MEET THE SANDHAMS!

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Originally uploaded by Laurel Grove

When you meet Al and Marti Sandham, you may feel like you've known them all your life. The bubbly couple always sport a pair of approachable smiles and they have an uncanny way of remembering names --even those belonging to people they have yet to meet. Maybe it's their polished public relations skills, or maybe it stems from many years of experience in marketing. Whatever the case, it's obvious to staff and residents alike that both Al and Marti Sandham are natural "people" people.

It's no wonder then, that Al and Marti Sandham have been recently hired as floating co-managers. They will be temporarily co-managing various Holiday facilities nation-wide as needed. While it can be quite challenging to travel from one place to the next filling in for co-managers in a new facility, Al and Marti thrive on it. "We are both natural born gypsies," says Marti. "We can pick-up and go at the drop of a hat."

And boy, they can pick up quickly! If anyone can hit the ground running, it's Al and Marty Sandham. Residents of Gwinnett county for over 25 years, these newly-weds are no strangers to accommodating seniors. Before they even knew each other, they each owned competing senior-based travel agencies. Al Sandham is the past president of the Senior Golden Olympics the past state president of the Georgia Horseshoe Association. Marti owned her own marketing firm and also worked with non profit organizations. She says; "Long before I was a senior citizen myself, my soft spot has always been with Seniors."

Before getting involved with senior activities, Al and Marti have each held prestigious and successful careers. Al Sandham, originally from Canada, is retired from the Rockwell missiles division. He consulted on futuristic design of weapons for the Aerospace company. Marti Sandham, a social networking diva, worked in Real Estate. She is still in business selling homes, but today she works only part-time and by referral only. "She has more connections than the switch board for a NASA space shuttle," says April, Resident Enrichment Coordinator.

In addition to working for Holiday retirement, Al and Marti Sandham remain very involved in the senior community. They own and operate Travel Adventures, a senior travel agency. Together, they have traveled the world through the excursions they have organized. With energy to spare, you never know what project the Sandhams will be working on next. The residents of Laurel Grove look forward to seeing more of Al and Marti --whether it's here at home or an overnight trip with Travel Adventures to someplace new!