Welcome New Staff! iPromise

To continue to excel as specialists in the management of student housing owned by non -profits.
Welcome New Staff!
In This Issue
SCC and CTY are happy to announce that LeRoi Speaks has joined our team in the IT Coordinator position. He has 17 years in the IT field and has received certification from Anne Arundel Community College in
Cyber Technology. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his two children.
 iPromise pg. 2
iPromise
 Healthy Snack pg. 3
 Wellness Updates pg. 3
 Appreciation Days pg. 4
 Workplace Tip: Facilities
Readiness pg. 4
 COCM Cares Day pg. 5
 Get Active at Your Desk pg. 6
 Riddles pg. 7
 To Read or Not to Read pg. 8
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 Slack App pg. 10
 HR Spotlight: Background
Checks pg. 11
 Personal Story: Fitness Jour-
ney pg. 12
 Email Etiquette pg. 13
 Movie Club pg. 14
 Words of the Year pg. 14
 Bowie Love Day pg. 15
 Employee Spotlight pg. 16
Excel Award Winners:
COCM is honored and proud to have recognized another group of EXCELlent employees with the Excel
Award. Please check out the received video announcement honoring our colleagues:
https://youtu.be/Vc6X5KJPfhg
CONGRATULATIONS to:
Greg Washburn, Florida Atlantic
Steve Gale, Florida Atlantic
Joe Cantona, Corporate Office
Kerissa Hobstetter, University of Baltimore
Norman Rimbey, Arizona State
As a reminder, the Excel Award nomination form is available at: www.cocm.com/excelaward
University of Maryland: Mission Statement
SCC and CTY share a mission statement that was created 8 years ago by staff.
To recommit to our mission as well as share it with residents, parents, and campus partners, all staff have been given a copy of the mission statement for their
work space plus our main offices have plaques to display the Mission Statement. Love seeing the mission statement on the custodian cart!
Campus Partner to The Towers: Facebook praise for the Towers from the
Dean of Students at John Jay who lived in our community. “Goodbye New York City, hello Washington DC. I want to take this time to thank the Towers staff for taking good care of me and the
building over the last 3 and 1/2 years. You guys are awesome! I always referred to my living there
as “easy living.”
Campus Partner to Florida Atlantic Staff
“Today, I am happy to inform you that I am all done with the physical inventory of the dorms. I
have to say congrats for an amazing job from you and everybody in your staff for keeping and
maintaining all the equipment that I had to locate in their perspective areas and how helpful and
understanding everybody was during the whole process. Again a big THANK you for all your help
and keep up the great work.”
See more examples of COCM staff dedication to our iPromise statements on the next
page!
iPromise Cont.
Campus Partner to East West University staff: Frank Flores
Frank was super great and helpful for our event - we really appreciated it!
Campus Partner to East West / David Braden
“I am so happy that you were able to close the Art Institute contract. I always believe persistence always pays off and you are
the prime example of that.”
COCM Colleague to Colleague: Charbra Parkman (MassArt) to City College staff
A HUGE thank you to the CCNY staff for allowing me the opportunity to visit and learn more about leasing. From the very beginning, Atiya and Denisse welcomed me with open arms, making me feel right at home. They put me right to work, making calls
and accepting applications! I learned (and enjoyed learning) about the ins and outs of leasing. Thank you to Kern, Darnell, and
Meera for being so hospitable as well! I hope Brian will send me your way if you need assistance in the future *wink wink*!
COCM Colleague to Colleague: Atiya Patterson to Jennifer Oliver (MassArt) Re: Charbra
Thank you for sending Charbra to visit at our site. She is a rock star! She came in and got to work right away. Her contribution to
the team doesn’t go unnoticed. We enjoyed having her here. She has a great work ethic and personality. It was my pleasure to
work with Charbra and hope to see her again!
