Becky Gordon

The Blackberry

Team Member News from Around the Farm3rd Quarter

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We sat down with Fly Fishing Manager, Alex Quick, and Guides Daniel Munger and Michael Turbyville to learn about the Fly Fishing program. But, first, we got a little history lesson.

The paw-paw is the largest edible fruit native to North America and the guys graciously offered us their lone paw-paw on our visit. The fruit is also known as the “poor man’s banana” and we got a lesson on how to judge when it is ripe and how to eat it. Yum!

The largest trout currently in Hesse Creek is a 24 inch brown trout.

Like people, fish have various learning curves, with some figuring out a fly is man-made within 2 weeks of trial and error. The more “remedial” fish have sore mouths.

The Blackberry Farm Fly Fishing program has been nominated the last two years for the Orvis Lodge of the Year Award, which is quite the honor. Only five or six out of 50 lodges get nominated, and most of the lodges are focused only on fly fishing and are out west. So, the competition is tough.

The program won the Lodge of the Year Award in 2003, and was the first fly fishing program to do so east of the Mississippi. Then, they won it again in 2004!

In 2006, significant restoration and rebuilding was done on Hesse Creek and continues to this day with a strategic plan to ensure the creek is a sustainable habitat for fish.

Hesse Creek was named after John Hess who operated a grist mill near the area around 1800.

Fly Fishing dates back to the Greeks, practiced by the Romans, and was a popular sport in England and Scotland as of the 15th century. The technique migrated to North America with the early settlers, with the first rod being a solid hickory stick that was 13 feet long.

In the 1860’s, engineering brained fishermen whittled and tapered bamboo into an equilateral triangle, resulting in a flexible fishing pole that could be broken down into 6 pieces. In 1874, Charles F. Orvis designed reel and fly designs launching modern fly fishing in America.

The team consists of Alex Quick (2008), Dusty Young (2006), Russell Woods (2009), Daniel Munger (2011), Rob Morris (2011), Jeremey Kwasney (2013), Nathan Strayn (2013), and Michael Turbyville (2013).

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Fly Fishing is a story at Blackberry and Alex Quick, who has a degree in Forestry, is the master storyteller. He also ties flies, teaches guests to tie flies, and makes bamboo rods. Alex says the best thing about their job is they get to “stand in a stream all day and share their passion about fly fishing and nature and people listen.”

Alex reminded us that they sometimes have up to eight hours with a guest and the difficult part of the job is managing expectations. Fish in the Smokies are typically very small Brook Trout and are hard to catch. If a guest comes to Blackberry expecting to catch a 24 inch trout in the rivers of the Smokies, well, they may be disappointed. So the guides see it as their mission to educate guests and help them focus on realistic expectations and teach them the beauty of the process, not always the catch. “We see a different version of guests than the team at the Oak sees,” says Quick. Guests usually come ready to relax into the experience, the woods, the nature, the methodical rhythm of casting; but sometimes they need help to “get it.” And that’s where the guides excel. They help paint the picture for the guests if they come carrying too much of the world with them and their approach is transformative. To ensure guests really get to connect with their surroundings, the guides talk about history and nature. Daniel may point out a Pileated Woodpecker, and Alex may talk about the Cardinal Flower as the first sign of Fall. Then there is conversation around unique bugs, blue herons, otters, and bears. Oh my!

And, guests feel the same way about the guides. The Orvis website allows guests to rate their experience; this is where the nominations come from for the ELOG Awards. Some samples are:

“Alex Quick is an excellent teacher and guide who knows his craft. Although I have fished all my life, this was a highlight experience. Learning to fly fish is something I have always wanted to do, great experience. I highly recommend the Blackberry Farm experience and their guides.”

“Blackberry was an idyllic place for my husband and I to learn to fly fish. Daniel Munger gave us expert instruction and had us casting within no time. My husband caught a trout on his first cast, beginner’s luck I say. We had such an enjoyable time fishing and chatting with Daniel that we booked another fishing trip the next day. On the second trip we went into

the national park and had a wonderful time as well. We’re hooked, thanks to Daniel!”

