Holiday Retirement continues trend as Great Place to Work in 2019

Extends designation to 233 of its senior living communities

ORLANDO, Fla. (May 22, 2019) — Today Holiday Retirement announced its certification as a great place to work for the second year in a row by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work Institute®. The honor also extends to nearly 90 percent of Holiday Retirement’s senior living communities across 42 states, a nine percent increase from last year’s first-time participation results.  

The designation was based on extensive ratings provided by Holiday Retirement associates through The Culture Audit and Trust Index Survey. These tools provide insight into an organization’s value system, programs and practices, and measure levels of credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie.  

“Holiday Retirement’s mission is to help older people live better,” said Lilly Donohue, Holiday Retirement’s CEO. “But our team members don’t just say it; they live and breathe it. They are the ones truly making success happen. This recognition from Great Place to Work validates our efforts to foster happy and engaged associates so they feel fully supported as they live out our mission.” 

Holiday Retirement employees submitted 7,356 surveys, an eight percent increase in participation over last year, which were evaluated for certification by Great Place to Work® analysts. The following 233 Holiday Retirement communities received Great Place to Work distinction:

Alabama

• Eastdale Estates – Montgomery
• Monarch Estates – Auburn
• Rocky Ridge – Hoover
• University Oaks – Mobile

Arkansas 

• Andover Place – Little Rock 
• Apple Blossom – Rogers 
• Butterfield Place – Fort Smith
• The Gardens at Arkanshire – Springdale 
• South Wind Heights – Jonesboro 

Arizona 

• Desert Rose – Yuma 
• Madison Meadows – Phoenix 
• Vista de la Montaña – Surprise 
• Vista del Rio – Peoria 
• Westgate Village – Glendale 

California 

• Arcadia Place – Vista 
• Bay Park – Pinole 
• The Bonaventure – Ventura 
• Bridgecreek – West Covina 
• The Camelot – Hemet 
• Columbus Estates – Bakersfield 
• Golden Oaks – Yucaipa 
• Hilltop Estates – Redding 
• Mission Commons – Redlands 
• Mistywood – Roseville 
• The Oakmont – Chico 
• The Palms – La Mirada 
• Rancho Village – Palmdale 
• Redwood Retirement Residence – Napa
• Shasta Estates – Redding 
• Sierra Hills – Porterville 
• Simi Hills – Simi Valley 
• The Springs of Escondido – Escondido 
• The Springs of Napa – Napa 
• Standiford Place – Modesto 
• Valencia Commons – Rancho Cucamonga 
• Walnut Park – Visalia 
• The Westmont – Santa Clara 

Colorado 

• Highland Trail – Broomfield 
• Lakewood Estates – Lakewood 
• Longmont Regent – Longmont 
• Parkwood Estates – Fort Collins 
• Pueblo Regent – Pueblo 
• Quincy Place – Denver 
• Sugar Valley Estates – Loveland 
• Sunridge – Colorado Springs 

Connecticut 

• Cedar Woods – Branford 
• Lodge at Cold Spring – Rocky Hill 
• Village Gate – Farmington 
• White Oaks – Manchester 

Florida 

• Atrium at Gainesville – Gainesville 
• Augustine Landing – Jacksonville 
• Azalea Park – Lakeland 
• Belleair Towers – Clearwater 
• Cherry Laurel – Tallahassee 
• Desoto Beach Club – Sarasota 
• Lake Ridge Village – Eustis 
• Las Palmas – Palm Coast
• Marion Woods – Ocala
• Ormond in the Pines – Ormond Beach
• Regency Residence – Port Richey 
• Sterling Court – Deltona
• The Tremont – Oviedo
• University Pines– Pensacola
• The Venetian Gardens– Venice
• Windward Palms – Boynton Beach
• Woodlands Village – Bradenton

Georgia 

• Iris Place – Athens
• Laurel Grove – Lawrenceville 
• Pinegate – Macon
• The Regency House – Decatur 
• River's Edge – Savannah
• Riverplace– Columbus
• Smoky Springs– Gainesville
• Washington Commons – Evans

Hawaii 

• Kalama Heights – Kihei

Iowa

• Beaverdale Estates – Des Moines
• Illahee Hills – Urbandale
• Mallard Point – Cedar Falls
• Palmer Hills – Bettendorf
• Walden Place – Iowa City

Idaho

• Chateau De Boise – Boise

Illinois 

• Blair House – Normal
• Curtis Creek – Quincy
• Montvale Estates – Springfield

Indiana

• Arbor Glen – Fort Wayne
• Parkside Court – Columbus
• Redbud Hills – Bloomington
• Willow Park – Evansville

Kansas

• Grasslands Estates – Wichita
• Greenwood Terrace – Lenexa 
• Thornton Place – Topeka

Kentucky

• Hartland Hills – Lexington
• Jackson Oaks – Paducah
• Ponder Creek Estates – Louisville

Louisiana

• Summerfield Estates – Shreveport
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• With the NBA Finals kicking off on May 30 and the league allowing teams to sell ad space on uniforms as of 2017, estimated to generate $100 million to $150 million in yearly revenue, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Best & Worst Cities for Basketball Fans as well as accompanying videos.