Rountree Commons celebrated Student Staff Appreciation Day with a luncheon on Wednesday, February 24 th. In addition,
they gave out “Orange you glad to be a staff member, because we sure are!” mason jars packed with various orange goodies
(starburst, mandarin oranges, goldfish crackers, etc.). Thank you to Linda Vannatta, Vicky Reuter and John Reuter for all their
hard work that went into planning the day.
COCM Student Staff Member Appreciation Day
Lolita Thomas, CA at SLC
Has someone on your staff gotten recognition from campus partners, residents, parents or other staff members?
Submit to Tara to be featured in the iPromise section of the newsletter!
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Way to Go!
Physical Wellness
Great job to Amy Lorenz and Karli Callicoat (and former COCM team member Kristin Smith) for completing the Donna ½
Marathon in Florida in honor of Kristin’s mom.
Tara completed her first ½ Marathon and was supported on the route by Corey Reedy and Brian Collins family plus Tonya made some great signs! Tara raised over $4,000 for The Bell Center which is an early intervention center for children
in Birmingham. Her COCOM colleagues supported her efforts and donated $1,379. THANK you!!!
Healthy Snack of the Month
Debbie Daniels
In an effort to provide additional healthy idea, please enjoy a video on how to make English Muffin Pizzas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5k4ff_LqEA
The Capstone Physical Wellness Committee promotes achieving physical wellness by eating well, exercising, avoiding harmful habits, getting
enough sleep, recognizing signs of disease, getting regular physical exams and taking steps to prevent injury/illness.
2016 Stepping ‘Stone Challenge
Get ready to support the 29+ COCM team members participating in this year’s challenge!
The Capstone Physical Wellness Committee promotes achieving physical wellness by eating well, exercising, avoiding
harmful habits, getting enough sleep, recognizing signs of disease, getting regular physical exams and taking steps to prevent injury/illness.
ICC GOT RAK’ED!
Social Wellness
Illinois Central College received a Random Act of Kindness basket from the Social
Wellness Committee.
Looks like they were able to take a few minutes to enjoy the treats!
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Reminder: Appreciation Days
The Occupational Wellness Committee invites you to participate in COCM’s Appreciation Day program. The 3 rd Thursday of specific months have
been designated to recognize staff groups.
April is dedicated to our wonderful Administrative and Office Support Staff. Don’t forget to say thank you, give a pat on the back, or offer a
coffee break to the staff in your offices.
Mark your calendars for April 27! If you need ideas for staff appreciation, please email Amanda Pelar (apelar@cocm.com) for a list of suggestions.
If you do celebrate these days, don’t forget to share photos in the newsletter.
Upcoming Appreciation Days
2016 Date
April 27
Staff
Administrative/Office Support
May 25
Assistant Directors/Assistant General Managers
September 28
Maintenance/ Custodial Staff
October 26
Directors/General managers
December 9
Corporate Office and Regional Managers
We love when we see things we don’t expect! Thanks for being extra hands for
Katie, Doug!
A Workplace Tip: Facilities Readiness
Chris Adams, Assistant Director- Maintenance for SCC
We have created a Work Order Organization Binder to help Maintenance Techs be more prepared and efficient when
completing work orders.
Use a clipboard with storage capacity
Include administrative materials that are necessary to complete a work order: post-its, work order completion cards,
mini-notepad, pens, highlighter, sharpie, full-sized tablet, multi-tool.
Organize supplies.
Add a personal touch. Our clipboards have the SCC Mission Statement inside.
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COCM Cares Day
Occupational Wellness
COCM Cares - 13 COCM communities and 108 COCM staff members participated in the 1 st voluntary, annual day of service. The following are the
communities that participated a description of the service they provided. The Occupational Wellness Committee appreciates you reaching out to
others in your community! Thank you.