The majority of guided trips are the two hour Hesse Creek experience, but the guides take guests on float trips down the Clinch and Holston rivers, up to the Smoky Mountains to fish the rivers and streams there, and down the Hiwassee River for an adventure in white water and fly fishing. They even will take kids on Old Walland Pond to ensure success! All the while, they are experiencing nature in a way that, sometimes, is very uncomfortable.

Alex tells a story about taking a guest up to the Smokies and standing in the middle of the river as a bear was walking towards them in the water. The bear, looking down and unaware of Alex and the guest, was within 20 yards when all three of them realized they were too close for comfort! Alex gently positioned the guest behind him and started yelling at the bear, who was very wide eyed, and simply looking for a way out. Finally the bear figured out an exit route and the guest was impressed by Alex’s gallantry. In tongue in cheek fashion, Alex responded, “Well, if I let a bear eat you, that simply wouldn’t look good on my resume.” Other exciting adventures on the water include the experience Daniel Munger had on Hesse Creek this summer. He and a guest were looking for a good spot to fish when they interrupted an otter with a mission…breakfast. Apparently, otters, which can be three feet long, are not the cute little furry friendly playful animals you see in the zoo when they are hungry. Daniel was talking with the guest and suddenly there was a large splash and a trout went flying out of the water from a shallow pool. In quick order, the otter came streaming under the shallow water, darting like lightening after the fish that remained in the pool. The fish scattered and the otter rose up out of the water barking, growling, and making a menacing clicking noise directed at Daniel and the guest. Fortuitously, the wise guide picked another spot.

Between the 1,600 guests that fish with us annually and the 1,800 fish that are stocked in Hesse Creek each year, there is a lot going on. Alex and his team strive to ensure that the experience is real and educational, but mostly that the guests “get it.” That means for a couple of hours, guests are tied to the land, the wind, the trees, the wildlife, the water, and the peace and quiet in their own mind.

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It’s dawn, the sun barely peaking over the fog shrouded mountain. The smell of coffee and the sound of laughter fill the break room. Faces both new and familiar prepare for the day.

It’s time to clean, to fluff, and to scrub. Beds painstakingly made over, and over. Sheet, sheet, blanket, sheet, duvet. Again and again, each made as flawlessly as the last. From the biggest stain to the tiniest cobweb, the rooms are perfected for each guest.

Two faces in particular understand the drill better than others, two Housekeepers who have been here longer than almost anyone at Blackberry. Teresa Tulloch and Becky Gordon. Their golf carts roll down the path from the OC toward the rest of the property, through fog, in the rain, and across snow. It’s a trip Becky has made countless times in the last ten years. Teresa could make the trip in her sleep after nearly twenty years. And both still love Blackberry Farm, both still love their job.

Becky Gordon found out about Blackberry through a friend. After working for eight years at a Ramada Inn in Pennsylvania, she moved to Maryville and shortly thereafter started at Blackberry Farm. She started just two weeks after Matt Wilcoxen, who was her first manager.

Becky remembers being in awe of the beauty of Blackberry and how different it was from the cold white walls of the motels she had cleaned before. Though Magnolia is her confessed “favorite room,” she takes great care and pride in making sure all rooms are given the respect befitting Blackberry’s standards. A lover of food, she tells us that her culinary experiences here have been amazing. She jokingly says the food may be the real reason she’s stayed all these years.

Her most fond memories have been of our guests. She says that the first time she watched a helicopter land at Blackberry Farm she truly understood how much she loved her job. Along the way she tells us she has met several people who were incredibly nice and gracious including Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Jay Bush of Bush’s Beans.

As long as Becky has been here, Teresa Tulloch has nearly doubled that time, coming up on her twenty year anniversary. Her first day at Blackberry on October 1st ,1994 did not start off fantastic. Her cousin, who was the Housekeeping manager at the time, pulled into her driveway and said that he needed Teresa to assist cleaning rooms at the Hotel he managed, because he was incredibly understaffed. Teresa, who was entering her seventeenth year at the nearby Fabtron facility, reluctantly agreed. She spent her first three hours at Blackberry cleaning the Gate House (now HR).

