Award Winners
Congratulations to all of the 2023 R.O.S.E. and R.I.S.E. Award winners! Have you received extraordinary customer service?
Nominate them here.
R.O.S.E. Winners
Mary Bradford
Historical Interpreter
Buckley Homestead, Lowell
Mary inspires and creates a more dynamic experience for all who visit Buckley Homestead. During one of her first field trips, a group of second graders who had never been on a field trip before due to the pandemic were full of energy. Mary, fueled by their spirit, responded to them, and they were immediately engaged, learning, and having the time of their life. This trip tipped the scales, and word of mouth spread, leading Buckley Homestead to have a fully booked calendar this past spring. Mary constantly strives to do more and continue learning about the farm’s unique space. Her infectious personality and positive attitude spread to all her co-workers and those she encounters.
Chery Czerniak
Security Officer
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Gary
Chery is an integral component of the Security Department’s guest service success. Her name is regularly seen on guest survey comment cards, praising Chery for her outstanding work, even though no one accurately spells her name. Each day she comes to work and forms bonds with the guests to ensure not only their fun and enjoyment but also their feelings of safety and security. Chery has received 16 certificates of recognition for her hard work, based on customer reviews and going above and beyond her regular duties. If a company metaphorically functions similarly to a human body, it is an undeniable fact that Chery would be the heart of Hard Rock.
Hajrije “Heidi” Jahovic
Housekeeper
Hampton Inn & Suites, Valparaiso
Heidi is one of the most guest-oriented housekeepers you will encounter. The hotel has had many customers praise the cleanliness of their rooms and say that she is a pleasure to see every day as she makes sure to say hello and tell them to have a wonderful day. Once Heidi had some personal time off scheduled, but she overheard that there were very important guests checking into the hotel during that time. She asked if she could move her time off so she was available to help her co-workers when these special guests arrived. Heidi truly cares about the hotel and its guests and takes pride in what she does.
Maria Jaros
Table Games Dealer
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Gary
Maria has served thousands of customers throughout her twenty-six years as a dealer. Management has received a mass amount of positive feedback from customers regarding their interactions with Maria. She engages with other team members about the importance of enjoying themselves while giving the best customer service. One thing many folks may not know is that Maria is a cancer fighter. During her fight, she still finds the courage to go to work and give 100%. She is ready to tell her story to inspire others who are going through a similar experience. Her goal is to speak at a cancer seminar to motivate others who are also facing this difficult journey. Maria continuously motivates her fellow team members to be their best and remains strong even under the most difficult circumstances.
Teresa Krasinski
Senior Executive Administrative Assistant
Horseshoe Casino, Hammond
Teresa is one of Horseshoe Casino’s "founding" employees. She is a dedicated team member and hasn’t encountered a "normal" day in her 20+ years. One of Teresa’s biggest passions is being the leader of Horseshoe’s charitable efforts. She continues to increase her knowledge of each organization supported, including a deepened understanding of their special needs. Another factor in her success is her ability to build trust and confidence among the guests and employees, topping that with her special skill for making the seemingly impossible – possible. She loves her job and doesn’t expect recognition for it. Teresa consistently demonstrates a can-do attitude and will find a way to solve any problem.
Cynthia Morgan
Front Desk Agent
Hilton Garden Inn, Chesterton
Cynthia has worked tirelessly to master several areas of the hotel. She has made a tremendous impact on the guest experience using her humor and personal touches. Cynthia displays a genuine interest in the hotel’s guests. A prime example of Cynthia’s hospitality is the care and attention she paid to an elderly guest. She checked on him daily, brought him needed items and delivered his meals. She truly went above and beyond to make sure he was cared for. While many guests refer to her as the little red-headed girl at the front desk, the staff has come to know Cynthia by another name: Rockstar!
Anthony (Tony) Taylor
Cook
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Gary
Tony is one of the most impactful and memorable team members at Hard Rock, not only in the way that he interacts with guests, but also within his work community of peers. He always has an uplifting spirit and finds a way to make everyone smile. He can be found singing to guests at the buffet line as well as remembering almost everyone’s name and meal preferences. Some guests pay a visit to the Fresh Harvest Buffet just to see him in action! Tony is the epitome of what the hospitality industry stands for and should be recognized for his amazing, ongoing work.