Bowling Green State - called hundreds thanking them for United Way donation
Bowie State – canned food drive
Cornish College of the Arts – volunteering at FareStart, a local organization that assists people overcoming employment barriers
City College – volunteered at the local soup kitchen
Case Western Reserve - folded linens at Cleveland City Mission
East Stroudsburg - painted a gallery room, hallway, and assisted with 1,400 mailing at Pocono Art Gallery
Florida Atlantic – canned food drive; collecting over 2,100 items
Frostburg – separated 2,800 lbs of potatoes at Western MD Food Bank
Green River – organizing items at the Habitat for Humanity surplus store
Mass Art - processed over 10,000 lbs of food for distribution by the Greater Boston Food Bank
Norfolk State - volunteered at Norfolk Botanical Gardens beatify the landscape after tornado damage
East West – folded linens at the Pacific Garden Mission center
University of Wisconsin – Platteville - volunteered St. Mary’s Church in Platteville, a local food bank
Home Office – volunteers making calls and stuffing packets for United Cerebral Palsy
Comments for the The Towers staff:
“I and we are deeply grateful to you for giving your time and energy in the community for such a vital cause. You lead by your example of compassion—great going!!!”
“Wow! This is what I call, leading by example. Thank you for being so caring and dedicating your time to such a worthy cause.”
“The Towers team reflects so well on the College—so proud of them.”
“Wow! This is what I call, leading by example. Thank you for being so caring and dedicating your time to such a worthy cause.”
Comments for the Florida Atlantic Team:
“This is a huge WOW along with a big THANK YOU to you and the Capstone Cares team for going above the call to action in support of FAU’s Beyond Food program! The donation will solidify our inventory to ensure there is enough for our students while also allowing us the opportunity to
support nearby Boca Helping Hands. Please extend an extra thank you to all of the Capstone Cares team from the Weppner Center!”
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The Occupational Wellness Committee is excited to offer our employees a formal way to share
ideas and comments. Capstone On-Campus understands our greatest asset is our employees and
those employees have awesome perspective and comments! If you have a company wide initiative or comment to share, please send it to:
Comment @capstoneoncampus. com.
The Occupational Committee will shepherd the idea to consideration, explanation, or resolution.
Interested in
contributing to the newsletter?
Write an article, share a story, brag about programs, send in pictures
and more!!!
By the 15th of the month, send your
contribution to
Tara Wilkinson (corp) to twilkinson@cocm.com
Get active at your desk
The COCM Physical Wellness Committee
With the New Year underway, the Physical Wellness Committee wants to remind you to still stay active since it’s
getting cooler outside and you may not be able to get outside as much. Thanks to Debbie Daniels and Jamal Fisher
(FSU RA and Desk Assistant), we will provide you a new exercise you can complete at your desk each month. Please
make sure you still take time for yourself and stretch
Leg Bouncing
2:05-3:50 (Time Stamp)
https://youtu.be/LAeZZbpi8Ow?t=2m5s
Some positivity for you!
Brought to you by the
Emotional Wellness
Committee
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A Brain Teaser from Intellectual Wellness!
This is another example of Einstein's riddles. It is said that this quiz was made up by the famous physicist and according to him
98% will not solve it.
There is a row of five different color houses. Each house is occupied by a man of different nationality. Each man has a different pet,
prefers a different drink, and smokes different brand of cigarettes.
1. The Brit lives in the Red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The Green house is next to the White house, on the left.
5. The owner of the Green house drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The man living in the center house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes Marlboro lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12. The man who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the Blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water.
Who has fish as a pet at home? Are you one of the 2%?
ANSWERS ON PAGE 10!
Riddles from the Intellectual Wellness Committee
1. Why can't a man living in the USA be buried in Canada?
2. Is it legal for a man in California to marry his widow's sister? Why?
A man builds a house rectangular in shape. All the sides have southern exposure. A big bear walks by. What
color is the bear? Why? (similar to the Bear riddle in the section Einstein's Riddles)
1. If there are 3 apples and you take away 2, how many do you have?
2. How far can a dog run into the woods?
3. One big hockey fan claimed to be able to tell the score before any game. How did he do it?
4. You can start a fire if you have alcohol, petrol, kerosene, paper, candle, coke, a full matchbox and a piece of
cotton wool. What is the first thing you light?
