Thank You, Associates!

It is that time... when we come together as a Resort and thank our Associates for their hard work and dedication.  At Nemacolin Woodlands Resort we pride ourselves in delivering the very best in customer service.  While not every position at Nemacolin is considered a front-of-the-line position, meaning that an associate interacts face-to-face with our guests, it is still our philosophy that every associate's #1 job is our guests.  No matter the weight of their interactions, an associate's work each and every day does have an impact on the guest's experience. Please join us in congratulating our Associates of the Month and take a moment to learn more on why they were recognized.

RISING STAR:
Amber Kassouf - Retail
"Amber has taken on more responsibilities regarding our resort inventory and our receiving areas. She has implemented new procedures on transferring product and processing of damages that have been really effective"

FRONT OF THE HOUSE:
Jamon Lehman - Woodlands Spa, Salon
"Jamon is a very hard worker and is always up for whatever challenge is thrown his way. He owns every moment and creates lasting memories for his guests."














BACK OF THE HOUSE:
Josh Gray - Food & Beverage, Autumn Culinary
"Josh has stepped up and knocked it out of the park the past three months.  We were down a team member and Josh has done a tremendous job from working extra days and hours."












LEADER OF THE MONTH:
Kanya Knox - Banquets
"Kanya goes above and beyond what she is expected to do.  She always is ready to jump in and assist whatever department needs help, while also managing one of the biggest departments on property."

Scarecrow Contest Winners Have Been Decided!

It is that time of year, when spooky traditions are shared...

We test our nerves and assess our bravery by entering historical locations that have been declared "haunted."  We don our best or worst attire for the chance at the coveted title of "Most Creative" or "Scariest" costume. Once a tradition that dates back to Medieval times, where the poor would visit homes of the wealthier in order to receive pastries and gifts in exchange for promised prayers for the deceased, is now known as trick-or-treat and a competition for young to survey the quantity and quality of candies that fill their baskets. It is a time when the artist in us all, strategizes just how intricate we can go when pumpkin carving and then realizes before you can begin, someone must be willing to remove the stinky, gooey, guts and seeds that fill the inside. We huddle together under a blanket, with hands over our eyes, peeking through our fingers at the scary movie we wish we never turned on, and then sleep that night with the lights on.

And, at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort we get competitive and collect flannels and props, all for the chance to be declared the winner of our Annual Scarecrow Contest.  Scarecrow Contest?  Yes!  And it is a tradition that is hopefully an obvious sign of the spooky holiday we celebrate, as these creatures take over a space and greet our guests.  We even make the contest interactive, as we welcome our guests to join in on the fun, and leave the voting up to them!  Sometimes the "scariest" wins and other years the winner is the team that successfully was able to add some humor.

This year five departments competed:  Activities, Conference & Catering, Engineering, Laundry and Turfgrass.  They all brought their "A" game with well thought out creations, complete with a yellow brick road (see below).  Some made guests jump and others provided a nice chuckle, but when the voting ended we had new winners to announce.

1st Place - "Zombie" by Laundry

2nd Place - "Save The Pumpkins" by Engineering

3rd Place - "Dorothy" by Conference & Catering

Activities Department

Turfgrass Department

A special thank you to all of our recent guests that were able to join in on our Halloween tradition and fun.  We appreciate your votes!  Also, a big thank you to our departments for participating this year.

For our winners... bragging rights only last one year and like all traditions, they only get better with time, so we look forward to the surprises that are in store for next year.

Do you have a favorite Halloween tradition? If so, share below!

Congratulations to our Stars of the Month!

We may often boast the wonderful awards that our resort has earned throughout the years from AAA Five-Diamonds to Forbes Five-Stars.  However, the real stars that always make us beam with pride, from ear to ear, are our deserving associates.  Each month we ask our associates to nominate each other for the following awards:  Associate of the Month - Front of the House, Associate of the Month - Back of the House, Rising Star and Leader of the Month.  From peer reviews to superior praises, our associates join together and highlight some fantastic moments of customer service, teambuilding, dedication and much more.  All to show gratitude to our Nemacolin family members.

