Although I've been in Operations Management for over 22 years, my professional career started out in the food service industry.The turning point in my career came when I took a position as a Chef at the Chateau Renoir Retirement Residences. It was there I discovered that I have a special ability and interest in working with seniors. In fact, I realized that working with seniors and their families was my true calling. Every day I had the opportunity to interact with the seniors was a day I felt that I was truly making a difference. I enrolled in the Hospitality Management program at SAIT so I could position myself to work in the front of the house and I haven't looked back since. Twenty two years later I can honestly say I am one of the lucky folks who loves going to work every day. I am in a position to make sure that seniors living in our community have the very best quality of life possible. My colleagues tell me that what I bring to the table is dedication, positive, energy and a commitment to "walk my talk".During my tenure in Operations in the retirement industry I have been involved in all aspects of running a number of facilities. I have developed knowledge and expertise in the people side of the business; recruiting managers and staff for a variety of positions, giving performance feedback, and providing training in customer service and health and safety.On the financial side I have developed annual operating budgets and capital budgets and coordinated continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs and audits. As the Regional Operations Coordinator I had the opportunity to research and develop comprehensive policy and procedure manuals for Emergency/Disaster and Vehicle/Bus. I also have experience with opening new retirement residences; The Edgemont, Scenic Acres and Eau Claire.Specialties: Strong hospitality, customer service, facility operations, sales and marketing experience.