(Note: This guest blog was written by Cindy Spellerberg, director of people and culture at Edgewater, a WesleyLife community for healthy living in West Des Moines, Iowa.)
Comeka's path to leadership at Edgewater started on the south side of Chicago, and this is where her influences began to shape her drive to serve with hospitality.
As a child, Comeka found joy in her group of friends, whose laughing and dancing inspired one of her passions – line dancing! But it was her grandmother and mother who instilled a work ethic and desire to do her best every day, and who challenged her to use her skills and abilities to become a leader.
Comeka’s grandmother worked in housekeeping at the Cass Hotel in Chicago for many years. At age 17, Comeka spent summers working alongside her grandmother and learning lessons about life. She saw her grandmother diligently working day-in and day-out. She saw how her work could make the difference between a good stay and a bad one for a guest, and she saw how important each and every person was to the overall success of the hotel. This was the beginning of Comeka’s drive for success.
A journey and a change
Against all odds, Comeka left Chicago with her son in 2011, heading for central Iowa. Being born and raised in Chicago, the open fields and farms of Iowa felt overwhelming at first. But, determined, Comeka made a home for herself and her son in Madrid, Iowa, a town with a limited African American population.
But to her surprise, she found small-town Iowa overwhelmingly welcoming. Soon, she found that this town not only offered her a home, but a family.
A legacy of leadership
Drawing on her experience with her mother and grandmother, Comeka’s career began to thrive. With her grandmother’s encouragement always in her mind, Comeka began taking on leadership roles, learning and growing from each experience.
In her current role as Edgewater's housekeeping director, Comeka is committed to making every day great for our residents, and to building a team whose members care for our community and for each other.
Comeka continues to feel joy through dance and has even completed a line-dancing competition with her son! She also enjoys making centerpieces, something that she finds gives her the opportunity to bring joy to others. If Comeka could have lunch with one historical figure it would be Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul”, whose music gives her hope and inspiration.
If you’ve met Comeka, you know that the influences of her Chicago upbringing and of her mother and grandmother are still part of who she is and part of her commitment to success for herself, her team, and our community