Taylor Verbich
Server
Blockhead Beerworks, Valparaiso
Taylor was nominated by a guest who she has served on many occasions. Whether they needed extra sauces, a high chair or the check split, Taylor always anticipates what is needed. This guest overheard Taylor handling a situation over the phone when someone's to-go order was not 100% what they ordered. She called the customer before they had the chance to notice there was an issue with their order and offered to comp part of the meal. She thought it was impressive that Taylor admitted the wrong before the customer noticed. The guest stated, “Taylor is the best server I have ever had the pleasure of dining with and deserves this recognition.”
Cameron Wild
Guest Services
Hilton Garden Inn, Chesterton
Cameron is talented, charismatic, attentive, compassionate, innovative and dedicated to the guests. This past winter, on Christmas Eve, the hotel experienced one of the worst things possible, a severe drop in temperature that caused a water pipe to burst. Although Cameron doesn’t regularly work in the maintenance department, he responded to the emergency distress signals from hotel management and immediately got to the hotel to help rectify the situation. He spent hours pushing water to drains and worked with IT to ensure the hotel’s essential systems were back up and running. Cameron performed a miracle and became a true hotel hero.
Mary Williamson
Volunteer
Deep River County Park, Hobart
The Deep River Grinders Vintage Baseball program only exists due to the hard work and dedication of the Lake County Parks’ volunteers. Mary “Mother Goose” Williamson enhances every home game experience for players and visitors. Once Mary became involved, she immediately took to the vintage baseball lifestyle. She began attending games in traditional-style prairie dresses, helped pass out cookies and has even been known to out-hit some Grinders when an extra player has been needed on the road. She is kind and engaging with all patrons and goes out of her way to make sure their questions are answered, their bellies are full, and their smiles are set in place. Excellent customer service isn’t always flashy, but Mary makes sure people are seen, known, thanked and valued.
R.I.S.E. Winners
Michelle Hart
Cage Shift Manager
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Gary
Michelle is known for being hands-on, personable and relatable with a laser focus on guest service and is like the "mom" of the cage department. She’s a mentor and leader, inspiring everyone to be the best version of themselves. Whatever the situation, she always has an answer. …and if she doesn’t, she’ll find one. Once the cash machine that dispenses money to the slot department went down. Instead of just printing instructions and sending her team to fix it, she said, "Let’s learn this together." No job is off limits for her; even working the front line, where she’ll have the waiting guests laughing and smiling because that’s the type of energy she brings.
Lynette Newell
Manager
Schoop’s Hamburgers, Highland
Lynette's exceptional performance as a manager can be attributed to her dedication, compassion and commitment to making a positive impact on both her team and the community. Forming partnerships with local organizations and vocational centers, she has tapped into a pool of talented individuals seeking jobs and took the initiative to educate her existing staff about working with special needs. Lynette is committed to giving back to the community by organizing charitable fundraisers. Additionally, she encourages her team to interact with customers and make them feel valued during their visits, which not only enhances the dining experience but also encourages customer loyalty.
Christy Qualkenbush
General Manager
Beachwalk Vacation Rentals, Michigan City
Christy started in the housekeeping department and worked her way to General Manager over the course of 14 years. There is no job too big or too small. You name it, she has done it! The Beachwalk owners and renters have a great relationship with Christy as she is a problem solver and all about the guest experience. Christy has played a major part in growing the company from 40 homes to 120 under management over the past six years. She continuously goes above and beyond the call of duty, whether that means letting in a locked-out guest at 3:00 AM on New Year’s Day or giving a staff member a ride to the doctor on her personal time.
Davon Sims
WashUP Manager
Luke Family of Brands
Davon is a great leader and has managed multiple locations for Luke. His strength is developing people into leadership roles and has developed more associates into shift supervisors than anyone. He works one on one with his teams and his patience and passion are unmatched. Davon has repeatedly gone above and beyond for his customers. Recently he had a customer come to the wash with a flat tire. They do not have the ability to fill tires at that location, but Davon got his own tire inflator and helped. Davon seeks out opportunities to serve his customers and is an example of what great service should be.
Larry Washington
Pit Manager
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Gary
Being in tune with one’s team is a gift, and Larry, a.k.a. The Mayor or Lar-Bear, has that keen eye for detail. Each shift he walks the casino floor to say hello not only to guests but also to each employee. On June 4th, that attention to detail may have saved the life of a team member. One day he noticed a dealer’s response was unusual, so he asked to meet. The dealer said things were not great and he was going through a mental health crisis. Larry followed employee health protocol and the dealer was admitted to the hospital where Larry checked up on him during his stay and after his release. Every workplace needs a Lar-Bear, and Hard Rock is lucky to have him!