Thank you for your long service!

One of the hallmarks of a good company is the length of service of its employees. Living Choice can hold its head high in this regard with many of its staff members having worked for the company for a very long time.

Over the past week, Regional Manager, Gail Eyres, has presented one 10-year and three 20-year Long Service Certificates, along with generous gift cards, to four NSW employees. The 20-year recipients included Linda Savige, Village Manager & Sales at Leisure Lea Gardens, Andy Dudney, NSW Construction Administrator, and Dave Grassby, Central Coast Sales Consultant. Joel Perez, Head Gardener at Leisure Lea Gardens, received his 10-year certificate.

From starting at Leisure Lea Gardens as a part-time cook to being appointed Village Manager 10 years later, Linda Savige certainly has an intimate knowledge of all facets of the village. Linda joined the staff as a part-time cook in 2003 and then progressed through nearly every department, including cleaning apartments and as a Personal Care Assistant. In May 2011 she was appointed Care Coordinator and then Village Manager in 2013, a milestone that was warmly welcomed by residents. Linda is both a Village Manager and Sales Consultant and has excelled in both roles.

Joel Perez, the Head Gardener at Leisure Lea Gardens, is another employee who has brought great joy to residents. The gardens have won many awards, thanks to Joel’s tireless efforts over the past ten years. In 2022, the village was awarded first place in its category in the City of Ryde’s 2022 Spring Garden Competition, the fifth time the village had won the award!

Many long-serving employees are also located on the Central Coast, where Living Choice (then named Central Coast Retirement) was founded in 1992. Andy Dudney, NSW Construction Administrator, has had many roles since joining the company in 2003 as a construction labourer. His versatile skills were soon recognised and he progressed to Living Choice Broadwater Court Maintenance in 2005, Village Manager of Living Choice Deepwater Court from 2009 to 2018 and Village Manager of Living Choice Alloura Waters from 2018 to 2020. Prior to being appointed NSW Construction Administrator in mid-2022, he was also Living Choice’s Purchasing Officer for 18 months.

Another versatile employee who was recognised for his long service this week is Central Coast Sales Consultant, Dave Grassby, who joined the company in December 2002. Over the years, Dave has achieved hundreds of sales, mostly on the Central Coast but also at Living Choice Glenhaven and Leisure Lea Gardens. Dave is also well-known to those who take part in the company’s footy tipping competition as he has been the competition’s administrator since its inception.

Finding a home that best suits his clients’ needs is a passion for Dave. “I love the diversity of the people that I tour. Everyone is different and I try to satisfy their needs. Moving into a retirement village is a big step and they’re quite nervous. I try to be there for the journey and by the time they’ve moved in, we’ve become friends.”

Congratulations to the latest recipients of Living Choice’s Long Service Certificates – we will be reporting on more presentations soon so watch this space!