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Gjylapi joins UniBank as Vice President Business Administration from Worcester State College. She serves on the Board of Directors as the treasurer of the Growing Places Garden Project in Clinton, MA, and is a member of the American Economic Association. UniBank, with assets of $1.3 billion as of June 30, 2012, is a full-service, mutually owned community bank with branches in the Blackstone Valley, Milford, and Worcester. A full-service, state-of-the-art branch is scheduled to open in Grafton in 2013. UniBank is a member of the FDIC and DIF. The company website is www.unibank.com .
UniBank recently announced that Alvara Gjylapi has joined UniBank as Assistant Vice President, Credit and Loan Review Officer. In this position, Ms. Gjylapi participates in the commercial lending activity of the bank through underwriting and administering of commercial loans. Prior to joining UniBank, Ms Gjylapi was a Commercial Credit Analyst at Clinton Savings Bank. She also has prior banking experience as a Credit Analyst, Branch Manager/Officer and Sr. Personal Banking Representative at both Avidia Bank and Sovereign Bank. Ms. Gjylapi has an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Assumption College and a Bachelor of Science in
At left:
alVara GJylaPI
Grillo receives Team Member of the Year Award Nina Grillo, eight-year team member and server assistant at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Millbury, has been presented with LongHorn’s top honor for local restaurant employees – the Team Member of the Year Award. Presented annually, the Team Member of the Year award recognizes local team members throughout North America who demonstrate outstanding results by providing LongHorn guests with expertly grilled steaks and a memorable LongHorn experience. In addition, honorees are recognized as embodying LongHorn’s core values, like treating everyone with dignity, respect, honesty and integrity, and living the brand’s culture by providing unforgettable service and making guests feel at home each day in their restaurant. Nina is one of four team members
selected this year from the more than 390 LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants in North America, making this a truly outstanding honor. Her recognition is a result of her passion for LongHorn’s new Steakhouse Lunch offer, which features more than 30 lunch combinations priced at $7.99. Nina sought to grow the Millbury location’s lunch business and developed a list of local companies that might enjoy a “free sampling” delivered to their office. She planned and executed the entire local lunch program, in partnership with her managers, and as a result helped grow this location’s lunch business by 35 percent from prior year. Additionally, Nina is committed to welcoming new team members and making them feel a part of the Millbury family. She asked for a small budget to put
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together welcome kits for new servers that contained pens, highlighters, wine openers and an employee phone directory. “Nina is a highly valued team member who understands the importance of doing things the right way, helping us achieve our goal to become America’s favorite steakhouse,” said Dave George, President of LongHorn Steakhouse. “She puts a tremendous amount of effort into her work and is tireless when it comes to ensuring guests have a memorable LongHorn experience. As a result, we are honored to recognize Nina’s contribution to helping the Millbury LongHorn be a superior performing restaurant.” The Millbury LongHorn Steakhouse is located at 70 Worcester Providence Drive.
5 Step process to attacking any problem as a professional by Gary F. restall 1. Take Stock Is there a problem or not? When something is brought up, it may mean it is time to do some research to SEE if there is a problem and better understand the issue. Dig for the original source of the problem vs. just the symptoms of the real problem. THEN, and only after one discovers and realizes there is a problem, can one begin to address the problem at the source. So step one is to discover and realize there is a problem and then define what the problem is. So a preliminary research from various angles to broaden the mind to first ACCEPT that there could be AND there is a problem instead of relying on one's own potentially preconceived mis-conceived notion about an issue declaring there is a problem when it is only a false issue. Hence, after step one acknowledgment, step two enters into the how to fix almost any problem. 2. Identify & Listen Continue the research to determine the extent of the problem. Again, not from a pre-conceived perspective. Flesh out everything one can about the perceived problem from all the angles. From those with the "issue" as well as those affected by the "issue" - directly and indirectly. Learn the past, present and expected future of the "issue". Then, study everything one can on
the subject piecing the puzzle together as best one can. Once one has done the studies, go back to the sources of the research asking for clarifications and listen to them whether you have a correct understanding of the problem as it pertains to them? In other words, become an expert on the problem or perceived problem. 3. Determine Potential Solutions One Can Do Once the problem is determined, defined, understood, then it is time to begin working out potential solutions. Try to determine potential solutions to the problem from the broadest perspective possible. Not just one or a partial one to fit YOUR needs, whatever they are, but seriously solve the problem or select aspects of the problem. Is the potential a permanent or temporary solution and will whatever solution considered incur additional problems in the process requiring additional potential solutions? Going back to the source of problems is usually better than just attempting to solve symptoms without ever correcting the source of the problem. Meaning if only the symptoms are addressed, then the problem is still there not having been seriously addressed. At which point, one needs to determine can the problem seriously be solved and if so how or will the problem always exist and one is looking for bandaids for the symptoms? It may actually require multiple solutions to seriously attack the problem and it may take multiple stages to implement for a permanent solution to address the real problem. Understanding all aspects of possible solutions possible and then determine what you can do or the limits you can do for whatever reason. Once the problem has been investigated thoroughly, then and only then, can potential solutions be determined BEFORE one determines what can be done and how it might be solved. 4. Attack The Problem, Perhaps In Stages Establish the implementation process, perhaps in stages, hopefully, at the source of the true problem vs. the symptoms of the problem as completely as possible eliminating the problem from the source so it never returns again to be a problem.. 5. Monitor and adjust as needed Have a constant mind to monitor the implementation and make adjustments as needed. Make sure it remains history as a problem. That is how this 5 step process can attack any problem considered. Gary F. Restall is President of www.agslifeacademy.org assisting the greats and near-greats in a streetsmarts practical Foundational program for only 1 hour a day for 26 weeks to be the best they can be and even outstandingly more ... guaranteed. He can be reached at garyxyz@ agsfinancialservices.com. Additional information about him can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/garyfrestall.