Spotlight

Tonie is the Fulfillment Assistant Manger at SCDC. In our employee spotlight interview, Tonie spoke with us about her background, her responsibilities and what motivates her at work.

Describe your background and how you came to Connect America?

I used to take the bus after high school to the old Connect America office on West Chester Pike. My aunt works for the company, so I would spend my afternoons doing homework and helping the programmers by building buttons and boxes. One day I was building boxes in my aunt’s office, and Ken Gross came downstairs and offered me a part-time job. I gladly accepted, which kicked off my career with Connect America. I have worked my way up since 2010 to get to where I am now.

What does your role as Fulfillment Assistant Manager entail?

I oversee five departments at the South Carolina Distribution Center. Order Processing, Programming, Quality Control, Returns and Refurbishment. We ship Anelto OTG, Lifeline 7200C, and Lifeline 6900 core units. My role is to make sure we keep up with orders to meet our goal of shipping within 24-48hrs, efficiently and accurately. Assisting my team with any questions or challenges along the way.

What does a day in your role look like?

The day typically starts with meetings and emails to align and make sure we have the game plan and goals outlined for that day/week. I spend as much time on the warehouse floor as I can to be available for the fulfillment team, which includes jumping in to help the team open returns, testing units, refurbishing equipment, printing orders, and to answer any questions they may have.

Is there a special project or accomplishment you are most proud of during your time here?

The 3G to 4G conversion was a challenging but rewarding project. SCDC had less than a year to fulfill over 40,000 OTG orders before the 3G network shut down with AT&T. We needed to train the entire warehouse on fulfillment from the beginning (order processing) all the way through to the end (quality control).

What motivates you at work?

Every day I come to work with our customers in my mind knowing that our mission is to protect them and ensure a better quality of life for our seniors. What we do at Connect America is so rewarding, and I am proud to fulfill these orders every day to keep our customers safe.

What would you want our customers or healthcare partners to know about Connect America?

Connect America is dedicated to improving the safety, health and quality of life for seniors and vulnerable individuals. We want the best for our customers and partners. We strive to deliver quality service and equipment. The Connect America team is a fantastic group of people with similar values, and we are driven to protect our seniors.

Tell us something people may not know about you.

I am a mother of 2. As a family, we go on walks and bike rides around the park. I recently found a love for gardening, so my children and I spend many our afternoons in the garden. I love to ride on my electric skateboard. That is my favorite hobby.