At the end of her shift, former Inn Keepers Barry Marshall and Keith Isador met her at a small pavilion that used to be where the Guest Parking lot is now. They thanked her for the help and welcomed her to the Blackberry family. Teresa was too nervous to tell them that she would never be back and that she already had a full time job. Needless to say she did return again and again everyday for almost twenty years.

One bit of information she says most Blackberry team members would find hard to believe is that the original housekeeping department and laundry facility was located in what is now dry storage under the Main House kitchen. Laundry consisted of one washer and one dryer and a single team member who worked washing and ironing every piece of linen from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day.

Her roots in and around Blackberry go incredibly deep. Teresa’s own mother was the very first housekeeper at Blackberry Farm. She worked for the Lasier family cleaning what was then just the Main House. Many years later Teresa found herself training a young Sam Beall how to clean the same rooms her mother had cleaned all those years ago.

The Stories that Becky Gordon and Teresa Tulloch can tell us could fill a book. Sadly we can’t go over everything, but you will see them around property often. Feel free to ask, they would be happy to tell you a story, or tale. And judging by their love of Blackberry Farm, the tales will multiply, and the stories will grow.

Getting to Know Our Housekeeping Team: The Long Labor of Love

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Becky Gordon

Teresa Tulloch

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Get to know

She calls Arkansas home, but she has traveled, lived, and worked in Vermont, Georgia, Hawaii, Germany, Massachusetts, Africa, Wyoming, and Tennessee. Cassidee Dabney, our Executive Sous Chef of the Barn, saw a lot of the natural world in North America through her family. Her father is a wildlife biologist, and avid hunter who inspired Cassidee’s interest in food. The family moved with his job from wildlife venue to wildlife venue so she has had a bit of wandering in her from an early age.

Cassidee went to the North East Culinary Institute (NECI) in Montpelier, VT, choosing Montpelier over Burlington because Burlington seemed like it was “too big” of a city. She did her first Internship at the Four Seasons in Atlanta, then returned to school upon completion of the internship. Having found a connection with the Four Seasons, she traveled to the Big Island in Hawaii after school, and continued her culinary education there. Then, an incredible opportunity came along to work at an Indian restaurant in Hanover, Germany, during the World’s Fair in 2000. She arrived full of excitement about this great experience only to discover that she would be operating the tandoori (similar to a fire breathing dragon), making yogurt, and cooking rice. Never one to let a situation dictate where she was, Cassidee turned the experience into a fantastic one by capitalizing on her ability to chat people up, and she got to know international travelers on her own terms. Cassidee used her knowledge of food and beverage, and her wit and social skills to make the experience worth her while. Chef Lenn says of Cassidee, “She has a unique ability to engage guests in her point of view, particularly with brides. Just the way she approaches an idea that might meet with some resistance

brings out the adventure and possibilities in the guest’s mind.” The Germany experience wasn’t a long one, but it helped her focus on what was important to her. It also gave her a new affinity for Canadians, perhaps even being Canadian for a while; though that is a story you will have to ask her. When she came back to the states, she re-connected with the Four Seasons and went to Boston.

The Four Seasons Boston was her first 5 star, 5 diamond fine dining experience, and it was an pivotal turning point for Cassidee. Four Seasons put their cooks through management training and she learned the quality standards of a 5 star restaurant. She spent the next four years in Boston, honing her culinary skills and broadening her culinary horizons. There were still opportunities out there for her though, and she was offered the chance to be a part of an opening with the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and she took it. People told her that when she lived in Hawaii, the island would start to feel limiting, but she never felt that way. Jackson Hole is a rugged piece of “civilization” in America. The town is small, kind of like a Gatlinburg without the “shebang,” and with more elk and bison. It is virtually inaccessible except by airplane half of the year and while Cassidee was there, she definitely developed “island fever” and was ready to move on after two years.