5. Why do Chinese men eat more rice than Japanese men do?
What word describes a woman who does not have all her fingers on one hand?
ANSWERS ON PAGE 10!
Brought to you by the Intellectual Wellness Committee: Encouraging creative and stimulating mental activity. Getting the most out of classes and
education by asking questions, being open to new ideas, sustaining a growth mind-set, and learning new skills.
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To Read or Not to Read
By Kelly Podach Francis, UWP
I love to read. It’s a passion that I have had my entire life. I logged countless hours reading as kid, even at family events while
others were watching football or talking. There I would be sitting on the couch in the thick of the commotion reading. I would
like to say that I’ve maintained that level of dedication to reading my entire life, but life has a way of filling your time up with
other things…classes, work, family, etc. However, I have always rediscovered reading as a passion even when I’ve taken a hiatus.
In undergrad I even enrolled in a Mystery Literature class so I would be required to read fun books!
You can imagine my surprise when I was reading to my five and three year olds last month and one said, “I hate reading, it’s boring!” I quickly said, “It’s one of my favorite things to do.” To which I was asked the typical toddler question, “Why?”
I love to read because it’s an escape from my day, I get to travel to faraway places and learn new information. These are the
answers I gave my kids, but it occurred to me that there may be other scientifically proven positive benefits to reading so I started to research and this is what I discovered.

Reading can help you relax and reduce stress. Giving yourself that time to disconnect from what is causing your stress
and focus on something else, whether a great story or interesting article, allows you room to relax.

It keeps your brain sharp: providing mental stimulation and improving your memory. According to lifehack.com, studies
have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of or possible even prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia
since keeping your brain engaged prevents it from losing power.

Reading may help you sleep better. Establishing a bedtime routine for kids is important, but did you know it is just as important for adults? Reading can be a great way to calm your mind and tell your body to sleep, just as long as it’s not a pageturner!

It expands your vocabulary and improves your writing skills. The more you read, the more words and writing styles you
gain exposure to. Rest assured that they will work their way into your everyday vocabulary and writing skills.

Reading improves your focus and concentration. When you read, all of your attention is focused on the story and helps
improve your overall concentration. Lifehack.com suggests reading for 15-20 minutes before or at work to see how much
more focused you are in the office.
Now that you may be considering reading as a part of your day, I’d like to share My to Read List” with you (in no particular order). These are mostly professional and personal development but I included a few parenting, fiction and nonfiction books I’m
excited to get to as well. See next page.
Right: The Courtyards RAs partnered with The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland to provide a program for the residents in the CTY community. RAs brought groups of their residents to see
Baltimore, a play about the social ramifications of difference in race and cultural relevance in a university setting.
The residents and RA staff attended the performance and then stayed afterwards for a discussion with the actors
and dramaturgs about the impact of the play and the relevance at the University of Maryland.
Courtyards residents are all juniors and seniors, so what better way to program to them than a career readiness
and future planning open house? Residents were able to come in and get professional headshots taken for their
LinkedIn profiles, sit through a 10-minute etiquette lesson, prepare elevator speeches, and get their social media
profiles inspected! All sessions focused on preparing CTY residents for their life after UMD and The Courtyards.
The residents loved this open house approach to programming!
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To Read or Not to Read Cont.
By Kelly Podach Francis, UWP
Professional & Personal Development:
Becoming the Boss by Lindsey Pollk
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
Executive Presence by Sylvia Ann Hewlett
Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor by Sylvia Ann Hewlett
Necessary Dreams by Anna Fels
Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation & Gender by Linda Babcock
Pushback by Selena Rezvani
First 90 Days by Michael Watkins
Give & Take by Adam Grant
The Confidence Code by Katty Kay
Drive by Daniel H. Pink
Good Boss, Bad Boss by Robert I. Sutton
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Rising Strong by Brene Brown
Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
Parenting:
Liberated Parents, Liberated Children: Your Guide to a Happier Family by Adele Faber
How to Talk so Kids with Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
Reviving Ophelia: Savings the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher
Fiction:
Be Franck with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
Non-Fiction:
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese
The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell
Also, don’t forget about the COCM Bookworms who read and discuss books throughout the year, you can find information about
how to sign up in the newsletter or by contacting Jen Oliver at JOliver@cocm.com.
