by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Staff turnover is a fact of life for just about every business, especially the hotel business. Downtown’s Omni is proving to be an exception to the rule. The hotel recently celebrated its 19th anniversary Downtown and five original team members are still on the payroll, including housekeeper Rosalyn Harris who is currently on medical leave.
Blanche Everett has worked in the laundry department and Pearliey Hodges has been in housekeeping since the day the first guests arrived. Neither one plans to retire any time soon.
“I still have a way to go. I’m going to work until I can’t work any more,” said Hodges.
Deborah Everett has been serving guests meals in their rooms for almost 20 years.
“I love meeting the guests one-on-one,” she said. “I get a kick out of seeing so many people come and go. Sometimes I get dizzy.”
Bellman/concierge Eric Brown said one of the best parts of his job is meeting celebrities when they check in. He said he has met the casts of Broadway shows when they come to town and performers who have appeared on stage at the Florida Theatre.
“Burt Reynolds was real nice. So was Diana Ross,” said Brown. “We get lots of stars and celebrities. We treat them like family and they come back.”
The group said they have also met Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
All also reported getting regular pay increases over the years, but as Brown pointed out, “We’re making more money than when we started, but the cost of living has gone up, too. When I came to work here, I could buy a loaf of bread for a quarter.”
Omni Sales and Marketing Director Wendy Priesand said that while it’s very unusual in the industry for a hotel to have five original employees after 19 years, “It’s not unusual for Omni Hotels. We have a tremendous longevity.”
Priesand worked at the Omni from 1994-98, then went to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help open the MGM Mirage Hotel. She returned to Jacksonville and the Omni after Hurricane Katrina tore through the area in August 2005.
“When I got back, I saw a lot of familiar faces,” she said.
Priesand said she believes the reason people want to work at the Omni for so long is the way the team members are treated every day. The staff cafeteria has a relaxation area and the same music and lemon-grass scent machines found in the public areas and guest rooms.
“We take good care of our team members,” said Priesand. “The sensory advisory board meets once a month to determine what the back-of-the-house experience should be. It’s the same experience we provide our guests.”