Roberts-Vopelak

(l-r) Shirley Roberts, RN, receives her President’s Award from Bree Vopelak, president of the GRACE Board of Directors.

Shirley Roberts claimed the GRACE President’s Award at the August meeting of the Board of Directors. Her title is Nurse Manager of the GRACE Community Clinic, but that is only the beginning of her story and her work for GRACE.

As manager of the GRACE Community Clinic, she oversees all of the staff and volunteer activities—duties that include nearly 4,000 patient visits every year and more than 650 clinic sessions.

She is also a lead recruiter for the Clinic’s medical professionals, seeking and on-boarding volunteer physicians, nurses and other health providers. Her volunteers serve nearly 3,500 hours every year.

Shirley is also head caregiver for GRACE staff, providing OSHA-required training and regularly lecturing on safe office practices.

With all of these accomplishments, it would seem she would be a shoe-in for the President’s Award, an honor for the GRACE employee of the year. Yet, 2018 threw one huge challenge in Shirley’s direction—in April the GRACE Clinic experienced a catastrophic fire.

Shirley rushed to the site as soon as she learned about the fire and stayed until she secured a new space for a temporary clinic to take place the following morning.

Through the move to the temporary location, and to the current location at the former Police and Municipal Courts Building in Grapevine, Shirley directed volunteers in the set-up of equipment, replacement supplies, donated materials, and the medical volunteers in order to maintain operational capacity.

“Shirley has always been one to go ‘over and above’,” said Bree Vopelak, president of the GRACE Board of Directors. “This year in particular she rose to the occasion and clearly exhibited our core values.”

In addition to her many GRACE responsibilities, Shirley is active in the Grapevine Chamber and a member of last year’s Leadership Grapevine program. She is a true advocate for the people GRACE serves, and is a valued leader among the GRACE staff.

Click Shirley Roberts for more information about the GRACE Community Clinic, or to congratulate her for her President’s Award.