Covenant Village celebrated an Evening of Thanksgiving and Gratitude earlier this month to recognize the contributions of individuals to the collective life of our Village. Several awards were presented, including the inaugural J. Ben Morrow Governance Award.

The Second Mountain Level of Servant Leadership Award:

CEO Dale Melton presented the Second Mountain Level of Servant Leadership Award to Mr. Pat Morrow.  After completing 25 years of service to the Board of Directors of Covenant Village, Pat began a term as an advisor to the Board, providing guidance on future financing projects, vetting budgets, and giving feedback on investment strategies.  In addition to his contributions to Covenant Village, Pat has invested in the wider community through his church, First ARP in Gastonia, his volunteer service on the Board of Gaston Cancer Services, and his leadership for 22 years as Chairperson of the Gaston County Amateur Golf Tournament.

The Brenda Harris Award:

Named in honor of the late Brenda Harris (1949-2022), a longtime employee who faithfully served the residents of Covenant Village, this award was presented for the second year to honor employees, who have been nominated by their supervisors for exceptional service to the Covenant Village community.

They are as follows:

Lesia Stanley: Hired as a part-time server as a teenager in 1987, shortly after Covenant Village opened its doors, Lesia was promoted to Dining Room Manager in 2012.  In 2021, Lesia transitioned to Kitchen Staff in Food and Nutrition as the Salad Bar Attendant and Cooks’ Help. Julia Kotecki, Director of Food Services and Nutrition, shared that Lesia “is always smiling and exudes positivity.  Her love for the residents comes through in her commitment to her work. She is an excellent employee, and we are lucky to have her as a team member at Covenant Village.”

Brad Clary: Serving Covenant Village and its residents for the last four years with his specific expertise in HVAC, Brad exhibits selfless service to residents. As an example of his servant leadership, Brad responded late at night on his weekend off to lead efforts to resolve an air conditioning outage that occurred when air conditioning units malfunctioned multiple times, impacting the comfort and potential health of Covenant Village residents.

Sherry Weaver: Sherry was hired in September of 2022 as a Registered Nurse and Nursing Supervisor.  In January of this year, Sherry also added Back-up Nurse Educator and MDS Coordinator to her responsibilities, utilizing her 30 years of nursing experience to mentor nursing staff members and new nursing graduates. Stephanie Wellman, Director of Nursing, explained that Sherry “is a major contributor to promoting a positive work culture within the nursing department, exemplifying excellence, compassion, and accountability in her approach to all things relating to her day-to-day work.”

Stephanie Wellman: Serving Covenant Village for 4 years, Stephanie was originally hired as a Student Intern through the LPN Program at Gaston College.  She was then promoted to RN in 2021, Nurse Educator and Infection Control Specialist in August of 2021 during the height of COVID, and was promoted to Director of Nursing in 2022.  Kevin Stewart, Health Services Administrator, shared that Stephanie is “always her genuine self in her professional and personal life.  Her ability to supervise exceptional nursing care, as well as juggling the demands of hiring, orienting, and processing employee paperwork is a balance very few nurses could handle.”

Robbie Pendleton:  Originally hired as a part-time Security Officer in 2010, Robbie was promoted to Director of Security in 2015.  Dale Melton, CEO of Covenant Village, explained that Robbie “Some days works non-stop and through the night because he loves those whom he serves: our residents.” Robbie was a Sarah Leigh Continuing Education Scholarship recipient in 2021 and 2022. He has participated in the LeadingAge NC Leadership Academy and represents Covenant Village at statewide Emergency Preparedness seminars and webinars.

Donna Kennedy: Starting her career at Covenant Village as a housekeeper in the Fitness Center in 2017, Donna was promoted to Maintenance Administrative Assistant in 2018 and became the Resident Services Concierge in 2021.  Matt Gibbons, Senior Director of Resident Care and Services, shared that Donna “has recently taken the lead in navigation with Nursing, Maintenance, and Resident Care and Services Departments in facilitating transitions in care for 21 residents.  Her contributions have been essential in creating a supportive and caring environment for our resident community, and her leadership and teamwork have played a significant role in achieving these outcomes.”

Photo: Left to right (Back Row) Lisa Stanley, Brad Clary, Stephanie Wellman (Front) Donna Kennedy, Sherry Weaver, Robbie Pendleton