That lead her to Blackberry where she worked under Chef Fleer for a couple of years and then returned to Arkansas to be near her family. She said that the Foothills Cuisine was more familiar to her and that was one of the things that drew her to Blackberry Farm. The team is so close that, with risking a cliché, it really is like family, she says. She cites her sense of humor as helping her fit into the man’s world of kitchens and chefs, and Chef Lenn concurred that her wit brought a lot of laughter to the kitchen, diffuses tense situations, and makes her leadership style collaborative. When she returned to Blackberry in October of 2010 under Chef Lenn, she took on the Sous Chef role and then was promoted to Executive Sous Chef in April of 2012. Chef Lenn says, “Not many people realize this, but both me and Cassidee are equally responsible for menu development. She has created several menu items, and when I am away, I rely on her to provide guidance to the cooks.” The Trout Egg, Sweet Breads and Dilly Beans (a picture of which was in Bon Appetit), Trout with Celery Root, and the Clementine and Black Truffle are creations of Chef Dabney. Chef reiterated that Cassidee has a great sense of humor, handles problems directly, and is always willing to stop what she is doing to answer a question or show a cook how to do something and is very generous in that respect. She is also very organized and helps things run smoothly with last minute changes and multiple dining venues, all of this while still indulging her weekly guilty pleasure of….reading US Magazine! Blackberry Farm is lucky to have her!

Cassidee Dabney

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The new titles are:

Setting the Table by Meyer

Danny shares the lessons he’s learned while developing the winning recipe for doing the business he calls “enlightened hospitality.” This innovative philosophy emphasizes putting the power of hospitality to work in a new and counterintuitive way. The first and most important application of hospitality is to the people who work for you, and then, in descending order of priority, to the guests, the community, the suppliers, and the investors. This way of prioritizing stands the more traditional business models on their heads, but Danny considers it the foundation of every success that he and his restaurants have achieved.

Leadership and One Minute Manager by Blanchard

In clear, simple terms Leadership and the One Minute Manager teaches managers the art of Situational Leadership-a simple system that refutes the conventional management mandate of treating all employees equally. Here, you’ll learn why tailoring management styles to individual employees is so important; why knowing when to delegate, support, or direct is critical; how to identify the leadership style suited to a particular person; and how consistent use of the One Minute techniques will produce better management and enhanced motivation on all levels. This remarkable, easy-to-follow book is a priceless guide to creative, personalized leadership that elicits the best performance from your staff--and the best bottom line for any business.

Peak by Conley

Boutique Hotelier Chip Conley’s book PEAK is stacked full of ideas to create happy and passionate work environments in order to attract and engage the top talent in any marketplace, develop a loyal customer base, and build a profitable and sustainable business. Concepts based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Leading Self-Directed Teams by Fisher

A new edition of the book that lead the self-directed work teams revolution. Leading Self-Directed Work Teams is one of the best-selling books on teams ever published. Now, the perfect guide for any team leader has been revised and expanded to reflect the new realities of team-based organizations. By explaining how team leaders differ from conventional supervisors, this informative volume which is based on the author’s successful seminars and workshops is especially useful for those managers who move from hierarchical to participatory structures.

Switch by Heath

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Bradberry & Greaves

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is a 2009 business book by authors Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves that describe the importance of emotional intelligence to job performance and how individuals and companies can develop emotional intelligence skills through the combination of skill evaluation and the use of research-based strategies.

The Business Library has expanded and we now have an incentive for you to start reading and progressing your knowledge and career! Read a book, get a 5 star card times five for your efforts!

Read for Rewards

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Carla and John Hawkinson came into an interesting “retirement” career. Carla taught art at Heritage High School and was involved in the Tennessee Valley Hunt Club. John spent his career in music sales and as a commercial airline pilot for ACA, a subsidiary of Delta, but was also a horse person. About nine years ago, as they were considering purchasing the Abbott farm on West Millers Cove Road, they realized the farm came with a carriage driving contract with Blackberry Farm. And, thus began their relationship with Blackberry Farm. So, with the purchase of the farm, they began driving carriages for Blackberry. Five years ago, Blackberry approached them about taking over the horse program and Carla and John brought their vision of Natural Horsemanship to Blackberry.

