Career Opportunities

Meet Our 2009 STARS

At Brightview, our core values – STARS – are more than just words on a page. The STARS principles guide our interactions with co-workers, residents and business partners; influence the way that we do our jobs; and inspire us to deliver exceptional service to both internal and external customers. Associates in all of our communities are eligible to receive monthly or quarterly STARS awards and from that group of community winners, we select five individuals to receive our coveted annual STARS awards. Recipients of the 2009 awards and their guests were invited to attend our annual leadership conference in Rhode Island to receive their awards. Meet our STARS below and hear their Brightview stories.

Anne Kelley, STARS Story of the Year

Senior Resident Assistant
Brightview Baldwin Park

Senior Resident Assistant, Anne Kelly, with 20-plus years of experience caring for seniors, has been a community-changing force at Brightview Baldwin Park’s Wellspring Village. Anne is quick witted, careful and compassionate. Our beloved residents and their family members seem to have an endless supply of compliments for this sweet lady who, with empathy, kindness, laughter, gentle touches and hugs, takes such loving care of residents.

Anne is a Coach who leads by example. She reminds co-workers – and all of us -- that our residents have a life history filled with experiences, memories and accomplishments. Anne points out that each resident has family members who made a decision to move their loved one from home to our community. She fully understands the complexity of the feelings associated with such a move. She teaches the associates that we are not only caring for residents affected by Alzheimer’s disease; we also have an obligation to give equal care to the resident’s loved ones who are watching the gradual decline of someone special. Optimum dignity and the best possible care always is part of the compassion Anne offers and examples.

Anne knows the name of each resident and his or her life story like old friends. She gets to know each person, enjoys them, and interacts with them as the unique individuals they are. For one resident, a retired Spanish Professor, Anne discovered that one of our volunteers was a Spanish student. Imagine the delight the resident experienced when the young man sat with her and began to speak the language she taught, and completely remembered. Her face lit up. This resident was a teacher again as she proceeded to teach the budding Spanish speaker, providing corrections and new words for him to learn.

Anne truly exemplifies what we mean by Vibrant Engagement; she leads by example and coaches the associates how to follow in her footsteps.

Amanda Rayman, Hospitality Associate of the Year

Lead Cook
The Montclair

Amanda Rayman highlights our core values of Service, Teamwork and Action. With a big smile, lots of energy, and eager to learn, Amanda came to The Montclair at the age of 16 applying for her first job. She began as a part time dining room bus person but it was soon apparent she had the potential for much more. Seven years later, Amanda is now a full time lead cook. Amanda has a passion for all that we do at The Montclair and it is obvious when you see her interact with residents and their families.

Amanda is a true example of a team player. If Amanda hears a complaint, no matter how small, she makes it her mission to correct the situation. Once, when Amanda overheard that a resident was less than satisfied with our ribs, she created a new Maple Glaze that raised the satisfaction level and we continue to serve her recipe today.

Amanda now trains new additions to the cooking team. She wants to instill her values and sense of pride in our meals to her new peers. Most recently Amanda knew she would be going out on maternity leave and she made a point to write VERY specific directions for her relief cook so the residents would not feel a change in their dining experience during her absence. Amanda is so dedicated to the residents of The Montclair.

This is what Amanda’s co-workers have to say about her: she is a team player, dedicated to the residents of the Montclair and to her teammates; Amanda is hard working, out going, dependable, friendly and knowledgeable. She takes great pride in all that she does. Amanda is eager to learn new skills and she is a great trainer. It is no wonder Amanda was selected by her peers to be The Montclair Associate of the Quarter and now our Associate of the Year! We are so proud to have her as part of our amazing team.

Carol Kelley, Caregiver Associate of the Year

Certified Nursing Assistant
Evergreen Woods

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Carol Kelley has been a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for the Health Center since January 2002. With a sense of humor that is contagious, Carol is a great example of Brightview’s STAR principles of Service, Teamwork, Action and Reputation. When you combine these principles, her vibrant personality, and her excellent technical skills you get a special person who conducts her job duties with ease, caring and confidence.

Residents in our Health Center each think they are Carol’s favorite because of her special acts of kindness. Whether it’s a sweet treat, a book, a card, flowers, or a game, Carol takes time to show she cares. Carol once purchased new outfits for a resident simply because she knew that the resident’s family did not live nearby. Not only were the outfits beautiful, but she added the jewelry that looked perfect as well. The resident was all smiles.

Carol has an amazing way of caring for our hospice residents. She can be seen shaving a resident, maybe for the last time; finding just the right soft music to play; and making sure the resident’s surroundings look just perfect. Carol makes a positive impact in the lives of our residents every day.

Carol provides exceptional service not only to our residents but also to our family members and other visitors. If a visitor needs help with directions to an apartment, Carol goes the extra mile to escort them to their destination. She promotes the Health Center in a positive manner and aides us in keeping our outstanding reputation in the community.

