2019 Honoring Excellence Awards

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1 2019 Honoring Excellence Awards April 3, 2019 Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center 2019 LeadingAge Illinois Annual Meeting & Expo

2 Now Accepting Applications! Join the Class of ! Learning Themes Finding your Authentic Leadership Voice Building and Leading Teams Becoming a Visionary Leader Discovering Work/Life Balance The LeadingAge Illinois Leadership Academy program is available to anyone who works for a LeadingAge Illinois member, irrespective of clinical or managerial experience. It is far more important for potential LeadingAge Illinois Leadership Academy Fellows to demonstrate deep leadership potential within their organizations than it is for them to carry specific job titles. Applications are available in the Expo Hall at the LeadingAge Illinois ReConnection Zone!

3 Honoring Excellence Awards The Honoring Excellence Award Program honors and recognizes staff employed by LeadingAge Illinois member organizations who put quality first, deliver excellence and inspire others to do the same. The program also recognizes one organization for an outstanding community impact program. Heart & Hands Award (one frontline and one management staff awarded) Awarded to individuals who embrace person centered care/service through efforts that go beyond those normally considered within the position s job description. This individual recognizes opportunities to create personalized experiences and acts on those opportunities creating an enhanced experience for the resident/client. Rising Star Award (one frontline and one management staff awarded) Awarded to individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary performance within their first 12 months of employment. They have consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic, commitment, initiative, leadership, and the ability to be a team player, and they routinely go above and beyond what is expected. Strive & Thrive (one frontline and one management staff awarded) Awarded to individuals who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to excellence. Through innovation and/or creative thinking the individual has produced or created a result that is a direct benefit to the resident/client or the organization. Leadership in Action Award (one management staff awarded) Awarded to an individual whose actions and leadership greatly enhance the work environment and the quality of life for his/her colleagues and/or resident/clients. The individual s accomplishments demonstrate a commitment to a team approach and excellence in the workplace. Community Impact Award Awarded to an organization for participation in outreach to the greater community beyond the organization s own walls or core mission that has a positive impact on both the community at-large and the organization itself. LeadingAge Illinois would like to thank the following individuals who served on the 2019 Honoring Excellence Task Force; Thank You! Alicia Leszko Angela Jalloh Becca Galuska Hannah Meyers Istvan Abdai Jon Dunker Mike Duffy Nina Kuzniak Pam Wyatt Seth Awes Rex Paisley Rick Paisley Ryan Hust Rebecca Sokulski

4 Heart & Hands Award Management Staff Sarah Jewett AL Resident Services Director, Smith Village Person-centered care is what it s all about for Sarah. She quickly and thoroughly informs her colleagues about emerging challenges and other areas of concern regarding a resident as they work together to make it more likely for them to age in place. She finds ways to add some fun to walkers and wheelchairs for residents by purchasing decorations to celebrate a holiday or special occasion. Making sure residents enjoy as much independence as they possibly can by staying actively engaged in pursuit of knowledge, social activities, and positive attitudes are the hallmark of Sarah. Book clubs and discussion groups, organized by Sarah, enrich the daily lives of residents who often have few opportunities to extend their consideration of world events, personal stories, and history. Sarah goes above and beyond to ensure assisted living residents feel connected to their community. Frontline Staff Joy Russo Certified Nursing Assistant, Oak Trace Jocelyn is often found with a small group of residents conducting her own individualized activities with them. Even though conducting activities is not a part of her official duties, she knows her resident s personal needs. She makes them feel comfortable, safe, and at home with family. She is highly complimented by family members and love that she is their loved one s C.N.A. Jocelyn is always ready to join in and assist other C.N.A s to find the right approach or connection with a resident. Jocelyn makes the time each day to share her cosmetology and fashion skills with the residents. Working with the skilled memory care neighborhood, she meets each person where they are in their journey and creates the best day possible for them. She does it all from the heart and possesses a beautiful connection and passion for residents with dementia.

