April 4, 2023 —Clint Ayers’ recent promotion to Human Resources Assistant alongside HR Director Megan Whorley has been highly enthused by many staff, and for Clint, it has been a blessing.
Praying for Guidance
When the job was first posted, Clint, a longtime Kendal at Lexington employee in the culinary department and a spiritual person, was immediately interested and began praying for direction. This position would be a new path for him, as he played a very important role on the Culinary Team.
Unknown to him, a few months earlier, Megan had received some advice from her beautiful friend and former rockstar HR assistant, Marlaina Burnett, who passed away from colon cancer at just 33 years old. In the last days of her battle, Marlaina impressed upon Megan that she wasn’t well enough to return to work and that the HR department would need additional help.
“She recommended Clint for the position,” said Megan.
When Clint learned of this, he felt God’s confirmation that this was the move he should make.
“I followed through with the process of applying,” he explained. “Fast forward to now, and here I am.” Said Megan, “I was so pleasantly surprised when Clint applied for the job.”
Feeling the Love
Serving Kendal at Lexington since 2016 (first as a dietary aid, then as Certified Dietary Manager of the Borden Center, then Culinary Supervisor for the past nearly two years), Clint is highly regarded in the Kendal at Lexington family.
“Everyone loves him, looks up to him and respects him,” said Megan, adding that Clint’s intentional practice of cheering and affirming fellow team members in creative and thoughtful ways will serve his new responsibilities in staff recruitment and retention well.
Clint is feeling the love.
“Everyone has been so supportive and congratulatory during this transition,” said the Rockbridge County native and resident of Lexington who loves cooking, music, spending time with friends and family, and vacationing anywhere with views of the water.
“The residents here care so much for our staff, and our staff cares so much for them. Most workplaces aren’t close and tightknit, but being a family is what sets KaLex apart.”
Up to the Task
Clint is also prepared for the challenge of his new position, for which he will receive training and education from the Society for Human Resources Management, the Kendal Corporation, and his colleague, Megan. In addition to recruitment and retention, he will also be working with regulatory and compliance issues.
“As you can imagine, there are many levels of opportunities to grow in HR, which I intend to do, and I am confident I will serve well in this role,” he said.
An Exemplary Success Story
The upward mobility of Clint’s career at Kendal at Lexington is an example Megan hopes will encourage and inspire other staff members.
“Clint working his way up is another success story of the great talent and opportunities we have here. I hope this shows other employees that there are many chances for advancement and learning new things at Kendal,” she said.
For Clint’s part, he said, “I am very grateful for this opportunity.”