Hillside Quarterly – Vol. 1, Issue 2 – October 2022
Advance Planning… What Lies Ahead
Employee of the Quarter: Franco Marquez
Advance Planning… What Lies Ahead
In life, as it is in death, the more preparation and planning that one makes provisions for, will ultimately help them and their loved ones find comfort and clarity through life’s most difficult time. Guided with information, education and compassion, the Advance Planning team does just this.
By providing knowledge and loving guidance, this team ensures that every family they serve is honored with dignity and respect. With every family there comes a history and unique set of circumstances and this team handles it all with dignity and grace.
“…There are so many unique situations that make every day different, every family different—there is always something new to learn.” – Gordon Limtiaco
Let’s meet the team that makes all of this possible…
Advance Planning Associate – The Oxygen. The Advance Planning Associate supports the Advance Planning team as well as others within the organization by managing communication, supporting the department with multiple processes including the marker ordering process, coordinating mailings and providing excellent customer service.
Family Service Advisor – The Family Heartbeat. The Advisors support families with cemetery property purchases, selecting mortuary pre-arrangements, as well as navigating through a seemingly infinite spectrum of inquiries and requests. All of this and more, is done to ensure every family’s needs and wishes are taken care of in advance, to honor each family’s legacy and ensuring a memorable and personalized memorial service.
Rose Puccio, Family Service Advisor, understands the importance of a work life balance and shared what personally helps her, so that she is able to truly be her best when serving our Hillside families “…I rely on my nephew for his support and enjoy time with my three huskies – they make me laugh every single day!”
Rob Finger, Family Service Advisor, shared his personal story of just how powerful it is to connect with the families he supports. “… I was helping a family on a First Call in June, 2019. The wife had just passed away and when the husband began to tell me about her, his eyes lit up, and it became very clear that Bella was the love of his life and shared a remarkable life together. I developed a relationship with Richard that morning that carries on to this day.”
Advance Planning Specialist – The Guiding Light. The Advance Planning Specialist provides elevated training and support to the Advisor team, in particular when families or circumstances require more detailed and intricate assistance.
Emily Bryan, Advance Planning Specialist, shares many of the values that she finds important in creating a healthy and productive working environment for herself and her colleagues. “Generosity, Kindness, Self-Care (Do what makes you happy. Find your joy and make the time), Listening, Boundaries, Food (Feed your team.. mostly with food, but knowledge is just as powerful…)”
Additionally, this role acts as an extension to the Advance Planning Manager including supporting the department with special projects.
“…I am proud to lead a team that stays motivated by the unique challenges that face them every day and meeting the needs of the many families we serve.” – Gordon Limtiaco
Singularly, each of these roles, hold the mission of the department; and collectively, they uphold the vision and values of the organization to ensure that they are able to professionally and compassionately support our past, present and future Hillside families.
“…We all share a common vision and ultimately, I always encourage our team to lead with care. Care about each family you help—this will help you be thorough, accurate, and solution-oriented. Care about yourself— so that you will be happy and resilient. Care about your coworkers—they are your support system and family. And, Care about Hillside—knowing that you are in alignment with the core values and mission that grounds us.” – Gordon Limtiaco
While we think of Human Resources as the first and last person that we meet, there is truly so much more to Ellie Buckland, in between. For instance, here are three things that Ellie may or may not have previously done:
– Bungee jumped more than once
– Sang a solo at her high school graduation
– Is an American Kennel Club registered dog handler
Click here to find out the answers!
9 years ago, Ellie first started at Hillside, however, some may be surprised to learn that she has been in the Human Resources field for almost 30 years! When discussing what has surprised her the most about her time in Human Resources, she shared that she wasn’t really sure how to answer the question, except to say that nothing surprises her anymore. (due to privacy issues and governing laws, we are unable to provide further details at this time )
When chatting with Ellie, she shared that in another life, she would have liked to have been a middle or high school English teacher and would’ve loved to have gifted her graduating class a copy of “Oh, the Places you’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss, knowing their journey is not ending, but only just beginning.
And on the topic of going places, one of Ellie’s favorite things to do during her down time is traveling. Whether it be going on long car drives and just getting lost along the way, or traveling to some of her favorite places, such as Canada, where she has visited Whistler twice and plans on going to Montreal for the second time, soon!
Apart from traveling, Ellie loves to listen to true crime podcasts and read. Something else that is near and dear o Ellie is her love for animals. One of her favorite memories during her time at Hillside includes reuniting a lost dog with his family after having been lost for a few days in GOS. And when we asked Ellie what makes her smile when she looks around her office, she quickly pointed to her pictures of her beloved dog, Cookie.
With football season around the corner, Ellie is living in a house divided! Ellie will be rooting for the Ohio State Buckeyes while her husband will be rooting for the University of Michigan Wolverines and with Ohio State playing Michigan every year after Thanksgiving, we can be sure that the Buckland home must be very interesting, indeed!
Ellie, you are truly a gift and genuinely embrace all of our core values and we think it is safe to say that Hillside and TIOH are so very fortunate to have found you and to share you with us!
Employee of the Quarter – Franco Marquez – Quarter 2, 2022
Franco Marquez is Hillside’s Employee of the Quarter for the 2nd quarter of 2022!
Franco joined Hillside on September 29th, 2015 and has proven to be an extraordinary asset to the Operations team ever since! Franco’s vast and diverse knowledge in different trades has been implemented and showcased in numerous ways throughout our park. From repairing main lines, to the replacement of a fountain motor, to countless projects in between, Franco is well versed, and solution oriented, no matter the task at hand! His kindness radiates from within and his willingness to help fellow colleagues, are just a few examples of Hillside’s core values in action. Congratulations, Franco!
In the coming days, you will notice the signage, pictured above, will be posted within various employee areas, on Hillside vehicles, and integrated within our existing Hillside screensavers. With Respect as one of our core values and the understanding that this extends to ourselves, our coworkers, the families we serve, and our grounds; we created this sign as a reminder for when we are walking or driving golf carts within our beautiful park. Our hope is that when you see these signs, they will bring to mind the importance of each and every soul resting within our park, and of course, if you are familiar with the song, always feel free to sing your own rendition in your head!
Jacque’s Egg Salad Recipe – What came first, the chicken or the Egg (Salad)?
Whether you are a first time cook or a culinary master, this recipe is easy to make, delicious and always a crowd pleaser. Jacque La Deau is known at Hillside for making and sharing the most delicious meals and this one is no exception. While some of her dishes can be very complex, this particular dish is something she has been whipping up ever since she was a little girl, growing up on the beach. From the La Deau family kitchen to you, please enjoy!
Recipe:
8 eggs
1/2 – 1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped green onion
salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
Bring water to a boil for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from hot water, cool, peel and mash or chop.
Place the mashed or chopped eggs in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, and green onion.
Season with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika.
Stir and serve on your favorite bread or crackers!
Ellie has bungee jumped TWICE and sang a solo at her high school graduation!