On the evening of Wednesday, September 25, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (CVA) hosted its 18th annual Recognition of Service Excellence (R.O.S.E.) and Recognition of Industry Success and Excellence (R.I.S.E.) award ceremony at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. Over 250 employees, business owners, and other representatives from a multitude of organizations across the Region gathered for the celebration.
The R.O.S.E. awards recognize the front-line hospitality industry employees who go above and beyond in their efforts to give each customer the best experience possible. The R.I.S.E. awards recognize previous R.O.S.E. winners and managers who offer exemplary customer service when directly engaging with patrons.
This year, 11 R.O.S.E. winners and four R.I.S.E. winners were selected by an anonymous panel out of a total of 40 finalists. Over the years, a total of 202 individuals have won the R.O.S.E. award while a total of 32 have received the R.I.S.E. award. Heather Becerra, chief marketing officer at South Shore CVA, and Phil Taillon, president and CEO of South Shore CVA, announced the winners and presented each with their award.
Taillon is pleased to participate in this year’s R.O.S.E. and R.I.S.E. Awards, the first he has attended since becoming president and CEO of South Shore CVA.
"The work that these individuals in the tourism and hospitality industry do help the Region be more successful in the future," Taillon said. "When they treat people who visit Northwest Indiana the right way and give them extra special attention, those folks are going to come back again and again. So they are very important to not only South Shore CVA, but also Northwest Indiana in general. It seems that many of these folks aren't recognized for what they do, so we wanted to roll out the red carpet, get everybody dressed up, and make them feel special. Whether they win an award or not, each and every finalist truly deserves to be applauded."
The attendees enjoyed a variety of beverages, including wine, champagne, and cocktails, along with plenty of colorful hors d'oeuvres. They also tried out the 360-degree photo booth and posed for photos in front of a themed backdrop. Attendants then proceeded to bring out a delicious multi-course meal for the attendees.
Wannida Cunningham, a Hard Rock Casino table games employee and one of the R.O.S.E. Award finalists, is deeply grateful to have been nominated.
“I’m so excited to have been nominated; it means the world to me,” Cunningham said. “This is an important event for the community for several reasons. It recognizes and celebrates our hard work while at the same time motivating others to be the very best workers they can be. It doesn’t matter what your job is. Be yourself, do your best, and treat everybody equally and with respect. If you do that, you will make the customer happy and make everything better all around.”
Each winner received a pin commemorating their outstanding work along with a gift basket, the contents of which were valued at $1,200. The gifts were donated by a variety of organizations, including the Chicago White Sox, the Albanese Candy Factory, Parlor Doughnuts, Purdue University Northwest Athletics, the Theater at the Center, White Hawk Country Club, the Gary SouthShore Railcats, and the gift store at the Indiana Welcome Center. Scott Brown, director of table games at Horseshoe Casino and one of the R.I.S.E. Award winners, feels that the R.O.S.E. and R.I.S.E. awards will have a lasting long-term impact.
“It’s such a great honor to be recognized alongside the other finalists here tonight," Brown said. "I hope that they all feel like they are appreciated. An event like this motivates us to continue to do a great job as we develop and identify talent in others, which I believe is very important. As mentors, we must continue to guide and support those who come after us. That way, even more people can be nominated for these awards in the years to come. We've got to keep that train of excellence rolling. It's my first time being at this venue and I think it's great. I would like to thank South Shore CVA for putting this event on."
Among the R.O.S.E. award winners were Louis “LuLu” Deluna Avila, steward supervisor at Hard Rock Casino, Kristin Smith, lead catering attendant at Purdue University Northwest, and Dan Reid, historical interpreter at Buckley Homestead in Lowell.
Please visit southshorecva.com to stay up-to-date on South Shore CVA’s upcoming projects, events, and announcements.
