A few weeks ago, the hundreds of Texas Children’s staff and employees streaming into the Hornberger Conference Center felt like guests at a premier gala. The room, filled with lush florals, candles and gorgeous linens welcomed and celebrated them. They were among the 376 employees beautifully honored for their years of service to Texas Children’s at the 26th Annual Employee Recognition Celebration on February 4.
“These 376 recipients represent 7,335 years of service to Texas Children’s Hospital – wow!” said President and CEO Mark A. Wallace, addressing the crowd. “What makes this event so special is that we are all here together. We are fully present – our fondest memories hand in hand with our dreams for the future.”
The audience was filled with long-time employees marking 15, 20, 25, 30, 25, 40 and 45 years of service to the organization. Among those honored was Senior Vice President Linda Aldred who typically leads the event from the podium each year but proudly took her seat as a 25-year honoree.
In addition to long-time honorees, recipients of the Mark A. Wallace Catalyst Leadership, Smiles, and Super Star awards were recognized.
Chief of Radiology Dr. George Bisset also addressed the audience, attributing the organization’s success and advancements to the contributions of each person in the room.
“Without a doubt, all of you have played a role in creating a world-class model for educating tomorrow’s health care leaders, solving some of the greatest medical mysteries that we deal with on a daily basis and delivering preeminent care to children and women,” Bisset said.
After an emotional story about his son – electrocuted as a child and cared for at Texas Children’s – Texas Children’s Board of Trustee member Merrell Athon thanked the employees for his son and the many, many children they’ve helped through the years.
“I’ve been a trustee at Texas Children’s Hospital for 26 years,” Athon said. “And I have never been more enthusiastic about the care we are providing for the children and women in our community and the wonderful teams and the fabulous facilities we have in place to heal sick children for generations to come.”
Congratulations to all of the honorees!
Click here for the Employee Recognition Celebration event program.