Recognizing Our Afton Nominees

Last week we announced our Employee of the Year winners, but we want to take time this month to recognize all our staff members who were nominated—that’s an achievement in itself! So throughout January, we’ll be recognizing all the staff who got nominated for these awards. 

Carol Metzger 

"I would like to nominate Carol Metzger as Manager of the Year. Carol is a great manager. She is always working to develop her staff, so they are better prepared to take care of our residents. She plans ahead and tries to get shifts covered in advance instead of waiting till the last minute. The staff have a lot of respect for her because she treats us with respect. She is always advocating for the residents of the house. She always has the time to listen to what staff is telling her. If there is a problem, she does everything within her power to solve it quickly. Our residents really like her. In the time I have worked with her, she has imparted so much knowledge. She manages with a style that makes you feel like you are a valued member of the team, not an underling. She’s a great asset to Phoenix, and especially Afton House."

 Casey Wilson

"I want to nominate Casey Wilson. She took on a ton of responsibility when Carol was out, and she worked her butt off to keep things running. She was constantly stressed to the max, but really kept the house together and made sure everything was running smoothly. She's an amazing asset to the team over at Afton and definitely also deserves consideration."

"She has great relationships with myself, staff, and the residents, and is always creating a fun/happy atmosphere. Her communication with me is impeccable. If she doesn't know something, she asks and learns. If changes are needed, we talk them through and come up with the best solution possible. She ALWAYS keeps me in the loop and supports and carries out my decisions positively.

Casey is also responsible for ordering the groceries and all meds for the house, which is not an easy task, especially where Nick's meds are concerned. She does this with grace and follows up, sometimes on numerous occasions, in order to ensure our residents are taken care of in the best way possible."

Karlea Kyllo 

"She is a great person to work with, has attention to detail, good at training, and willing to help other staff, no matter what is going on. She is willing to take the time with the residents to try and make them comfortable, even if there is something troubling them."

 Jim Sawtelle

"I’d like to nominate Jim Sawtelle as Employee of the Year. While I’ve only been a manager a short time, he’s consistently been my most reliable staff. He always has a positive attitude. He works incredibly hard and is so supportive of the other staff on shift. He loves the residents like family and treats them that way. While I was managing Afton alone, he continuously saved my butt when people called in and was so supportive when I was stressed out. He deserves this. Families also love him. I would want him caring for my loved one."

Matt Beconovich 

"Matt is very good with all the residents. He finds a way to engage all of them in conversation on a subject that is important to them. He is a patient trainer. He will show you what you need to do, then observe you while you do it, so he is sure you understand what needs to be done. He is proactive. He doesn't wait for things to go bad before dealing with them, he prepares ahead of time. He always helps other staff with the people they are working with, even if he hasn't been asked to. He will also make breakfast specialties for the residents when he works overnights. This is such a welcome surprise when coming in for the day shift."

Thank you to all our incredible staff for being a part of the Phoenix team!!