BoxOffice® Pro - April 2011

FRONT LINE AWARD
Laverne ‘Toni’ Brumbaugh Cast Member
Regal Cinemas Jack London Stadium 9 / Oakland, CA
Nominated By David Kyi, Regal General Manager
Tbere’s a surprising secret about the
bubbly octogenarian greeting g guests
at the Regal Cinema’s Jack London Stadium
9: she’s shy. “But after working here
my social skills are fantastic,” says Laverne
“Toni” Brumbaugh. “I love interacting with
my guests.”
In her 85 years, the San Francisco
Bay Area native has had a career as
varied as the community in which
she lives, from grinding keys at a
local locksmith to working at Kaiser
Permanente Medical Centers
as Head of the Duplicating Department.
By her own admission, Brumbaugh
was always apprehensive
when it came to interacting with
strangers—that is, until 11 years
ago. When her goddaughter, then
a house manager for Signature
Theatres, nudged Brumbaugh
through the industry door, she
discovered she was blessed
with a range of latent interpersonal
skills.
Brumbaugh found a
wealth of joy in discovering
new things about herself and
credits the bonds made with
her fellow Jack London cast
members. “Toni has formed
many genuine relationships
with her fellow employees and
considers all of them her ‘children,’”
says General Manager
David Kyi. “Staff members call
her ‘Mama’ and she likes to say
that her children keep her young
and hip.”
In 2004, Brumbaugh has been
SAY HELLO
Senior team member shines
by Cole Hornaday
with Regal Cinemas filling roles from usher to concessions runner,
but her role as greeter has garnered her the greatest praise. “Toni is
one of the most complimented employees at the theater and she has
developed strong friendships with her regulars,” says Kyi. “Some
guests come in just to say hi, and they always smile when they see
that Toni is at her podium.”
Scientific studies warn us our brains lose elasticity as we age.
The learning curve gets progressively
steeper as we mature and
we retreat into comfort zones and rarely have a chance to try new
things. But when Brumbaugh piloted
herself head-on into a whole
new realm of experience, she not only survived, she flourished.
Brumbaugh also teaches by example, imparting volumes to
her younger co-workers about punctuality, patience and kind-
ness. “Toni is a proud employee who wears her Regal
badge with honor,” says Kyi. “She comes in every
day at least 15 minutes before the start of her shift,
constantly making sure that her station is nice and
clean and always greeting each guest with her
wonderful smile
and kindness.”
In addition, Brumbaugh has taught her
younger co-workers that personal growth is a
never-ending process.
“Toni is a dedicated employee who always
puts others before herself,” says Kyi. “She
is a loving friend and a caring mother to
all of her coworkers. She has been and
continues to be a great asset to Regal,
and we are fortunate that she
is here.”
Brumbaugh herself is
quick to shift the spotlight
onto others. “Everyone has
become my family,” she
says. “I love waking up every
morning just to see everyone.”
Outside work, her days
are always full. An avid bingo
player, Brumbaugh’s often
pressed to make time for dinners
with family and friends,
not to mention a little bit of
gardening on the side. But the
once-shy octogenarian is fearless
when telling all her role at
the Jack London 9 is the best job
she has ever had.
BOXOFFICE PRO is looking for winners—theater employees you consider to be genuine role models making a significant, positive impact on your theater operations. Monthly winners of the
BOXOFFICE PRO Front Line Award receive a $50 Gap Gift Card! To nominate a theater employee send a brief 100- to 200-word nominating essay to cole@boxoffice.com. Be sure to put ‘Front
Line Nomination’ in the subject line.
18 BOXOFFICE PRO APRIL 2011