Emilee Sames is a Dungarvin Human Resources Director supporting the Minnesota and Wisconsin operations. Before joining Dungarvin in 2024, she worked in higher education HR and then as an HR Director for a senior services organization that included nursing homes, assisted living and hospice care.
What do you like most about your job?
I love the fact that every day is different and there’s always new challenges. I enjoy working with the Operations team and engaging in discussions about how we can best support our employees to ensure they can support our persons served.
How did the place where you grew up shape who you are today?
Growing up in Apple Valley, Minnesota, made me realize I yearn for diversity and to experience things and people that I didn’t get the chance to as a child. It has helped me understand that the only way to really understand people is to put yourself in their shoes and see the world as they do. This has been key to my success in connecting with all kinds of people and building on my leadership skills.
What do you most value about the Dungarvin team with whom you work?
I most value the knowledge, support and positivity we bring to each other every day. I appreciate working with people who are willing to share their experience. I also value that we can have respectful conversations and collaborate well, even when we have different opinions. Most importantly, I enjoy that we can laugh together, stay open-minded and make challenging situations feel more manageable.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
One of my greatest achievements has been getting through my infertility journey and growing through the challenges that came with it. Through that experience, I learned there are many meaningful ways to build a family and become a parent. I was incredibly blessed to welcome one child through adoption and another shortly afterwards through childbirth. That journey taught me perseverance, gratitude and the importance of keeping an open heart and mind through life’s challenges.
Who are your heroes in life and why?
My parents are definitely my heroes. Having both been single parents for the majority of my life, they each took their careers seriously and provided a life for me that was full of opportunity. As I grew older, I learned of the times that were tough for them, yet it never changed the opportunities I had or the care they provided me. They are both selfless, and they taught me that the easiest thing you can do is be kind to people. Meet people where they are, and care for them through the toughest of times. I’m forever grateful to my mom and dad for that.