Long-time Employee Receives Recognition
Working in the customer service industry is not for everyone, but for Peggy Commauf it has been part of her life for as long as she can remember. Her passion for cooking led her into the food service industry at a young age. Peggy first began working at Kodak as a waitress and decided to open her own small catering business. After 7 years, she transitioned to the University of Rochester where she worked as a dining services supervisor. Peggy soon landed a job at St. John’s Meadows, where she has been for nearly two decades.
Peggy is one of the original staff members that helped open the Briarwood dining room at St. John’s Meadows some twenty years ago. She remembers having a conversation with Vince Parks, St. John’s CEO at the time. “I will never forget when Mr. Parks was telling me about his vision for St. John’s Meadows,” recalls Peggy. “As he was speaking, his dream became true to me and his vision became my vision.” Since that day, Peggy has felt responsible for carrying out his vision and has continued to share it with new staff members.
For the bulk of her time at St. John’s Meadows, Peggy has worked as a dining captain in the Hawthorne dining room. “The people are what intrigue me about the food service industry,” says Peggy. “It’s nice to make people happy. I like to see people walk away feeling like they had a nice dining experience.”
Earlier this month, Peggy was recognized by her fellow staff members as the Employee of the Month for her many years of service and dedication to St. John’s. For Peggy, the most rewarding part is getting to know the residents and their family members. “It’s nice to get feedback from family members. They can leave feeling assured that their loved ones are receiving the best possible care.”
When Peggy is not serving food, she is still serving people. “I have a heart of a servant,” she says. Working in Hawthorne, Peggy has become very close with families of residents, one of whom is Vicki Romig. Vicki now resides at St. John’s Green House homes in Penfield and Peggy makes an effort to visit her every other week. “I have followed her through her journey of life and will continue to do so. I guess that’s the thing about working in Hawthorne – the family members become the voice of the residents that live there and we become a community within a community.”