Talent Tribute: Bonnie Otka

Our Talent Tribute Monthly Feature is designed to celebrate the phenomenal staff that serve our Members.

When Bonnie joined the VALLEYLIFE family in 2018 as a Program Manager, it was no surprise to anyone that she would become a key part of the organization’s Residential Program. Early in her career in accounting, she was introduced to the caregiving field by a friend and knew she had found her calling. Having joined with over a decade of experience at similar agencies and a strong passion for helping others, Bonnie has spent the past seven years at VALLEYLIFE advocating and creating a comfortable environment where both staff and Members can thrive.

Since moving to Phoenix 11 years ago from Norwich, Connecticut, Bonnie has made a home for herself in the desert. Not only is she the proud mother and grandmother of two kids and three grandchildren, but she is also a loving pet owner to her two pugs.  Outside of VALLEYLIFE she enjoys shopping and any opportunity she has to go out to eat with family and friends. Bonnie also enjoys traveling and riding bikes with her family.

We sat down and asked Bonnie about her VALLEYLIFE experience as a whole, and this is what she had to say.

1. How would you describe your ideal day at VALLEYLIFE?

My ideal day is being able to come to the office, get my stuff done smoothly without any emergencies and then leaving the office to go to the group homes to spend time with the Members. The ideal day is a day where the Members are healthy, happy, and have no problems.

2. What has your time at VALLEYLIFE taught you over the years?

My time at VALLEYLIFE has taught me patience and understanding. I’ve learned patience mostly through working with staff, because a lot of it is needing to be patient and understand the different things that people go through. I’ve learned to not sweat the small stuff.

3. Can you tell us what you enjoy most about interacting with Members?

In general, the thing I enjoy most about interacting with Members is that they are always happy to see me.

I remember going to Phelps (group home) one time and I was just stopping by for five minutes because it was late and I was ready to go home and the Members were playing Uno and they wanted me to play too. So, I stayed there for like an hour and a half playing Uno with the Members.

4. What skills or qualities do you think are most important for success in your position?

The skills you need in my role are definitely organization, time management because in general something always comes up, and multitasking. The only way to manage the time is to do multiple things at one time.

I did learn how to be more flexible while working in this field because I’ve always been a planner, the kind of person who always has a plan, and it took me a few years in the field to get used to the idea that I can’t have a plan.

5. Lastly, what do you hope to accomplish or learn in your future at VALLEYLIFE?

I’ve had pretty good luck when it comes to having good people on my team and one of my goals would be to continue to move people up and train them. My ultimate goal is to just keep everything running smoothly.