Left: Congratulations to Rob Pipher, Maintenance Supervisor at Campus Town! Rob and
his wife welcomed their first child to the world on March 8 th. Their son, Aiden James was
born within 22 minutes of active labor and was a healthy 8lbs 15oz and 21.5in long.
Right: Who Says Accountants Aren’t Fun? Is that a Gorilla or accountant Amanda
Cain?
Amanda volunteered at her son’s school to be the Mystery Reader. She decided to do it
up and went as Marilyn Monkey. AWESOME job, Amanda.
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Einstein Riddle Answers:
Intellectual Wellness Riddle Answers:
1. Why should a living man be buried?
2. No, it is not legal to get married if you are dead.
3. The bear is white since the house is built on the North Pole.
4. If you take 2 apples, then you have of course 2.
5. The dog can run into the woods only to the half of the wood - than it would run out of the woods.
6. The score before any hockey game should be 0:0, shouldn't it?
7. A match, of course.
8. There are more Chinese men than Japanese men.
9. Normal - I wouldn't be very happy if I had all my fingers (10) on one hand.
Good Luck Cards
Don’t forget to let Joe Cantona, jcantona@cocm.com, if you are participating or participated in any
physical activity event (marathon, half-marathon, fund raiser, etc.) that you want to share with the
rest of the company. The Physical Wellness Committee wants to recognize you for your efforts and
A Good Way to be SLACK!
LaToya Eff, Social Wellness
The social wellness committee has been working diligently on a way for staff to easily communication across sites. We bring
you “Slack”, Slack is a messaging app for teams! With Slack we have created several channels for COCM staff to share ideas, ask questions and have the support of other COCM professionals.
In order to become a member, one of the members of the wellness committee will have to add you. Please send one of the
following people an email to join: LaToya Eff at leff@cocm.com, Amy Lorenz at lorenza@bgsu.edu or Brian Collins at bcollins@cocm.com to join. You will then get an email from cocm.slack.com to set up your profile.
In order to join the channel that best fits what you need click on the “channels” button on the left of the screen and you will
see all the channels we have created. Don’t see the channel you need? Let us know and we will be more than happy to create one for you. Be sure to first read the welcome channel to see the “law of the land” before you get started posting. As an
added bonus Slack has a free mobile app that you can download so that you
can reach out to staff on the go.
If you have questions about how to use it or if you can set up a channel feel
free to contact LaToya Eff at leff@cocm.com.
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Background on Backgrounds with Keisha Cherry
Jeff Kirkpatrick, East Stroudsburg
Recently, I was able to connect with our Director of Human Resources, Keisha Cherry, on a few topics around hiring and background checks. When hiring, receiving surprise information about a candidate through a background check can be frustrating, but
what about when the person already disclosed the information and the check matches the claim?
Interview with Keisha Cherry:
Background checks are important, but does any issue returned disqualify a candidate?
In today’s climate, almost all employers require background checks that include criminal history. But does conviction of a crime
automatically disqualify an applicant from gainful employment? The answer is no. An employer can’t turn away a potential employee convicted for a DUI twenty years ago if they are hoping to work as a cashier.
Do you have any incidents/actions that are automatic NOs? For example, is any felony an automatic no? What about misdemeanors; violence vs. non-violent crime?
At COCM, an applicant will be disqualified for the following convictions: violent felony convictions of homicide, registered sex
offenders, crimes of violence, child abuse, domestic violence, and felony theft.
Lawfully, employers must consider three factors when determining whether to hire an applicant with a criminal conviction: the
nature or gravity of the offense, the time elapsed since the offense, and its relation to the potential job.