Natural Horsemanship is an approach to horses where humans learn to speak a language that the horse understands. This is done by establishing a rapport on the ground, and building trust and communication based on the ways horses communicate with each other. All of this is done before a rider ever mounts the horse. The principle is that horses are herd animals, and will follow and comply with the wishes of the leader of the pack. Additionally, Natural Horsemanship does not train horses using fear or mechanical punishment or correction. Natural Horsemanship has been a long time practice but has become a formal discipline and a field of study in the past 20 years.

So, how do you find a horse that will work for Blackberry Farm guests? There are two tiers of horses at Blackberry. One tier is able to accommodate the guest that is an accomplished rider, of which many of our guests are accomplished. We have been very fortunate to have owners who board their horses at Blackberry, horses that

can handle the fox hunt and the hunter jumper courses. Horses like the Gallaher’s Skyy and Atlas, or the Goldenberg’s Sky Rocket, Logan, Sugar Foot, and Opie. The other type is a horse that is suitable for beginners, a stable, calm, predictable steed. Carla and John have gravitated toward quarter horses and paints and always geldings. She describes these horses as sensible and even tempered, and are big enough to comfortably carry a 6 foot tall man but reliable enough to carry a five year old child.

Enter Harlan and Cheez. Harlan was named after Harlan Estate Vineyards. As Andy Chabot, Director of F&B, sagely noted “Harlan, like wine, was full-bodied and red!” Cheez and Harlan are what Carla calls minimalists, and if you pair them together, you have wine and cheese….just a little galley humor from the horse barn. At any rate, they are on their own speed, which is slow, tolerant, and unflappable. And yet Harlan has a robust ego and he is apparently very self-confident, believing his own self-worth is without compare, perhaps exceeding reality. His high opinion of himself might stem from his years as a cowboy mounted shooting horse and Civil War re-enactor.

When we asked guides Mary Owens and Rachel Wilhelm about their favorite horse, they looked at each other, smiled, and simultaneously said, “Cheez.” They said Cheez was “special” like the lights are on, but no one is home type of special. And, he has a nicker that is endearing, and says “pick me, pick me” when you walk out into the field to get a horse.

Carla admits that when the horseback team gets together as a group, well, sadly they gossip. Yes, they break Foundation #5. But, they don’t talk about each other, or other humans at Blackberry, they talk about the horses, whom they consider team members. And, the

ProgramFrom left to right, Rachel Wilhelm, Carla Hawkinson, and Mary Owens.

Little Chef and Carla Hawkinson

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psychoanalysis begins. Why was Harlan being difficult this morning? Maybe he was out too late last night, or had more of the “nip” than he should have, suffering from a hangover? Or, why was another spirited horse, slow and unfocused. Were they having troubles at home, trouble with the kids? They analyze the behavior of the horses and discuss ways to re-school them to get them back on the right path. Carla says if a psychologist walked into the middle of one of the team’s discussions about the horses, they would think they were talking about people weighed down by life’s struggles and stresses!

The human team is without compare and when Carla speaks of them, she speaks with a lot of pride. Mary Owens and Pat Sandlin have been with the Hawkinson’s since the beginning of the program and both can perform all duties. They jump, fox hunt, carriage drive, trail ride, and are excellent horsemen and teachers. But, most importantly, they know and care about Blackberry Farm. They know it so well that Carla and John never worry when they are away, knowing that they will take care of everything. They are also experts at matching guests to the right horse to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Rachel Wilhelm has a degree in animal science, is a vet tech, a certified horse massage therapist, and is very personable. Due to her personable nature, Rachel has been spending part of her time in Concierge, helping guests decide which exciting activities to participate in while at Blackberry Farm. Brittany Everson’s expertise is in show jumping and fox hunting, and she grew up showing horses and has been a wonderful addition to the team. Laura Pierpont, who has been a babysitter for Blackberry for several years, is one of the newer additions to the team and is an accomplished rider who is great with kids and pony club. Portia Greenlee is the newest addition and has a degree in animal science, is a vet tech, was on the UT Equestrian Team, worked at a Dude Ranch out west, is experienced in Eventing (a 3-day contest testing a rider’s ability to master dressage, hunter jumper and cross country courses), and carriage driving.

