October 1, 2023
Meet Ramie Ybarra
Every year the Kendal community celebrates employee tenure anniversaries (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years) with an appreciation program. On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, Kendal at Oberlin honored 27 employees for service milestones. Meet one of them:
Ramie Ybarra has spent her entire 30-year career in Dining Services, working first as a waitress in Fox & Fell and Langston, and then moved to Friends Corner, when it opened in the Stephens Care Center. She was AM Team Leader for 8 years and was recently named interim Stephens Care Center Dining Room Manager for all dining services in Friends Corner while the search continues for a replacement.
Learning From Work Experience
Her 30 years at Kendal has taught her a lot about aging, she says.
“I learned so much from watching, talking to the residents, bonding with them with their amazing life stories and I learned a lot with my grandma with dementia. Thanks to classes I took at Kendal. I was prepared with my own grandma.”
Ramie Ybarra
Ramie has three “beautiful” daughters Marcella, Angela & Mya and eight wonderful grandkids.
“I have a big family; we do movie night, holidays trips together. It’s amazing how our family always make time for each other. Football time is a big thing in are family, Yes, we are Cleveland Browns biggest fan. and for many years we always spent it with my dad,” she says.
Other Kendal at Oberlin Staff Anniversaries Celebrated
Other Kendal employees celebrating their milestone anniversaries are:
- (30 years) Becky Butler, Human Resources, Laurie Dupee, Health and Wellness Clinic, Jon Hall, Facility Services – Maintenance, Judy Miller, Information Technology & Finance, Michele Tarsitano-Amato, Creative Arts Therapy, Bev Zimmerman, Stephens Care Center Health Services;
- (25 years) Susan Kuncel, Stephens Care Center Health Services, Ruth Jasko, Stephens Care Center Health Services, Toni Merleno, Human Resources & Operational Services;
- (20 years) Crystal Hall, Hospitality Services – Housekeeping & Laundry, Lisa Stewart, Stephens Care Center Health Services, Ryan Stalzkowski, Facility Services;
- (15 years) Lisa Wilken, Hospitality Services – Dining,;
- (10 years) Rosemary Hall, Hospitality Services – SCC Dining, Cherie Ridge, Finance, Larry Thompson, Human Resources;
- (5 years) Maxine Baggett-Redd, Hospitality Services – Dining, Elisabeth Christman, Sales & Marketing, John Dziak III, Facility Services – Maintenance, Jaciah Edwards, Stephens Care Center Health Services, Angelina Gonzalez, Stephens Care Center Health Services, Diane McCray, Hospitality Services – Housekeeping, Andrew Miller, Hospitality Services – Dining, Kristal Purnell, Hospitality Services – Dining, Kristen Tuttle, Hospitality Services – Dining, Polly Wilhelm, Facility Services – Transportation.
In the past, Molly Kavanaugh frequently wrote about Kendal at Oberlin for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she was a reporter for 16 years. Now we are happy to have her writing for the Kendal at Oberlin Community.
About Kendal at Oberlin: Kendal is a nonprofit life plan community serving older adults in northeast Ohio. Located about one mile from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and about a 40 minute drive from downtown Cleveland, Kendal offers a vibrant resident-led lifestyle with access to music, art and lifelong learning.
Learn More about Careers in Aging Services
A vibrant life plan community, Kendal at Oberlin offers a purposeful work experience, with opportunities for growth. Work with older adults is a career that you will love you back.