I would like to nominate Melissa Hower for a Mission Award. Melissa is one of our overnight supervisors at Lap. While most of us are fast asleep, Melissa is hard at work, running the campus and working side by side with her staff in providing excellent service to our residents. In the 3 years Melissa has been working for Hilltop, she has never had a call off. Her dedication to being there for her staff and our residents is absolutely amazing. Melissa’s staff are very vocal to both her and I about how they feel about her leadership, often stating things like “She is the best boss I have ever had” and “I’ve never had a supervisor who worked so hard”.

Over this last summer the program had a difficult time hiring on a second overnight supervisor for the Wednesday thru Saturday side of the week. There were also quite a few new staff working that side of the week as well. Melissa saw there was a need for strong leadership and proper training for the staff on that side of the week. She came to me and volunteered to change her schedule so she can help support those staff as well as having a solid plan to continue to support her staff. She did this for the entire summer until we were able to hire.

In the winter time, out in the cold and darkness, Melissa and her crew work through the night clearing snow and spreading ice melt on the sidewalks, providing safer walking paths for everyone on our campus.

I’m so blessed to have Melissa on my team. She is open to learning and growing not only herself but her team as well. She seeks guidance when needed and is open to feedback to help her improve her leadership skills. In coming from a working background that had no previous care experience, Melissa is a natural at care giving. She exhibits Hilltop’s values every day and I’m extremely proud to work with her.