Carol truly understands the value of teamwork and is a mentor to new associates. Once her assignments are completed, you can hear Carol ask her peers if they need help. She is truly a motivator and advocate for excellent resident care. It is inspiring to see the respect Carol’s peers have for her.

Phyllis Bouchard, Coach of the Year

Maintenance Director
Brightview Commons

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Phyllis Bouchard is the Maintenance Director at Brightview Commons. Phyllis has experience; she is skilled and knowledgeable; she is eager to learn and share her knowledge; and she has extremely high standards for herself and all those around her. Phyllis’ team jumps into action to make an apartment ready for a new resident. She leads her team to do the small yet meaningful extras. In this way, she not only delights the resident, but also examples the importance of how the small personal touches can make a big difference to our residents and family members.

After taking part in the Brightview STAR coaching program, Phyllis readily shared what she had learned with fellow directors and supervisors. At the end of the year, directors and supervisors were asked to reflect on how they performed as a STAR coach during the past year. Phyllis wrote, “I rank myself 9.9 for following the coaching model, but 5.5 as a coach. I say that because I follow the model and talk about it a lot. But we ALL need to continuously improve and learn and grow from every situation.” Phyllis is a STAR Coach because she understands that we learn best by doing.

For example, Phyllis saw potential in a young Job Corp student and took the time and effort to mentor him at the community as a technician-in-training. With Phyllis as his coach, the trainee gained hands-on experience with all facets of day-to-day interior and exterior maintenance, plumbing, HVAC, and appliance repair and today is a full fledged Maintenance Technician. In addition to the highly technical training Phyllis provided, she also provided excellent coaching in how to become a part of our residents’ community – how to listen and respond to residents’ needs -- and how to work as an integral member of a team dedicated to serving those residents. Associates are fortunate to work side-by-side each day with a STAR coach who lives what she teaches.

Cherie Pimental, Caregiver Coach of the Year

Health Services Director
Country Club Heights

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Brightview Country Club Heights’ Health Services Director Cherie Pimental L.P.N is well respected by her team for her very high standards of care. When Cherie is overseeing a situation, you can be assured it is being addressed and a solution will be reached.
Cherie’s goal is to help our residents maintain their wellness and sense of vitality. With her nursing experience, she can help residents address any clinical issues they have as well as offer support and assistance through health transitions. Families appreciate how Cherie also strives to care for their needs too in difficult situations.

Cherie values her associates and sets a great example of what a STAR Coach is all about! Her philosophy has always been, never ask someone to do something she would not do herself. And Cherie has had occasion to do many varied things in a great spirit of good-nature. She can be found in the dining room serving coffee and chatting with residents, or participating in Cinco De Mayo with her bright dresses and large festive hats. Once, when we were waiting for our new exercise instructor, Cherie dressed up as Richard Simmons and exercised with residents to “oldies”music! She is always willing to step out of her comfort zone and support the community wherever she is needed. And, on her own time, Cherie creates hand-crafted gifts for her team as a way to say thank you for their efforts.

Cherie is truly a leader who has embraced the Brightview STAR Coaching model and learned to recognize and reward excellence in her team. She confirms the value of the approach to all fellow Department Heads and shares examples of great coaching opportunities. We are fortunate to have Cherie as part of our organization. Her team will say “she can drive us crazy but we wouldn’t trade her for the world!”

Maureen McNamara, Executive Director Coach of the Year

Executive Director, Brightview Commons

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In 2009, Maureen McNamara took her coaching, management and leadership skills to a new level. Believing that her team of Department Directors could benefit from a renewed sense of focus, she embarked on a teambuilding project that has indeed brought an enlivened sense of energy and goal-oriented team spirit. The Brightview STAR coaching model was a great addition to her project and helped reinforce core principals such as setting clear expectations and measuring improvements as well as opportunities.

With her past experience as a business consultant, Maureen implemented a series of team meetings that required the Department Head participants to actively engage in discussions on key topics that are central to a cohesive team: trust, handling conflict, commitment, accountability, and attention to results. The discussions were not always easy; however, they persevered as team. As a result, the department heads now refer to themselves as “Team 1.” There is active participation in the overall community goals. Team members know their teammate’s strengths and weaknesses and they openly hold each other accountable to the standards they know they can achieve when they work together.

The following excerpts are from a letter written to Maureen from her “Team 1”:

…You are a teacher and a mentor in more ways than you can know. We watch you manage through our daily demands on your day, and you do so with such ease.

…Your leadership over the years has created a “community.” It is evident in your actions and words that you want to gather the best of our individual qualities so that we may grow.

…Your coaching and leadership style reflect that you are a person who cares about the individual. We are affectionately known as Team 1. We love our name and we love knowing that we are #1 in your eyes.

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