Century Park Blog

We are excited to announce Linda Bontrager as Century Park Associate’s company-wide GEM winner for 2023. Linda has been with The Bridge at Charleston since January of 2000; she has never received the annual GEM award during her tenure!

For the last twenty-four years, as a Housekeeper, Linda has done everything imaginable with a positive attitude. Some of her daily duties include speaking to everyone she encounters on her shifts, helping residents with their laundry, organizing closets, re-checking our messy Jessie rooms, plunging toilets, and fixing sinks. Linda proves that age is just a number and that old-fashioned work ethics still exist.

Linda befriends all of the residents and their families. They love and adore her because she delivers on her promises, and they can count on her to help with whatever the residents need. She says, “The residents are my family. All my relatives are in Iowa; being a part of the resident’s lives helps both me and them to feel a sense of family. And I am thankful to take care of this family.”

Kate Daugherty, Executive Director of The Bridge at Charleston, says, “She is an earth angel who believes in doing things correctly the first time, believes in teamwork, believes in hard work, and has proven to everyone that personal motivation comes from a special place within yourself.”

Linda is generally known for her glowing spirit, work ethic, relatability with residents, and desire to keep bringing good into the community. She is a staple figure in the community for numerous reasons, but the main reason is her willingness to always go the extra mile without ever being asked.

Linda appreciates this nomination wholeheartedly by sharing that “I came to The Bridge 24 years ago; it was the year after the community opened. The best I can say is that I have never, in a corporate atmosphere, felt so loved and appreciated–it is a major milestone in my career. To this day, I still think it is funny that I got hired on April Fools, but I will never look back; I have been proud to be working in this community ever since then.”

The Bridge at Charleston and Century Park Associates are tremendously grateful for Linda’s sweet personality. She is very deserving of this award–congratulations, Linda. We all love you!