By Paul Schlienz
Welcome to Member Spotlight. This new regular feature from the Washington Hospitality Association will focus on our members and the great things they are doing for their employees and their communities.
To nominate a member for a profile in this series, email .
This week’s inaugural edition of Member Spotlight looks at Sequim’s Quality Inn & Suites at Olympic National Park.
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A Heart for the Community
The Quality Inn & Suites at Olympic National Park is many things: a home away from home for guests, a convenient staging ground for exploring the many scenic wonders of the Olympic Peninsula and a great venue for special events. It is also an engine of opportunity for its employees.
General Manager Nancy Merrigan is one of those employees who found a good fit in hospitality and turned a job into a career.
“I moved here from Missouri,” she said. “I was a nurse, and when I came out here, I decided to change my profession. So, I went into housekeeping at another hotel, and I quickly advanced up to executive housekeeper and moved up to assistant manager. I love working with people and being a leader, and that brought me into the general manager position here at the Quality Inn.”
Under Merrigan’s leadership, the hotel has made it a priority to hire persons with disabilities.
“We partner with Morningside, an employment agency that helps persons with disabilities get jobs,” Merrigan said. “We’re very proud to say that about a third of our employees were brought to us through Morningside.”
The Quality Inn’s openness to hiring people with disabilities has made an enormous difference in the lives of these employees.
Leanne Connell, who works part-time at the front desk and suffers from degenerative disc disease, arthritis and severe post-traumatic stress and anxiety disorders, is one such employee.
“It makes me feel like getting up in the morning,” said Connell. “It keeps me going in life. Everyone is worthwhile. Everyone who comes to you and asks for a chance should be considered for a chance.”
And during the recent snowstorm, Merrigan and the Quality Inn were looking out for the welfare of the community’s most vulnerable members.
“There were some homeless people in a really bad situation who were living in their cars during the snowy weather,” Merrigan said. “We felt like we needed to give them a warm place to stay for a few days, so we reached out to the ones we could find, and we ended up housing three of the homeless people at the hotel.”
The Quality Inn’s community service has not gone unnoticed.
“We, at the Chamber of Commerce, have selected the Quality Inn as our business of the month for March, not only because of its wonderful hospitality, but also because during this recent snowstorm we had they were quite generous to people who were without shelter,” said Scalf. “We love the Quality Inn!”
ServSafe Manager
Additionally, the hotel hosts special events, including a ServSafe Manager training session, sponsored by the Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation, coming on Feb. 27. Although registration for the Sequim event has closed, there are other ServSafe Manager sessions that are still open for registration in Tacoma, Fife, Kent and the Spokane area. You can register here.
“ServSafe Manager is an essential requirement for all official persons in charge,” said David Faro, Education Foundation director. “As a former full-service manager, I understand the importance of food safety and a well-trained staff. ServSafe Manager knowledge certainly protects our guests, our products and our businesses. It keeps us safe as managers.”
For more information on Sequim’s Quality Inn & Suites at Olympic National Park, visit its website.
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