RISING STAR:
Colleen Clay - Banquets
"Colleen is our Banquets Captain which at times can be very difficult. She does a great job at keeping our guests happy and our standards in place."














ASSOCIATE OF THE MONTH - Front of the House
Andrew Null (Woodlands World) - Not pictured
"Andrew accomplishes more in a few days, than many do in a whole week!  His work ethic is rare to find these days and I hope others will begin to follow his example."

ASSOCIATE OF THE MONTH:  Back of the House
Tina Davison (Accounting)
"With recent personnel changes, Tina has taken on work that was once split between two people.  She has done this with a good attitude, efficiently and consistently, all while learning some new skills."

LEADERS OF THE MONTH:
Loretta Jordan and Sonya Sellong (Not pictured) - Housekeeping
"I want to nominate Loretta and Sonya together for the outstanding job they did on redecorating our Associate Ladies Bathroom. They took it upon themselves to find all the decorations and paint the space. What an amazing transformation of that bathroom! It just shows what committed, caring managers they are and how lucky we are to have them."









TEAM OF THE QUARTER:
Front Desk
"From the busy summer, with the opening of Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin on July 1 to the busiest Labor Day Weekend we have had, I am very proud of this group and everything they have overcome in the last few months."













If you have a Nemacolin Woodlands Resort vacation planned over the next few months and you happen to be so lucky to run into one of the following associates, please join us in congratulation them.

Congratulations To Our Associates Of The Month

Congratulations to our Associates of the month for March, 2013! Join us as we say "thank you" to these Associates for their devotion, dedication and hard work. We appreciate you!

BACK OF THE HOUSE:
Courtney Smith – F&B – Culinary Administration Assistant
"Courtney is always in the best of moods and willing to help, even when it’s a project that does not involve her.  She is always smiling and always striking up a conversation.  Everything she deals with on a daily basis should be recognized as she has what it takes to be an excellent associate of the month.”









FRONT OF THE HOUSE:
Lloyd Williams – F&B - Tavern
"Lloyd seems to have what the guests love and expect when they dine at the Tavern.  Lloyd comes to work in the best of moods, lifting spirits around him and making work a fun place while keeping in mind our service standards.  He goes above and beyond each and every time he serves a table and I’m proud to have him as part of the Tavern team.”

RISING STAR:
Sam Welling – Guest Services/Bellman
"To say that Sam exceeds the expectations of our resort guests I am sure is a very true statement.  Along with this statement we can also say that Sam exceeds the expectations of fellow Nemacolin associates like myself or anyone else that he encounters on a regular basis.  His attitude alone can make for a better workplace for associates and a better getaway for our guests!”




 

LEADER OF THE MONTH:
Daynelle Sanner – Training Manager/HR
"Daynelle is constantly looking for ways to improve the training and development of our associates.  Her most recent venture with the F&B Supervisor course is the perfect example of this.  She took on an area she was not 100% comfortable with, learned all she could about it, and provided an incredible class for our current and up-in-coming F&B Supervisors.”








TEAM OF THE QUARTER:
Human Resources
“Talk about a team who makes it happen!  The HR Team deserves to be recognized for the first quarter because of the many new and wonderful programs, events and trainings they have provided to both Associates of the resort and to the community – and in only three short months.  While the first quarter can typically be slower for some properties, this team was in full swing!”

Congratulations To Our Associates Of The Month

Congratulations to our Associates of the month!  Join us as we say "thank you" to these Associates for their devotion, dedication and hard work.  We appreciate you!

BACK OF THE HOUSE:
Jim Winter - Engineering
"Over the past few weeks Engineering has been shorthanded.  Jim has worked double shifts, come in on his day off and has never said NO. When I ask him, 'Can you help me out,' his reply is 'Whatever you need, I'm here for you.'  I'm glad that I can count on Jim and his dedication to the team!"