  To find the best cities for professional- and college-basketball fans, WalletHub compared more than 290 of the largest cities across 21 key metrics, ranging from the performance level of each city’s NBA and NCAA Division 1 basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility.
   

  Best Cities for Basketball Fans

   

  Worst Cities for Basketball Fans

  1

  Boston, MA

   

  282

  Missoula, MT

  2

  Los Angeles, CA

   

  283

  Knoxville, TN

  3

  Oakland, CA

   

  284

  Bethlehem, PA

  4

  San Antonio, TX

   

  285

  Cookeville, TN

  5

  Salt Lake City, UT

   

  286

  Jersey City, NJ

  6

  Miami, FL

   

  287

  Hackensack, NJ

  7

  Oklahoma City, OK

   

  288

  Montgomery, AL

  8

  Philadelphia, PA

   

  289

  Daytona Beach, FL

  9

  Chicago, IL

   

  290

  Pocatello, ID

  10

  Houston, TX

   

  291

  New Britain, CT

   
  Best vs. Worst

  • New Orleans has the lowest average ticket price for an NBA game, $30.20, which is 3.2 times less expensive than in New York, the city with the highest at $97.77.
     
  • The Golden State Warriors have the highest performance level among NBA teams, 80.49 percent, which is 2.9 times better than that of the Phoenix Suns, the team with the lowest at 27.64 percent.
     
  • Miami, Florida, has the highest fan engagement for NBA teams, 45.21, which is 33.2 times higher than in New York, the city with the lowest at 1.36.

  To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit: 
  https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-basketball-fans/11034/

• ===========================

• Two Big Weekends, Two Big Car Shows…and More!
   

  Now that Spring has finally sprung, it’s time for car shows! We have two coming up over the next two weekends, and both are going to be great! The Third Annual Cruzer Palooza Car Show for American and classic cars is this Saturday, May 25, and the second visit for the Import Spring Showoff takes place the following Saturday, June 1. As usual, there’ll be more than just a car show: Cruzer Palooza will be joined by the Lucky Dog Racing League’s Salty Dawg Sprint-Duro (sports car endurance racing) and an SCCA Autocross, while the Import Spring Showoff will be augmented with racing from the Porsche Club of America, a UMC Open Track Day and drifting from Salt City Drift. FREE ADMISSION for both events, and rental karting will be available. Bring a crowd!

   

  UMC Kart Center

  Speaking of rental karts, you really need to come see the improvements we’ve made to the Kart Center. New manager, new staff, new ideas, new enthusiasm. Our fleet of karts, that was new last year, has been freshened up for a new season of racing, and we have 22 more new karts enroute. The Throttle Café inside the Kart Center is now open for business, and we’ve added an Xbox gaming center. We’re open six days a week (closed Tuesdays), unless there’s a race or corporate event scheduled. As always, “Call before you haul!” (435-277-8575) Stay tuned for upcoming news about UMC karting leagues, membership programs and more!

   

  MotoAmerica

  We love fast motorcycles, and the top Superbike riders in North America have been coming here since the gates first swung open in 2006. The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship returns to UMC June 14-16, as the best teams and riders try to reverse the rotation of the Earth with some of the most powerful bikes you’ll ever see (and hear!). The weekend will include two full days of racing – a double-header event – for the Superbike, Superstock 1000, Supersport and Superstock 600 classes, plus other support races. The weekend will include a round of the AMA Supermoto Championship, and sports car racing from NASA Utah. There are a variety of ticket packages available, ranging from mild to wild, plus camping and VIP options. Don’t miss it!

   

  It's YOUR Turn!

   

  Some people like to watch racing; others want to do it themselves. How ‘bout you? If you have the need for speed, we have a number of ways to help you scratch that itch. Our entry-level program, Wide Open Wednesday, is coming up May 22, June 19, and three times in July (3rd, 17th and 31st). UMC Open Track Days are scheduled for June 1 and July 13. Don’t forget: We have Xtreme Xperience coming in August, during which you can drive exotic cars on track. Also, NASA Utah has a great program for beginners, their High Performance Driving Experience (June 14-16 and August 2-4), and for the two-wheelers, Apex Track Days handles all our motorcycle Open Track Days (June 7, July 12, August 23). What are you waiting for?

   

   

  Upcoming Events

  May 22            Wide Open Wednesday
   
  May 24-26       Third Annual Cruzer Palooza Classic & Custom Car Show
                          Lucky Dog Racing League Salty Dawg Sprint-Duro                                               (Full and West Track)
   
  May 31-Jun 2  Import Spring Showoff
                          Porsche Club of America, Intermountain Region (West Track)
                          UMC Open Track Day (East Track)
                          USBA Supermoto Championship Round 2
                          Salt City Drift (West Paddock)
   
  June 7-9          Utah Criterium Series Bicycle Race (West Track)
                          Apex Track Days (East Track)
                          USBA Law Tigers Masters of the Mountains Round 2 (East Track)
                          Muddy Princess 5K Obstacle Mud Run
   
