Conrad's Gordon named Worker of the Year
Pub Date: 10/1/2008
By Paul F. Vang
A willingness to jump in to do whatever needs to be done characterizes Holly Gordon of Conrad and winner of the Montana Tavern Association/Montana Tavern Times Gary Langley Memorial Worker of the Year Award for 2008.
The award is sponsored by Tavern Times in fond memory of its former editor, Gary Langley, who died in 2004. The winner of the Langley Worker Of The Year Award receives a special plaque festooned with a bar tender's jigger and stir spoon and a $100 bill. Runners-up receive a certificate of recognition and a $50 award.
Sandy Jones, of the Best Bet group of casinos and a member of MTA s Public Relations Committee, chaired the nominations process and recruited a panel of judges for screening the nominations.
In presenting the awards, Tavern Times publisher Cole Boehler recalled Gary Langley as a talented, faithful and delightful editor, and noted, No business can prosper without good help from good employees.
Holly Gordon is a 10-year employee at Ed s Tavern in Conrad and the owner, Gloria Auge, nominated Holly for the honor, writing, As a bartender, she not only does her required duties, but willingly goes the extra mile to make things easier for me. She has assumed responsibilities for making out the shift schedule, and when they have special events, she is the one who coordinates and books all the entertainment.
At the local tavern association, she not only represents our business, but has been selected as president. There she helps organize events such as the Christmas in July Golf Tournament with proceeds used to pay for holiday food baskets for the local needy.
She also attends the MTA convention each year and always brings back valuable new ideas.
When I was sick for a couple months, she was the one who took over and kept things running smoothly. I am so fortunate she chose to work at our business. She never complains and is loved by all the customers. She is a jewel!
Holly told the Tavern Times, after receiving the award, that her work as a bartender initially came about by accident. A native of Valier, one of her early jobs was working as a waitress. My first bartending was a fluke. I was a waitress and then suddenly found myself tending bar and waitressing at the same time.
After that abrupt introduction into the tavern business, she lived for a period in Great Falls and put her experience to work. I worked for a temp agency in Great Falls and worked at many places in Great Falls, as well as a longer stint at The Horseshoe in Sun Prairie. I ve been around.
Holly is modest about what she has accomplished. When her boss got sick she says, I knew what went on during dayshift (she normally works the nightshift), so when Gloria asked me to step up, we did it. She does admit that doing employee scheduling gets to be a balancing act, and she s often the person that keeps things in balance. I m scheduled to work 32 hours per week, but when someone calls off for one reason or another, I ll often put in an extra shift on the weekend or the daytime.
Working nightshifts is part of another balancing act. Holly s husband of one year is Chad Gordon, who is part owner of a truck repair shop. It s a second marriage for both of them. Holly has a seven-year-old daughter, Julia, and when things go right, Chad gets home from work in time so Holly can go to her job, though other child care arrangements often have to be improvised at the last minute.
As to what keeps Holly going and so dedicated to her work, she says, I think it s the people. I even moonlight with my customers, explaining that she takes her vacation in late summer and works for local farmers operating a combine during grain harvest. It s a working vacation'; the break to clear my head.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, October, 2008, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.