Kind and dedicated.
That’s how her co-workers describe Rachel Gail Green during her 31-year tenure leading the kitchen at The Grove.
They honored the retiring Certified Food Protection Professional Tuesday with a reception at the Columbia nursing facility.
Stephanie Herzig, the co-owner and co-administrator, said Green has often remarked that she never married or had children.
“The people here were her family, and she loved all of us and all of our residents like family,” Herzig said as Green teared up.
Green, who goes by her middle name, is a former Mississippi dietary manager of the year through the Dietary Managers Association (now the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals). It all started when she was taking a correspondence course through the hospital and began working for Jack Bradshaw at the Cedars, an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded located near the courthouse. She started as the dietary manager and was later certified as a Certified Food Protection Professional. She continued with the company when they moved to the current facility on Sumrall Road.
“I’ve enjoyed working here, most of the time,” she said with a laugh. “I love to work with the residents. I love to have them in better shape than when they came in. I like to make them good meals that they like to eat. I want to make this as much their home as I can.”
The Marion County native has lived all but four years of her life in the county and resides in the Improve community. In retirement, Green said she’s going to relax and may do some traveling.
Co-owner and Co-administrator Michael Bradshaw said they never had to worry about the results in the kitchen during health surveys or about the quality of food for the residents.
“I’ve known Ms. Gail for a long time, ever since I was a little boy,” he said. “She’s always done a great job for us. She’s run a tight kitchen. She’s going to leave big shoes to fill.”
His father, retired owner Jack Bradshaw, said good employees like Green have made the facility what it is, and Assistant Administrator Anna Evans said Green always followed rules and regulations and did it all for the betterment of the people she was caring for.
Her cake, presented to her at the reception, capped it all off with a message of, “Goodbye tension, hello pension.”
Pictured Above: Management from The Grove honors longtime employee Gail Green during a retirement celebration Tuesday at the Columbia nursing facility. Green has worked there for 31 years heading up the kitchen. From left are Michael Bradshaw, Jack Bradshaw, Becky Bradshaw, Gail Green, Stephanie Herzig, Anna Evans and Jan McCain. | Photo by Charlie Smith