  June 14-16      MotoAmerica Superbike Championship (East Track)
                          NASA Utah Region Round 4 (West Track)
                          AMA Supermoto Championship
   
  June 19           Wide Open Wednesday
   
  June 30           USBA Supermoto Championship Round 3

  July 3              Wide Open Wednesday
   
  July 12            Apex Track Days (West Track)

  July 13-14       USBA Law Tigers Masters of the Mountains Round 3 (West Track)
                          UMC Open Track Day (East Track)

  July 17            Wide Open Wednesday

  July 19-21       Porsche Pirelli Trophy West (Outer Track)

  July 26            Extra Mile Racing Bicycle Race (West Track)
   

  July 27-28       ChampCar Endurance Series Double 8 Enduro (East Track)
   

  July 31            Wide Open Wednesday

  ==============================

  5 types of credentials: What are they and what is their value?

  U.S. high school students earn hundreds of thousands of credentials each year as part of state career and technical education (CTE) programs. Unfortunately, Credentials Matter confirmed the information and data on the effectiveness of these credentials is extremely limited in most states, if it even exists at all.

  While there is a great deal of improvement needed in data collection, much can be learned from the nearly 800,000 earned credentials collected and analyzed by Credentials Matter. Some states have clear criteria and include workforce demand for identifying their promoted credentials. Other states include almost any measure of career-related knowledge regardless of whether they carry weight in the labor market. 

   

  Defining Credential Types

  Credentials Matter identified five credential types based on how they interact with labor market demand using employer signaling, industry validation mechanisms and state regulation as filters. These five types provide the framework for analyzing alignment to determine how a state is preparing students for the workforce demand in their state.

  • License
    • Mandated by law for workers to gain permission to practice in specific occupations and must be renewed periodically.
    • Examples include Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) for truck drivers and Licensed Practical Nurse for nurses.
  • Certification
    • Signal an individual has acquired a set of abilities and, in some cases, allow them to perform a specific job.
    • Examples include Automotive Service Excellence for auto mechanics and CompTIA Network+ for computer network administrators.
  • Software
    • Demonstrate competence of a specific software.
    • Examples include Adobe Certified Expert for graphic designers and Microsoft Office Specialist for administrative assistants.
  • General Career Readiness
    • Measures foundational workplace skills including basic reading, math, financial and digital literacy, workplace safety and basic life support or first aid.
    • Examples include W!SE Financial Literacy Certification and Basic First Aid, which can be applied across virtually all occupations.
  • CTE Assessment
    • Measure the skill attainment of students who have completed a program course sequence or CTE pathway.
    • These assessments test the student’s mastery of state standards and are not necessarily aligned with or approved by an industry body or used in hiring or advancement decisions.

  Determining Credential Value

  Determining value for a credential based on labor market demand is not straightforward. Some credentials may be in high demand but in occupations that pay less than a living wage or that are projected to decline over time. Other credentials may show low labor market demand, but are still essential for career advancement.

  Key Credential Type Findings

  Credentials Matter provides a detailed breakdown of the top credentials earned and demanded for each of the five credential types nationally and by state. The following key findings barely scratch the surface.

  • License – There is an extreme oversupply of Licenses associated with low-wage occupations and undersupply of the Licenses associated with middle- and high-wage occupations.
  • Certification - While Certifications can open doors for entry-level workers or help seasoned workers advance their careers, the overall alignment of Certifications to employer demand is poor.
  • Software – The demand for Software credentials is overestimated because even though employers are seeking candidates proficient in productivity software, such as Microsoft Office, they do not require a credential to prove these abilities.
  • General Career Readiness - General Career Readiness credentials often do not lead to a clear or successful pathway in the workforce. Though the skills acquired may be valuable, these credentials should not be considered industry-recognized credentials in the way that they currently are in state CTE programs, ESSA accountability systems or credential incentive policies.
  • CTE Assessment - Virtually no CTE Assessments hold currency in the labor market. This is not to say that CTE Assessments are low quality or low value, but they should not be included as part of a state’s industry-recognized credential portfolio.

  Building a Better Educational Path for Students

  State programs should place more emphasis on the capstone credentials that are most demanded by employers and less emphasis on credentials that may signal specific underlying skill sets or competencies but do not provide students with an advantage in terms of employment, wages and career advancement.

  Credentials Matter is a critical first step to understanding the current credentials landscape across the U.S. so stakeholders can build better career education systems for students. Learn more at CredentialsMatter.org.

  Explore the Website
  
  Visit CredentialsMatter.org to learn more and to explore interactive maps and data tables.

  Read the Report
  
  View the Credentials Matter report to examine the analysis’s approach, findings and recommendations.

   

  About Credentials Matter
  Credentials Matter is an ongoing research partnership between ExcelinEd and Burning Glass Technologies designed to shed light on the landscape of industry credential data collection and alignment across the country. The project provides insight into how industry credentials earned by high school students align with workforce demand in each state to inform education system improvements and state data collection practices. Visit ExcelinEd.org/CredentialsMatter for more information. 

   

  USDA Radio Newsline

   

  Wednesday, May 22nd Story:

   

  • Trade Related Farming Support Package Coming "Shortly"

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