The Hawkinson’s keep the draft horses, Rock, Rolland (Percheron’s), and Too Big (Belgian) at their farm and use them for carriage rides. Rock handles the singles, Rock and Rolland (I hope you are reading the humor in this) handle the groups of four or more passengers, and Too Big is a new horse being trained on carriages. Team members at Blackberry often talk about how much there was to learn in their first few months- and how overwhelming it could be. Well, be thankful you aren’t a horse at Blackberry!! There is “Llama Trauma”-apparently very scary creatures to horses. Horses have to get used to golf carts, mowers, weed eaters, sheep, dogs, and people in white chef coats (nothing good can come of that in a horse’s mind). And, have you ever noticed just how much a fly rod looks like a whip? Well, ask the horses, it looks dangerously similar to an instrument of torture. Then, there is the ever present, sinister, and evil “hammock by the creek.” The thing just sways in the breeze. Under its own volition, like it’s alive. I mean, who wouldn’t be freaked out by that?

Maybe managing horses is more delicate than managing people? Carla and John’s goal for the horse program is to build a comprehensive program that suits every rider from age five and up. It’s also to be the best equestrian program in North America and amongst Relais & Chateaux properties across the globe. Well, of course it is, would we expect less? Thank you to our wonderful horseback team for their commitment to Blackberry and taking such great care of our horses and guests!

Joy Hopkins riding Sunny Rock and Rolland Sarah Chabot with Caren Gallaher’s Skyy

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Please join me in congratulating Susanne Hohaus for winning Team Member of the Month for September!

Susanne Hohaus came to Blackberry in April of 2011 as our Human Resource Generalist. She wears many hats in the HR Department including safety, workers compensation, benefits, orientation, employee relations, team member property benefits, and HRIS Administration. Susanne is fair with our team, a great supporter of the company, and willingly available to the team when they need her. She handles a great deal of “behind the scenes work” that is very important to others, she gets the details right, and her demeanor with the team is always pleasant and understanding.

Susanne takes her career seriously and her human resource knowledge is excellent and her practices are compliant, well thought out, and fair. As one of her colleagues said, “No matter what the situation is, she is always a joy to work with.” She advocates for the right thing to be done and supports the company’s initiatives and goals. Her work this year with putting increased focus on our safety program will have positive results for the team and Blackberry for years to come. Susanne is a great example of someone who does the right thing even when no one is looking! We are fortunate to have her at Blackberry Farm.

Get to KnowSusanne Hohaus

AnniversariesCongratulations to those that had an

anniversary in the 3nd quarter!

(2 year anniversaries)

(5 year anniversaries)

Joseph CroftsEric Garcia

Roxana LopezAlex Quick

Silvia RodriguezRobby Stone

Becky GordonMatt Wilcoxen

Botrus AbuhaniaJessica BoundsHeather BryantTimothy BryantBryan BucklerAmanda Case

Andrew DonohueBrett Downey

Betsy FunderburkBenjamin Gordon

Whitney HoagTrevor Iaconis

Fabiola Luna Juarez Aderek Majok

Mallorie MendenceKatie Miller

Morgan MillerDaniel MungerBrenda Myers

Nathaniel OlsenAmber PickensMarcus StokelyJoey Thomas

Debra Toomey

(10 year anniversaries)

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Micah Talley came to Blackberry Farm a little over two years ago and is a great example of someone who has taken control of his destiny by absorbing all there is to learn here. Micah applied for Guest Services, but with no position open, he was offered Wait Staff. Micah said his parents owned a restaurant when he was growing up and he was dead set against working in a restaurant again. Ironically, he reluctantly accepted and quickly learned that he had found a career. He started as a Steward, progressed to Food Runner, then Back Waiter, Front Waiter, and now is training in the Bar.

