder & Linda Millspaw
• 15 Years – Janette Landon, Josette Peck, Cindy Stroth, Nancy Thorp & Deanna Wilkinson
• 20 Years – Ruth Morano
• 25 Years – Mary Astry & Diane Shaw

Heritage Park Rehab & Skilled Nursing (Jamestown)

• 5 Years – Christine Dorsey, Desirae Martin, Laurie Norman & Kathleen Ross
• 10 Years – Jennifer Brightman, Marilyn Hale, Terra McKay, Pamela Peterson & John Ramey
• 15 Years – Steven Foster

Heritage Green Rehab & Skilled Nursing (Greenhurst)

• 5 Years – Debra Johnson, Mary Jo Lamari-Brunecz, Raymond McGinnis, Tracy Swanstrom & Karen Thompson
• 10 Years – Susan Billgren, Loueva Farnham, Dawn Frary, Joseph Koterass, Bridget Lowe, Debra Parker, Joyce Parker, Karen Richard, Mary Seastrum, Sheri Wickham & Katherine Wofford
• 20 Years – Charyle Tyler

Heritage Village Retirement Campus (Gerry)

• 5 Years – Ralph Cardone

Heritage House Childcare & Learning Center (Jamestown)

• 5 Years – Stephanie Samuelson

Heritage Ministries Management Company

• 5 Years – Martha Butcher, Mark Constantino & Pamela Lehnen