Valerie Miard-Martin has only been working at The Henry Dearborn for six months. However, she has accomplished enough early in her tenure to be nominated and then named Overall Service Champion at the 28th Annual Detroit Tourism Awards for Service Excellence (ROSE) held at the Sound Board Theater at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in late August.
The ROSE Awards are presented by the Detroit Tourism Bureau to recognize excellence in the hospitality and service industries. More than 110,000 people work in the hospitality and tourism industries in Detroit and the surrounding southeast Michigan area, and 134 of them were honored at the ROSE Awards ceremony, which was attended by more than 500 industry professionals.
Miard-Martin was nominated by John Lechin, general manager of the Henry Hotel, who described a time in June when she was working at the front desk when a young guest had a medical emergency. She stepped out and began performing CPR while co-workers called 911 and paramedics were on their way.
“Valerie was witnessed saying ‘Come on, baby, don’t do this to me!’ while continuing to perform rescue breathing and light chest compressions,” Lutchen wrote on Meyard-Martin’s ROSE Award nomination form. “Valerie was able to get the boy breathing on his own, and then the paramedics took over.”
Shortly after the event, Miard-Martin was recognized at a special ceremony attended by colleagues including hotel and corporate management and local police, who presented her with a citizen award for her efforts. “She approaches her job day in and day out with a commitment to wow her guests — how she goes above and beyond expectations,” Lechin said.
Other ROSE Award winners include:
volunteer: Detroit Parade Inc. Volunteer Sandra Stevenson
Attractions and Casinos: Brittany Grams, Logistics and Administration Specialist, Guest Services, The Henry Ford, Autograph Collection Dearborn
transportation: Connie Solimanto, Customer Service Supervisor, Delta Airlines
Dining room: Cheryl Cusumano-Gadson, Head Host, 200 West Lounge, Detroit Marriott Troy, Troy
Behind the scenes: Kendrick Ashford, Customer Service and Security Officer at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit
hotel: Michelle Kelley, Event Specialist, Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
William F. McLaughlin Award for Excellence in Service: Detroit Pure Wine House
Michelle Kelly, events specialist at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, said it was an honor to be recognized. In nominating her for the ROSE Award, her colleagues called her the “backbone” of the hotel’s event planning team.
“The main approach I take on a daily basis is to make sure everyone I work with is successful,” said Kelly, who has been working at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center for about a year and a half. “Working in a hotel is truly a team effort, and your colleagues need to know that they can always count on you to do their best work and that you will always have their back.
“Event management at a hotel touches every department, so I have to do my best to build strong relationships internally to support me externally in creating memorable moments for guests.”
theroseawards.com
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