A local senior community manager is sad to say goodbye and her replacement, that she has trained, looks forward to trying to fill her shoes.
Cherise Baker, Garden View Senior Community housing manager,Monona, Iowa, hands over the reigns to Alecia Grove, of Monona, this week.
Baker started as marketing coordinator at Garden View in November, 2004, and the facility opened July 15, 2005.
“I marketed and did the opening of the facility.” Baker said.
Baker, her husband, Troy, and their son, Jonathan, 12, will be heading for Nebraska, where he has been transferred.
“I feel sad leaving, but I feel very comfortable leaving it with Alecia,” Baker said. “The tenants are like family along with the staff,” she explained.
Baker came from North Dakota and it was Cabela’s that brought her family to the area.
“I’ve always liked the Monona area and the school system. This is a very pretty area,” she said.
Grove is also very fond of the area, she originally comes from Guttenberg, her husband Justin, is from Monona. Grove’s have three children, Kathleen, Gregory, and Nathan.
“This is a very nice and friendly community,” Grove said. “I originally worked for the Isle of Capri – managing the buffet. I’ve always worked with the public taking care of people’s needs” she explained. Most people who live in the area are aware of what a great job Alecia has done with the buffet on the Isle of Capri, so she will be bringing that expertise to Monona’s Garden View Senior Community.
“I have been training with Cherise and I officially started working last week,” Grove explained. “I am very excited, everyone seems very nice here. I’m anxious to try to achieve the same high standards set by Cherise,” she said.
Baker’s response was that, she was confident that Alecia would do a very good job.
The facility has 34 apartments and about 31 tenants currently residing. They are doing remarkably well, filled to a 95 percent capacity.
“We have an activities calendar and every month different things are going on,” Baker said. “We have independent, as well as assisted living, and memory care,” she added.
“We are here to meet our tenant’s personal needs, but they are able to come and go as they please,” Baker said.
Grove said we have a home like atmosphere with tenants having their independence with the confidence of having people there to assist them.
Both Grove and Baker expressed their gratitude to the Monona community for their support.
