Salina Presbyterian Manor
Mary’s Musings By Mary Bridges, Chaplain MAY 2022
Salina Presbyterian Manor welcomes new HR director Tammy Lockhart says she “fell into” her human resources career — which is exactly where she needs to be. “I feel like it’s a calling,” she said. Tammy became the new director of human resources at Salina Presbyterian Manor in February after a 15-year career in the field.
Tammy Lockhart
Some of her responsibilities include posting jobs and recruiting new employees and serving as a sounding board for other members of the leadership team.
“My door is always open,” Tammy said. “I try to make it clear that I’m here for the employees at Presbyterian Manor.” Her first human resources job was at the Solomon Corporation, and Tammy still keeps in touch with the director who trained her. She went on to work as the human resources manager at a copper manufacturing plant in Tennessee. Tammy holds an associate’s degree in business management from Cleveland State Community College, and she is working toward her bachelor’s in business and human resource management. Part of the reason Tammy returned to Kansas is to be close to her family. At Presbyterian Manor, she says she’s growing in ways that are helping her both professionally and personally. “I’m learning a lot from the residents and staff,” she said. “It’s making me understand my mom’s situation a little better, coming here and listening to other people’s testimonials.” And although she doesn’t work directly with residents, Tammy sees and chats with them every day. “I was ready for a new environment and a new challenge, and I feel like I found it here,” she said. Tammy has two adult daughters. One lives in Olathe and the other is in
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I must confess that Memorial Day was never my favorite holiday. Growing up, my family made our annual trek to the cemetery to deliver fresh peonies from my mom’s garden. That evening, we’d go back to pick them up. As I grew older, I began to lose friends and family members — even our son. Visiting graves and offering remembrances still left me feeling sad and empty. However, my view on Memorial Day has changed. To illustrate that, I want to tell you about my friend Mary Ellen from Menomonee Falls, Wis. We became friends in 1999 while serving on a national women’s board. More importantly, we became prayer partners. Each day when I awoke, I visualized Mary Ellen on her treadmill, praying with me. Through 20 years, we prayed with each other through our ordinary days, through illnesses and the loss of loved ones. In the midst of the pandemic, Mary Ellen was diagnosed with cancer. Her final Christmas letter in 2019 ended with these words from scripture: “Be strong and of good courage. Be not frightened or dismayed. For your God is with
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