Local business assists in national award for Castle Rock facility
By Terri Wiebold with contributions from Anthonette Klinkerman
Bootcamp drill sergeant and owner, Anthonette Klinkerman
Castle Country Assisted Living in Castle Rock is the proud recipient of another Best of the Best Award, thanks to an assist from Castle Pines North resident Anthonette Klinkerman and her Courtesy Bootcamp.
This is the second year in a row that CCAL has taken one of 15 national Best of the Best Awards from the Assisted Living Federation of America.
Given for innovative thinking in operational strategies, CCAL was the only Colorado facility recognized in 2010. Executive Director and CEO Barbara Dice and her team flew to Phoenix, Arizona, to accept the award in May.
Dice enlisted her staff in Courtesy Bootcamp in 2009, and through a series of sessions, including a final graduation ceremony, they were put through their etiquette paces. Dice noted when interviewed by ALFA’s Assisted Living Executive (ALE) magazine that the difference in her staff is noticeable. It was the humor of the sessions that seemed to be exactly what was needed to correct the little behaviors that determined the choice of a “charm school” initiative.
In the May issue ALE magazine article, Dice stated, “It was a crash course, it was fun, it was energetic and affordable.” CCAL was the only non-profit community to be selected for this award. The previous year, CCAL took an award for its all-access landscaping project at its Valley House location.
“Colonel” Klinkerman is pleased that she was able to be part of such an honor. “They were an absolute delight to work with,” she said. “You know people are learning when they are laughing, and when staff would talk to me after each session I could tell they really appreciated these little reminders.” Klinkerman thought perhaps the pink boots and glittery fatigues may have helped. “I always get a smile when I come marching in to each presentation in those,” she laughed.
Klinkerman threatens to assign push-ups for cell phones going off in the middle of a boot camp, and recently had to follow through. “It was a Rotary Club member in Evergreen! But he took off his jacket and got down there and did his five push-ups.”
Courtesy Bootcamp was also a featured workshop at the 2010 Colorado Business Women State Convention hosted by the Denver Tech Center Chapter in June in Highlands Ranch. For more information on Courtesy Bootcamp, go to www. courtesybootcamp.com.