FRONT OF THE HOUSE:
Keri Fields - Woodlands Spa
"Keri helped us put together a spa party and allowed the spa to use her campgrounds for a teambuilding activity. She has also volunteered a lot during downtime to help with various activities."

RISING STAR:
Jeff Summerson - Engineering
"Jeff is an all-around great guy and a hard worker.  He is prompt to respond, and is always pleasant.  He is genuine and always takes a minute to chat and ask everyone how they are doing. He also is very consistent with follow-up, making sure that anything that is wrong get's fixed in a timely manner."

LEADER OF THE MONTH:
Melanie Sarver - Associate Housing / Engineering
"Melanie has done an amazing job with Associate Housing!  She stays after work almost every evening getting these units together for associates.  It has been a couple of crazy months, especially with the new flooring and appliances being installed.  I feel she deserves the recognition for making housing what it has become!"

Nemacolin Associates Of The Month...

It is that time... when we come together and recognize the many bright and shining all-stars that make up our Nemacolin Customer Service Team.  Our Associates of the Month have been chosen by their peers, supervisors and / or Managers for a variety of reason including their work ethic, attitudes, character and customer service skills.  We congratulate this Month's associates and thank them all for their dedication to our Resort.  Below are our winners and a sampling of their Nomination Letters.

BACK OF THE HOUSE:
Micheal Jordan - Turfgrass


"Mike is a very hard worker.  When he sets out to complete a job assignment he gets it done and is ready for his next job.  We appreciate everything Mike has done and will continue to perform throughout the remainder of the season."


FRONT OF THE HOUSE:
Clyde (Thomas) Bushmire - Golf Department

 

"Clyde has a unique personality that ALL guests (golfers) enjoy.  He truly cares about our guests' experience on and off the course.  He is consistently positively remarked upon on golf’s comment cards (that are placed on each golf cart)."

RISING STAR:
Sarah Cook - The Nemacolin Field Club


"Sarah is the centerpiece that holds everything together at the Shooting Academy.  Whether it is assisting group shoots on scoring their events as quickly as possible, being the first face customers see and making sure the communication with trappers is smooth, or any retail information, she does it all."


LEADER OF THE MONTH:
Aimee St. Clair - Conference and Catering




















"Aimee did an awesome job with a recent group. It was their first time at Nemacolin and Aimee spent countless hours making sure all of their functions ran smooth. Even with many day-of changes, Aimee never skipped a beat in making sure all their needs were fulfilled. They were very happy upon the completion of their program and said everything was great. Kudos to Aimee for all of her hard work and smiling no matter what was happening around her."


TEAM OF THE QUARTER:
Tavern and Paradise Pool

"Their determination, hard work, dedication and pride in the Tavern and Nemacolin are always unwavering.  Without a doubt the Tavern and Paradise Pool Associates deserve Team of the Quarter for exemplifying what it is to be a team and what Nemacolin stands for."

Nemacolin's Shining Stars - Associates of the Month

Congratulations to our Associates of the Month! If you see our Shining Stars during your next Nemacolin Woodlands Resort visit please be sure to say "Hello" and "Congratulations.

BACK OF THE HOUSE:
Eric VanSickle, Purchasing Department
"The P & L Department has been shorthanded for several weeks.  There was no need to worry because Eric has stepped up and taken charge of getting all the deliveries done himself.  We are proud of Eric for his hard work and dedication."

FRONT OF THE HOUSE:
Teresa Neighbors, The Tavern
"Teresa has been a true asset from the very beginning.  Teresa is always willing to take on any task asked of her.  She is always making suggestions, training, helping and coaching all the staff and management to make the Tavern a better place to work and experience.  Teresa exemplifies customer service and satisfaction and is an example to all of what the ultimate Nemacolin employee should be."
 

