Town Hall Meeting

Genera Solutions will have a town hall meeting on Thursday, December 18th at 11:30 AM in the flex area.

Casual dress will be accepted and "ugly holiday sweaters" encouraged -- we will be voting on the "tackiest" one!

Following the town hall meeting, a pizza and salad lunch will be provided. 

Employees who participated in "secret santa" will meet in the Newstand room to exchange gifts after lunch. 

December Announcements

Santiago - 12/9

Lisa - 12/22

Chris E - 12/30

Jayadev, 12/05 - 9 years

The Genera Town Hall meeting will be held on Thursday, December 18th. A catered lunch will be provided to celebrate the holidays. More details to follow.

In the flex area, there is a donation box setup. We are currently accepting donations through Monday December 22nd to help a family in need or a local charity. 

Genera will be closed on Thursday, December 25th and Thursday, January 1st to celebrate the holidays.

We become what we think about. –Earl Nightingale

Tony and Sandy: Tony are great to work with.  They both go above and beyond to help me work toward our common goals.  They are both tireless workers with great attitudes.

David: David was very helpful and generous with his time to help me change my health insurance plan.  I am sure he had to answer many of the same questions over and over. The help was greatly appreciated.

Tony: Tony helps the wholesale and RDA audit teams with the correct processing of claims and audit recovery monies each month.  His diligent efforts has helped CMG receive proper credits due from all audit activities. Great job!

Taylor: Kudos for her daily attitude.  Always willing to help. Issue came up this week and rather than pass it off or say she will get to it later, she implemented in a timely fashion all while communicating on clearly to all involved.

Shaza: Shaza closed numerous galley's in my absence and it's greatly appreciated. Great Teamwork!

Emily: Emily closed and prepared trial galley's in my absence, she also generated shipping. Great Teamwork! 

Matt: Month after month Matt puts up with my ever frequent requests for up to the minute cash information to update CMG management reports at month end. His expertise is a blessing and his knowledge of the wholesaler's payment habits is astounding. I don't know how he does it! Thanx Matt!

Diane: Diane stepped up to the plate when I was recently out of the office. She was able to lend me support and get important month end reports completed on my behalf. She has also been helping out with other projects that occur monthly.

Sandi: Great to work with for the last 23 years!

Amy: Amy is always on top of things and very patient with the numerous and frequent changes from our publishers that she must process. I have worked with her for many years, and not only is she a great employee who goes way above and beyond her role, she is a great human being. She does a great job for all of us, and it really, really is appreciated. She makes our jobs that much easier.

October's Cancer Research Donation

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, we had our donation box set up to receive funds to give to the Susan G. Komen foundation. We raised $75 dollars and thank each and every employee who graciously gave!

In the spirit of the holiday season, we are now accepting donations to support a family in need or another foundation. It is completely voluntary, but recommended that a quarter is donated for every magazine you take. Any other type of donation you wish to make will also be accepted into the box. 

Again, we thank everyone who participated and your generous donations. Together we make a difference. 

[[Click photo to enlarge]]

Thanksgiving Potluck

On Monday, November 24th, 2014 we will have an office “potluck” in the break room at noon to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. 

The company will provide a turkey and ham. 

There are sign-up sheets in the break room beside of the refrigerator for everyone else who would like to participate to write what they would like to bring. 

We will also be allowing casual dress for the short week!

The town hall meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 18th. More details to follow on that at a later date. 

Magazine Announcements

One perk of working at Genera Solutions is the magazine shipment we receive every Thursday morning. Since all of the magazines we take are complimentary, a Go-Gen request was submitted for a donation box. 

We have now been successfully implementing this idea for about two months.  This is completely voluntary, but recommended that a quarter is donated for every magazine you take. Then during the holidays in December, we will donate all of the proceeds to a charity or family in need. The box is in the flex area located beside of the magazines.

When the magazine shipment arrives on Thursday’s, we are following a rotation schedule on which department will get first pick. This ensures fairness for every employee. You may choose up to 5 different titles, but please only take 1 copy per title. If copies are left over at the end of the week, you are welcome to more.

