Sentinel Way Award
At Sentinel Group, our Values and Behaviors are more than just words – they're a way of life. Each quarter we recognize an individual who has exemplified our foundational five: Integrity, Excellence, Empowerment, Expertise & Innovation.
Check out our 2023 award winners here!
Monica Searfoss – Q1 Award Winner
Monica has great ideas to make processes more efficient, clear and streamlined. First with the PC checklists, then Secure Act items (especially LTPT), and now Plan Document items. As stated by her nominator, “Working together with her on the Innovation Team was a pleasure and even though she moved to the Document team, she continues to stay involved as a team player to ensure success for everyone.”
I love exploring the Great Lakes with my family. We try to spend a couple of weeks each summer exploring a new section of the Michigan coastline. Our favorites so far have been in the Upper Peninsula on Lake Superior.
Sentinel has given me plenty of opportunity to learn and grow. I also appreciate the ability to manage work-life balance. This helps me to fulfill my personal and professional responsibilities better.
Troy, MI
Lisa Hill, Julie Allain, Matt Laraba, Kathy McGough – Q2 Award Winners
These four individuals make up our Senior Service Center Specialists. Over the past year, they have all done an excellent job stepping into their roles as leaders in the Service Center. There is no doubt they come to work each day with the expertise to guide the team through countless interactions, while also empowering them to learn and understand through their responses. They are consistent in bringing forward new ideas and updates to innovate and help move our team forward. Their commitment to their roles and the numerous responsibilities we throw at them should not go unnoticed!
Lisa: I enjoy spending time with my family.
Julie: In my free time I love spending time with family.
Matt: I coach rowing for a local group in the evenings twice a week after work in the summer.
Kathy: I love spending time with my granddaughter and kids!
Lisa: How well each department works together.
Julie: I love working at Sentinel for the great work-life balance and I work with a great group of people. I feel appreciated and respected as an employee and I am not treated merely as a number.
Matt: Remote/hybrid flexibility.
Kathy: The people I work with at Sentinel.
Wakefield, MA
Impact Team Player
This quarterly award is presented to an individual or a team who have had a significant impact on Sentinel and/or our clients.
John-Michael Ponte – Q1 Award Winner
John-Michael was nominated for the Impact Player Award for his outstanding work related to the launch of Salesforce for the Private Client Group (PCG) beginning in January and continuing through the first quarter. Throughout the process, John-Michael had an incredible "can-do" attitude. He would research the best way to approach something in the Salesforce system, share it, and then go make it happen. According to his nominator, “I truly do not believe our aggressive implementation timeline would have been possible without the contributions from John and the impact he had.”
I'm an avid designer/builder in my free time – I call myself an amateur engineer. From furniture to engines to engagement rings, I've brought a bunch of projects to fruition.
The endless opportunities there are for getting involved in projects big and small. There's so much variety to the work that I get to be apart of.
Wakefield, MA
Robert Cosgrove – Q2 Award Winner
Robert made a major impact this quarter by keeping a complex merger and acquisition project on schedule. One of Sentinel's largest clients is in the process of a substantial corporate reorganization. During the 2nd quarter, there were 15 active plan mergers underway which created an extraordinary amount of activity. Through all of this, Robert has lead us with integrity and excellence and made both Sentinel's and the client's jobs easier. He kept all of us on task and focused by setting goals and establishing milestones and deadlines. Robert organized weekly collaborative interdepartmental meetings, created special spreadsheets for two of the client Hub companies to keep them on timeline and also kept demanding client executives up to date and confident in the process. Robert has remained personable, positive and engaging while also demanding each project is delivered on time.
In my free time I enjoy helping to build the sets for the middle school and high school musicals and plays that my kids are part of. It’s been a great way for me to stay involved with my kids and get to know their friends.
The culture! Sentinel is like one big family. We really care for one another, help each other with anything, and have fun together!
Holland, MI
John A. Carnevale Leadership Award
Presented to one individual who has had a significant impact on Sentinel over the year and demonstrates exemplary performance, is driven, dedicated, and upholds our values.
Dave Peters – John A. Carnevale Leadership Award Winner 2023
Dave was a two-time winner in Q4 2023. In addition to earning the Sentinel Way award, he also earned the 2023 John A. Carnevale Excellence & Leadership Award. Dave was nominated by CEO Sam Mitchell for redeploying the Technical Assistance Center team to help the entire Sentinel population with technical issues quickly and efficiently. He was also recognized for the key part he played in Sentinel’s 2023 rebranding, for his teamwork, and for being a “self-starter” who is always looking for ways to improve.
In my free time I like to go for walks, lift weights, travel and read books on WW2 or science fiction. During the pandemic, while everyone was making bread I picked up the hobby of repairing retro video game consoles and toying around with CRT TVs (the TVs that look like boxes).
At the risk of sounding cliché, the people within the company and helping them be the best they can be. It’s something I didn’t know I missed from my helpdesk days until I transitioned to managing TAC.
Wakefield, MA
