Three Employees Shine This Month
This month, we celebrated three employees who stood out above the rest: our manager at Viking House, an employee at Newport House, and an employee at Western House.
Leader of the Month - Pam Owen 
I would like to show my appreciation for Pam Owen. Pam has been such an integral part of the wellness and happiness of all the individuals at Viking. She puts a smile on everyone’s face each and every time she walks through the door. She is always integrating the individuals into the community, accommodating for all their wants and desires, and despite having a small pool of staff, she ensures the individuals are getting the best care possible. She is excellent at juggling through chaos and is so personable. She makes the house a home full of fun and love. Thank you for all your years of service and continued support for the individuals you serve!
Employee of the Month - Nakia Hammond
I would like to nominate Nakia Hammond to be employee of the month. Nakia has been an amazing help. She knows the house inside and out. She cares for the residents like 
they are her own family. She is always willing to come in and pick up shifts. She has helped make the transition between managers smooth and effective. If I didn’t have Nakia, I don’t know where I would be. When state was at Newport, Nakia knew what to do and where most of everything was that we needed. She always has been had an impression on others within the company. Michael Ohlhauser had mentioned this statement to Mary Thirsten a few weeks ago. Stating Nakia at Newport really helps with keeping him updated on things that need to be done, and he really appreciated that, especially during the manager transition. He also said one day while at Newport, Nakia was in the back cleaning out resident rooms and everything was being reorganized, gone through, and replaced. He wished every house did that and they should model after Nakia! He concluded, I hope someone recognizes how valuable Nakia is to Phoenix! Thank you for all you do Nakia!
Employee of the Month - Debbie Willis
Debbie is the glue that holds Western together. Since Kathy 
left Western, Debbie has stepped up to the plate big time. She is an invaluable resource to the staff, family members, and the administrative team. There was a legislative site visit at Western, and Jen, the active manager at the time, was running late. I asked Debbie to step in and help with the visit and the tour, and she didn’t miss a beat. She stepped right in and did the tour flawlessly. Her talking points for the legislator were as if I had written them myself. It is for these reasons and many more that Debbie’s nomination is so well deserved.