If the person is honest in their application about an incident, does that give you any sway to accept them more than if they were
not forthcoming? What obligation do we have to a candidate who is forthcoming about past incidents their chances of employment before going through the interview process?
Honesty is always the best policy for candidates completing employment applications. Remember, criminal records can be easily
verified. If a candidate choses to disclose incident information, how to proceed will still depend on the charge, and will be reviewed on an individual basis.
It is important to be open with candidates about the likelihood of employment when it comes to disclosures of past incidents
which will present themselves on a background check. They know it is a factor or they would not have disclosed it. I would urge
you to not automatically remove the candidate, especially if the person is open and honest. However, connect with your supervisor and Keisha to ascertain what options you have moving forward.
2015 COCM Cookbook Contest
Thanks to everyone who submitted entries for the 2015 COCM Cookbook. A copy of the book for each site has been provided to
your Director. Please see your Director to try out some of the recipes submitted by our COCM team members. Congratulations
to the winners!
The winners of each category are:
Starters: Michelle Smith (FAU) – Meatballs
Sides: Mecca Marsh (NSU) – Mac and Cheese
Drinks: Jennifer Oliver (MCA) – Hot Buttered Rum
Entrees: Kelly Podach Francis (UWP) – Trifecta Herb Chicken with Cherry Tomato Sauce
Desserts: Mecca Marsh (NSU) – Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Kids’ Dishes: Debbie Daniels (FST) – Graveyard Dessert
The Capstone Physical Wellness Committee promotes achieving physical wellness by eating well, exercising, avoiding harmful habits, getting enough sleep,
recognizing signs of disease, getting regular physical exams and taking steps to prevent injury/illness.
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PHYSICAL WELLNESS – WELLNESS SUCCESS STORY
Thanks to Darnell Pierce from CCNY for submitting his Wellness Success Story.
My fitness journey began in the 11th grade. I was a 3 season athlete running cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. I was a pretty good student and worked a part-time
job at Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. I have no clue how I didn’t turn into a pretzel after working there for 11 years! Ya, you read correctly, I got to enjoy that nice aroma of cinnamon
and hot bread and butter for 20 hours a week. I remember my schedule like it was yesterday. I worked Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00pm-10:00pm and Saturdays and Sundays I
worked 6-8 hour shifts. Somehow I was only 135lbs “soaking wet.” All I wanted was to
gain just a little bit of weight since I had no control over my 5’6” height. The stars must
have aligned because a Bally’s Total Fitness opened right across the hall from Auntie
Anne’s in the Carousel Center (now called Destiny USA). Within a few months I signed up
for a membership and made a commitment to go every day after practice. My new schedule became school, practice,
workout (again at Bally’s) and then finish the night working at Auntie Anne’s. I had at least 2 pretzels each time I
worked. It was pure heaven and working with a great team helped! After a few months of going to the gym and trying
out different exercises, admiring the men and women that clearly loved fitness, and gaining a few pounds, I met a
trainer. Again, the stars were aligning because I met him in my attempt to lift weight that I just knew was too heavy,
but decided to try it out anyway. I got a few reps in and before you know it, I was struggling to prevent the bar from
falling on my neck. Just as I was about to call out for help, John the trainer, came to the rescue. John and I started a
conversation and from then we became workout buddies. He was much stronger than me so he would push me to my
limit! This is where I learned about grunting, slamming weights, and all the other nonsense you hear about in gyms
these days. I continued to workout in college, ran track , became a personal trainer, trained clients, taught fitness classes (Dancilates was my favorite), and took dancing as a minor. I surely did gain my freshman 15! It wasn’t the 15lbs I
wanted...whoops! Late night Domino’s pizza got the best of me. I learned about the sport of bodybuilding and was so
intrigued but talked myself out of pursuing it because of my love for food. I went to my first bodybuilding competition
in October of 2014 and watched my friend compete in her first competition. I was instantly hooked. The very next day I
looked for a show (we call them shows), registered to compete, hired a coach, and graced the stage of my first competition in November of 2014. I had just 6 weeks to get “stage ready” so my coach put my on an insane diet that knocked
my socks off! Somehow I stuck to it and didn’t look back. I think I stuck to the diet because of the financial commitment (I hate wasting money). I paid for a coach, the food
for my new diet, supplements, registration costs, tanning, bikini waxing (OUCH), posing
suits, etc. I started at 156lbs and was 141lbs on stage. My body fat percentage was
about 6%. I don’t ever recall looking and feeling so great. The struggle was so real and
so fierce, but the journey was worth all the sweat, blood (ripped calluses), and tears.