5 Rising Star Award Management Staff Marisa Raffaelli Life Enrichment Manager, Friendship Village When Marisa began her role, she wasted no time pursuing her vision: organizing work spaces, upgrading decor, and stocking supplies to allow her staff to have the tools readily available for providing programs. She is quick to act on ideas or suggestions offered by her co-workers, consultant and manager, taking an idea and incorporating it into a reality to the benefit of the residents, enlisting others help as needed. Marisa expanded on successful programming, based on responses from the residents, increased the availability of leisure carts, expanded opportunities for creative expression and utilized the wider community to offer more in-house outings. Her success is largely due to her outgoing nature and her focus on developing relationships and teamwork to take full advantage of unique opportunities. Frontline Staff Kim Manny Sales Assistant, The Holmstad Kim assists incoming residents with their move in process and treats each person as if they were her own family. She knows each person s journey and challenges are different, so she gives plenty of love and attention to each person. Kim has demonstrated a strong ability to be a team player and has the highest standards of decision making because she always chooses the right thing to do. Kim s positive attitude, commitment to her work, and love for the residents was quickly noticed after she was hired. When you are around her, you cannot help but be lifted to her level of positivity. The productivity in the sales office has increased. It is no doubt due to the happy environment she has helped to create. Also, by providing easy new processes and streamlining old ones, Kim has made the sales team s responsibilities so much easier. We are grateful for our Sunshine every day!

6 Strive & Thrive Award Management Staff Akintunde Littlejohn Director of IT, The Admiral at the Lake Akintunde (LJ) has been with the organization since it opened its doors. He challenged leadership to think differently about our attendance policy which could be more open and accommodating in protection of good employees who just happen to work more than one job, care for young children as a single parent, etc. Earlier this year, LJ had the idea to introduce voice technology in our community. As he considered the project, he quickly realized that voice technology could be used with great intentionality around improving the quality of life and sense of connectedness for residents. A project like that has not only energized our community, but it s supported our values of lifelong learning, inclusion, community and connectedness. LJ has been a consistent voice calling on both formal and informal leadership to rise up together to build a real community of people who care for each other and for our residents. Frontline Staff Bunny Mirrilees Church & Community Relations, Windsor Park Bunny takes a great deal of pride and ownership in everything she does. She recognized that spiritual well-being is just as important as physical. She noticed that over time, our residents were not always able to leave campus and attend church services so she set up a pastor pass program that brought the pastor, priest or minister to the resident. Bunny also arranged for students from local schools to participate in intergenerational learning. Our residents were asking for ways to volunteer or give back to the community, so Bunny arranged a Volunteer Fair where various organizations looking for volunteers set up tables on campus. Residents were able to walk around and discover various volunteer opportunities. She comes in early to make sure set up is correct, we are presenting the best image for guests, and presenters have whatever they need. Bunny shows a genuine passion for resident s needs.

7 Leadership in Action Award Management Staff Silvia Morici Chief Operating Officer, Norwood Life Society Silvia puts an extensive amount of time and effort into making sure that the team is supported, that she communicates openly, and brings the team together. She encourages employees to have a work-life balance and assists with finding coverage so they can truly enjoy their time away. You can always find her giving a helping hand with complex decision making or mopping the floor - whatever is needed! Silvia has encouraged staff at all levels to explore opportunities to grown their knowledge base not only within their job focus, but outside of it to benefit themselves, the residents, and the organization. She motivates others to think critically, be positive, and make both facilities and programs better for residents and employees. She guides staff to problem solve and come up with creative solutions. Silvia is respected by all levels of staff for her teamwork and leadership. Community Impact Award Plymouth Place IntergenSational Theatre Collaborative For over a decade, our senior community has collaborated with a local teen theatre ensemble to bring vibrant IntergenSational theatrical productions to the greater community. This program provides unique learning opportunities that benefit both the teens and senior residents. The teens benefit from the encouragement, social interaction, leadership, and life experience of our residents, and the residents benefit from the enthusiasm, vibrancy, and support of the teens. Our partnership has made a significant community impact by exposing the audiences to and helping them explore current issues such as domestic violence, aging, mental health, literacy, and issues of family estrangement, alcoholism, Alzheimer s Disease, abandonment, and healing using the back door of stagecraft. The IntergenSational Theatre Collaborative continues to expand each year with innovative performances, and this year, the troupe played to sold-out audiences.

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