RISING STAR:
Emily Mankins, The Tavern
"Whether it was 95 degrees or raining like crazy, Emily never complained and was always giving a 110%.  The associates love her.  She is always thinking outside of the box for better ways to make our Associates’ jobs easier and the experience for our guests at the Tavern better. She is truly an asset to Paradise Pool, the Tavern and Nemacolin as a whole."

LEADER OF THE MONTH:
Stephanie Hostetler, The Woodlands Spa
“She has a heart of gold! The glass is always half full with Stephanie." - The Fitness Associates

"Steph is always willing to jump in and help with whatever she can: front desk check-ins, booking appointments and helping in the locker room. She never hesitates to do whatever it is that needs to be done, not only to help her team but for the satisfaction of the guest."- The Guest Service Staff

"Stephanie is super helpful and understanding. She is always interested in helping us find the newest trends and to better the salon products. For example, Stephanie was a huge part in bringing in our new Aura makeup line and she genuinely cares about us.”  - The Salon Team


Do you have a favorite Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Associate?  If so, tell us about them and why they are your favorite!

Nemacolin All-Stars

Please join us in congratulating our Associates of the Month! These Associates exemplify the spirit of Nemacolin and have been nominated by their peers for their attitudes, dedication and commitment to our Resort and our Guests.

HEART OF THE HOUSE WINNER:

Colleen Rogers - Sales Department





















FRONT OF THE HOUSE:
Phyllis McCarty - Retail

RISING STAR OF THE MONTH:
Tom Little - Banquets

LEADER OF THE MONTH:
Will Clinch - Golf Department

Congratulations To Our Associates Of The Month

Each month, Nemacolin takes the times to recognize and honor our associates that embody the Nemacolin spirit and live the Nemacolin culture. These associates have given 110% and the Resort would like to thank them for their time, dedication and efforts.

Preparing for your next Nemacolin Woodlands Resort visit? Take a moment and memorize these faces. If you see our stars out and about during your next visit, please join us in congratulating them for their recent award.

ASSOCIATES OF THE MONTH

Heart of the House:
June King - Woodlands World












Leader of the Month:
Mandy Burnsworth - The Wildlife Academy














Front of the House:
Rick Burchaianti - The Woodlands Spa














Rising Star of the Month:
Bill Reicholf - Engineering Department

Congratulations to our Associates of the Month!

A BIG Nemacolin thank you and congratulations to our Associates of the Month. Thank you for your hard work, commitment to excellence and above-and-beyond attitudes. We appreciate you and we know our guests do too!

If you see these Nemacolin Stars during your next stay, be sure to tell "Congratulations" on being named Associates of the Month!

ASSOCIATES OF THE MONTH

Rising Star
Valerie Stark – Purchasing Department











Back Of The House
Terry Hager - Turfgrass Department











Front Of The House
Karrie Kamp – Activities Department










Leader of the Month
Amanda Pompe – Tavern Restaurant

Congratulations to Our Associates of the Month!

Our friend John DiJulius "THE Authority in Customer Service" is famous for saying, "World Class is not a hat you put on and take off, it is something you are to your customers, co-workers, at home and in your community."

We honor the Associates of the Month and thank them for their "World Class" skills and attitude and for contributing to the success of our Resort.

Maybe you will even recognize one of these friendly faces during your next Nemacolin experience.

ASSOCIATES OF THE MONTH

Rising Star:
Earl Guthrie - Autumn Kitchen

Back of the House:
John Quarrick - Engineering

Front of the House:
Jimmy Shaffer - Shooting Academy

Leader of the Month:
Anna Madsen Phillips - Accounting

Team of the Quarter:
Retail

Congratulations Associates of the Month!

Join us in congratulating our Associates of the Month. THANK YOU for going above and beyond and for always striving to be the best. Your hard work is appreciated.
Again, Congratulations!!

Associates of the Month

Front of the House
Laura Wood - Security


Rising Star of the Month
Lindsey Sloan - The WildSide




Leader of the Month
Andrew Pero - Conference / Catering

*Not pictured - Heart of the House - Jessica Greer - Housekeeping