Schedule:
11/13/2014 – Accounting and FAS
11/20/2014 – Operations
12/04/14– Setup
12/11/14– Pub. Pay
12/18/14 – Incentives

01/01/2015 - IT/OBA 

After those dates, the rotation will begin again. I will send another email reminder as the time gets closer.

Reminder: If someone besides Liz T. signs for the magazines, please ensure that the monthly titles displayed in our lobby are pulled first (before others begin taking magazines). Examples: Cosmo, Glamour, Allure, Redbook, GQ, Flex, Lucky, Shape, etc.

Employee Spotlight!

Each month we will feature two employees at Genera Solutions to get to know them better. Our two employees for November are Darryl and Liz!

We see our co-workers on a daily basis, but may not always get the chance to engage or get to know them like we want. Our employee spotlights allow us to get to know each other on a deeper basis.

What are your favorite hobbies?

My favorites would have to be jogging, singing, and listening to music. Nah! It’s Carowind’s

Is there one quote that you live by?

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions."

Dalai Lama XIV

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

If I could be any animal it would have to be a bull, why?  One word….Stamina!

What is your favorite restaurant in Charlotte and what do you like the order there?

I would have to choose Capital Grille, the Smoked Salmon melts in your mouth and it’s a great follow up to the Lobster Bisque Soup...I’m hungry now!

Who is your favorite sports team?

The New York Knicks of course! Now, Now, let’s not look at their past performance. The future is looking very bright. Phil is here!

What are your favorite hobbies?

I have a ton! Writing, weightlifting, hiking, MMA, target shooting, cooking, movies, singing, dancing, traveling, and reading are among my top favorite things to do in my free time. 

Is there one quote that you live by?

The below quote is from Sam Phillips from the movie “Walk The Line”. It is one of my favorites:

“If you was hit by a truck and you was lying out there in that gutter dying, and you had time to sing *one* song…. one song that people would remember before you're dirt. One song that would let God know how you felt about your time here on Earth. One song that would sum you up. You tellin' me that's the song you'd sing? That same Jimmy Davis tune we hear on the radio all day, about your peace within, and how it's real, and how you're gonna shout it? Or... would you sing somethin' different. Somethin' real. Somethin' *you* felt. Cause I'm telling you right now, that's the kind of song people want to hear. That's the kind of song that truly saves people. It ain't got nothin to do with believin' in God, Mr. Cash. It has to do with believin' in yourself.”

What is your favorite movie?

I have a few… Scarface, The Departed, Wolf of Wallstreet, The Punisher, and Walk the Line. 

Who is your favorite sports team?

My favorite sport is UFC (MMA) and my favorite fighter is Randy Couture who is now retired. 

What is one thing you want to do in life that you have not accomplished yet?

Publish a novel... that could hopefully make it to a best seller's list :)

November Annoucements

Teresa H, 11/7

Teresa M, 11/7

Aruna, 11/13

Judy, 11/19

Sara, 11/19

Darryl, 11/26

Liz T, 11/1 - 1 year

On Thursday, November 20th, we will have a potluck lunch from 11:30 – 1:30 for Thanksgiving and “Celebrate Us”. 

Our “town hall” meeting will directly follow in the flex area.

Sign up sheets for the potluck will be available soon in the break room beside of the refrigerator.

Genera Solutions will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th in observance of Thanksgiving.

Veteran's Day is on Tuesday, November 11th.

Congratulations to our Halloween winners Liz C. who won the prize for best decorated desk, and Karen who won for best costume! 

Mobile Mammography Bus in Ballantyne Nov. 24 and 25

Charlotte Radiology’s Mobile Breast Center will offer annual screening mammograms in Ballantyne on Nov. 24 and 25 near BAE Systems from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. For more information, click here.

Free YMCA Holiday Fitness Challenge

The YMCA is offering a free Holiday Fitness Challenge for Ballantyne Corporate Park tenants.

Stop by the Ballantyne Village YMCA between Nov. 17 and 21 to receive your pre-assessment metrics. All Ballantyne Corporate Park Tenants are welcome to join and will have access to the Ballantyne Village YMCA for the duration of the challenge. Click here to learn more. 

