Carolyn Cole retires after 30-plus years

When Carolyn Cole came to Gillette almost 40 years ago, it was in the middle of an oil and coal boom and she had two young children to care for. Quality childcare was scarce, and Carolyn ran a home daycare for nine years. Fast forward to 1986 when Carolyn came to work for CCH in the Laundry. The 5 am start time didn’t really work for her, and when CCH opened a childcare department in 1988, it seemed a perfect fit.

Beginning as a sick child daycare, kids came to the hospital’s third floor south for 19 years before the Early Childhood Center was built. Carolyn is proud to say that by August of this year, CCH will have provided childcare for its employees for 30 years.

Over the years Carolyn has served as Interim Manager three or four times, and is now a program coordinator for the infant and toddler rooms. She also helps develop curriculum, and with scheduling and billing. Carolyn knows of employees in Childcare that attended as children, and others who now work at CCH and are sending their own kids to the Childcare Center. “It says a lot about our organization that generations of employees want to work here,” said Carolyn.

She’s looking forward to spending more time with her three grandchildren after she retires, and has already scheduled trips to watch them compete in basketball, softball and track tournaments. She’s promised them each a special trip with Grandma too.

It will be hard for Carolyn to give up seeing her childcare charges every day, and staff have already told her that she can come back and volunteer anytime she wants.

Carolyn says that it’s impossible to have a bad day when a little one calls your name and gives you a hug. Thank you Carolyn, for making a difference in the lives of so many children and their parents over the last 30 years.