Getting To Know You…..

by Doris DeDeckere

Barb Allen – The “Real” office Manager

She sits at the desk at the opening of the door in the RG Administration Office. Smiling,
perky, alert and attentive, she will answer your question, take you into an appointment,
take care of your requests and helps anyone who needs it. From taking care of a
resident’s need for a push down the hall, a drink of water or offering directions, Barbara
Allen, the is a real office manager.

When asked how she came to be employed by Henry Ford Village Barb launches into a
real story: “My mother had triple by-pass surgery and required rehab. Having worked in
the area for a number of years I called Renaissance Gardens for bed availability; my
sister and I came for a tour and “fell in love”. During a visit one day I met Connie
Coleman and inquired if there were any open positions since I was between jobs at the
time. As it turned out the HFV Foundation was looking for a part time person and the
rest is history! She met Cheryl Presley and began her career at HFV in March of 2005.
She worked one year with the Foundation and moved on to the RG Office Manager
position in 2006 and positively loves her position as Office Manager!! On a daily basis
she assists the Administrator Jennie Klepinger and the Director of Nursing, Aquanetta
Booker as well as any one else within RG when the need arises. Her career includes
working as a secretary at Channel 4 and as a supervisor at an insurance call center but
nothing has been as rewarding and satisfying as working in Renaissance Gardens.

In addition to “loving” her position as Office Manager, on May 6th of this year she was
selected by her peers as HFV’s Best of the Best for 2007. This honor is awarded to the
employee who best represents the Erickson Way Values. It is an honor that Barb is very
appreciative of and will treasure forever.

When asked what she does in her spare time she tells us that caring for her 90 year old
mother and her mentally impaired sister who lives with her mother takes up a lot of her
spare time. However, she’s looking forward to making time this summer to ride with her
husband on his new Harley!

She and her husband have successfully raised two wonderful children whom she
“absolutely adores.” Their son attended U of M in Ann Arbor and is a graphic designer
at an agency in West Bloomfield and her daughter has just completed her junior year at
Western Michigan majoring in early childhood education.

HFV’s “Best of the Best”, the one who always smiles, the one who works and smiles as
she works, the one who cares about her work, the people she comes across and her
family. That’s Barb Allen, the “real” Office Manager. The End