In an effort to become more environmentally friendly, please opt to use the available ceramic coffee mugs instead of paper. Please also do not forget to wash your cup once you are finished.

Jim: He is one of the best coworkers I work with -- always ready to help or lend a hand and never complains when asked for working after hours (which is what I need most of the time!)

Sandi: When I began receiving deposits instead of checks for RDA payments I asked Sandi if she could send me a remittance advice with breakdown for each account and she has done it ever since!

Sealy: Sealy is just plain awesome!  No matter what you ask her for she has a positive attitude and gets you what you need in a timely manner.  I really enjoy working with her and she is definitely an asset to the Genera team!

Jennifer: A galley dealer recently discovered overages to their account for a number of titles.  Jennifer researched the oddities, explained them to the CMG staff who'd added copies, and helped to get the billing corrected for the current and future issues. I appreciate Jenn's follow-through and follow-up.  Thanks for being a problem solver, yeah!

Chris E: The little trolls that live in my laptop every so often cause me issues. This time, I was having a problem with Java and Gems. I was not able to edit my documents. Chris came to the rescue, solved the problem, and brightened my day in less than 10 minutes! Thanx Chris!

Mike L. I.: I needed a report uploaded as soon as possible and Mike made it happen! Made my workflow a lot easier to have the report completed and loaded as quick as he did it. Thanx Mike!

Barbara: I want to thank Barbara for her help in fixing the returns problem in  the absence of Judy.

Vote for Your Favorite Halloween Costume and Decor!

Happy Halloween from Genera Solutions!

We have had great employee participation and now it is time to get to voting the costume and decor that is your personal favorite!

Diane

Amy

Karen

Click here to cast your votes!

2015 Benefits Plan Meeting

 On Friday, November 7th Willis will be in the office to go over the 2015 Benefit Plans.

We will have two different meetings that will be held in the team room and suggest a general guideline for attendance below to even out the groups.

The first session is at 9 AM. If your last name begins with A-L please plan to attend that session.

The second session is at 11 AM. If your last name begins M-Z please plan to attend that session.

If your scheduled time is inconvenient to you, you may attend the other one.  

If you are out of the office that day, you can attend one of the open enrollment conference calls scheduled on the email attachment.

The sessions are scheduled to be at least an hour. Please, remember to bring your Benefits Guide to the meeting and arrive a few minutes early.

If you have any questions or concerns please let Liz or Teresa know.

Halloween Festivities

Next Friday is Halloween! In honor of the fun "holiday", Genera Solutions will be holding fun (but completely optional) contests and providing treats.

Scary, cute, or hilarious -- come dressed in your favorite costume. If you would like to participate in the contest, meet Liz in the main lobby (in front of the Pattison room) at 9 AM to have your picture taken. Pictures will then be emailed for fellow employees to anonymously vote on their favorite one!

Decorate your cubicle or office in honor of Halloween! If you would like to participate in this contest, email Liz, and she will come around to take pictures at 10 AM. Pictures will then be emailed for fellow employees to anonymously vote on their favorite one!

An email containing the pictures of people everyone in the contests will be emailed at 11 AM on Friday, October 31st, along with a link to cast your votes. Voting will stay open until 1:30 PM.

Halloween treats will be provided in the break room at 2 PM and from there, the winners of each contest will be announced. 

The winner of the costume and decor contest will each receive a $25 giftcard to Target! 

October 2014 Breast Cancer Awareness

To show our support for Breast Cancer Awareness month, from tomorrow October 16th through Friday October 31st, employees can do one of the following:

A dollar per day to wear your jeans

-OR-

Wear pink and you can wear jeans for free!

Donations can be made in the flex area beside of the magazines in our donations box.

Remember: it takes everyone to help find a cure for cancer. 

If you and/or a loved one has fought and/or survived cancer and you want to share your/their story, please email etaylor@generasolutions.com along with any pictures, and we will post it. You can also do the same in memory of friend or loved one.