When we asked him what his most rewarding guest experience has been, he relayed a story about serving as a Back Waiter for the first time to repeat guests of Blackberry. Melinda Franco, now an Events Manager, was acting as the Front Waiter that night and was familiar with the family. Micah said that he was sure the guests could tell he was “green” by the “deer in the headlights” look he had on his face the whole night. Those same guests came back recently, and as Micah served them, they told him how much they had enjoyed watching him grow professionally at Blackberry. Micah said that was a very meaningful moment to him as it made him realize how far he had come from that “deer in the headlights” Back Waiter.

Micah’s wine knowledge has grown as well, passing his Entry Level Sommelier test in May of this year; he wants to continue learning about wine in the hopes of being a Sommelier in the future. He said the thing he likes about Blackberry is that it has taught him discipline; there are things outside your control, things that are sometimes hard, but you adjust and make it happen. His manager, Tommy Cooper, stated that Micah’s strong points are his ability to get along with others, his work ethic, and a positive attitude. Micah said when he started at Blackberry, he listened to Andy and Tommy as they taught him what was needed, and he did the best he could to meet their expectations. Seems like a simple thing, but one that requires a leap of faith. A leap of faith which has benefitted Blackberry Farm and Micah Talley!

Get to KnowMicah TalleyOne of the consistent comments from our guests is how engaging our team

is and how they create a warm and friendly experience that feels like coming home to many of our guests.

A great example of that rapport that is built by the team with the guests happened a few weeks ago. Majok Wol, Wait Staff in the Main House, went to the Boathouse to collect dishes from a guest’s picnic lunch. The guests had finished eating and were fishing in Old Walland Pond. Majok inquired about their success with fishing as he cleaned up, stating that he had not had much luck catching big fish. About that time, Mr. got a fish on the line and eagerly handed the straining pole to Majok, insisting that Majok take over the effort. The fish was a very big catfish and put up quite the fight. With the guests excitedly giving Majok pointers on how to reel the fish in, how to keep it from swimming under the dock, and when to let the line run and when to reel it in, Majok landed the fish with aplomb! The guests were overjoyed for him and wanted to take pictures of the “one that didn’t get away.”

Thank you to Majok for creating treasured memories for our guests….and for giving the fish a good challenge for the day!

The Big One that Didn’t Get Away!

Whitney HoagLodging

July

Paige OgleAccounting

August

Susanne HohausHuman Resources

September

Manager of the Quarter Winner

Congratulations to our Winners of Team Member of the Month during the 3nd Quarter

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Philip Hoy

Please join us in congratulating Philip Hoy as our Manager of the Quarter for 3rd Quarter! Philip began his career at Blackberry in July 2012 as the Lodging Service Manager and has a great guest service and front desk team. He has a quiet leadership style and leads with calm and poise. He thoroughly understands our guest and their expectations and has a “yes is the attitude” approach. Philip has developed training programs to create an engaged team that will have opportunities to contribute on multiple levels in their career at Blackberry. He is dedicated to providing the highest level of service to our guests and empowers his team to deliver that service. Congratulations Philip! Thank you for all you and your team do to make Blackberry a unique and memorable experience.

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3rd Quarter Active Listeners

Front of House:Debbie Brown

Alyssa VollSarah Orr

Back of House:Sandy Davis

Brenda MyersGail Fann

Thank you to the people for contributing to the Buzz this quarter! You make it what it is!

Manager of the Quarter

Nominations

Betty DennisThomas Krajewski

Sarah RumpJim Sanford

Adam ShulerSusan Wojnar

Team Member of the Month

Nominations

Mike AllisonMichelle Beranek

Ron DownerErin Hall

Susanne HohausMorgan Miller

Katherine Pipkins

Contributors

Tommy CooperJoseph Lenn

Carla HawkinsonAlex Quick

Adam Shuler