Placement was not important to me, but I took 2nd in the Novice category and 4th in
the open class. Perhaps the most impressive part of this journey was the support and
camaraderie from my fellow competitors. On stage we competed but backstage we
were like family. I love this sport. I enjoy being an athlete again, and I am inspired hearing about other people’s fitness journey.
If you have a success story (in all areas of wellness; not just physical) that you would like to share, please send it to Joe
Cantona, jcantona@cocm.com.
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Words of the Year
Word(s) of the Year
Debbie Daniels, Frostburg
Debbie Daniels, Occupational Wellness
By now all Directors and Home Office staff that participated in “My One Word” exercise during the Directors Retreat in AL should’ve received their desktop reminder of their word. The Occupational Wellness Committee would like to say Thank You for participating in this
exercise. Good Luck
Your Word of the Year replaces resolutions and assists with creating a vision for real change. When you choose a single word, you have a
clarity and focus. You are moving toward the future rather than swearing off the past.
So how do you go about picking a word?
STEP 1: DETERMINE THE KIND OF PERSON YOU WANT TO BECOME
The first step is to simply take some time and decide what kind of person you want to be at the end of this year. This goes beyond simply
being healthier and wealthier, but it must drive deep into your soul.
Step 2: IDENTIFY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT PERSON
Get a picture of that person and then simply identify their major characteristics. Is that person gentle? Is that person generous? What are
the qualities of the person you want to become?
Step 3: PICK A WORD
Once you have a list of the characteristics, simply pick a word. There might be fifteen things that you want to change, but you must resist
the temptation to promise you will do them all. Instead, simply commit to ONE WORD.
This will provide you with a lens to see the changes you need to make as well as a way to determine whether or not change is actually
happening. Understand that this process is hard, but staying focused on your word will help you to struggle in the right direction.
HELP ALONG THE WAY
Before you embark on this journey, a little word of warning: Don’t be surprised if living out your “one word” feels unnatural and awkward
at first. Give it time and stay with it. Look at the word every morning when you come into work. Your subconscious and automatically have
you living out your Word of the Year.
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15
Martin Snyder, Maintenance Supervisor, Frostburg State University
What is the best piece of advice for someone
interested in becoming a Maintenance Supervisor?
What do you like most about your job?
I have a background in maintenance,
and I am a self-worker. I enjoy teaching
others the maintenance skills that I have
been taught so that they are able to further their experiences in maintenance. It
is not a high pressure job, and I like
working with my maintenance team.
No matter how long it takes or how much
it costs—always do the best job. As long as
the job is done right, you won’t have to go
back and do it over again later.
Do you have a funny COCM memory?
Working with students is always interesting-one time during move out, I found a
large truck tire in the stairwell of the building. It was big enough to fill the bed of my
truck, which is 6 feet long.
When you’re not at work, where can
you be found?
In good weather, I’m always working
around the house. I enjoy taking care of
responsibilities at home. I also like taking
care of my parents and my family. I have
a wife and three boys; you could say I’m
a family guy.
What is your favorite part of working with
students?
I enjoy working with summer student staff
that don’t have a maintenance background
and teaching them to do the job. It can be
challenging, but it is always a learning experience for both the students and me.
Brought to you by the Social Wellness Committee
Social Wellness is having a supportive social network, contributing to society, valuing cultural diversity and having positive interactions with those around you.
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