Darrel Coatney, director of operations at West Michigan Shared Hospital Laundry, and Suzy Ward, strategic account manager at Crothall Healthcare, have been awarded scholarships to attend the Laundry & Linen College from Association for Linen Management (ALM).

“I would like to thank ALM and all parties involved in awarding me this scholarship to attend the Laundry & Linen College, giving me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge,” said Coatney. “I am fairly new to the laundry industry; however, I am passionate about learning as much as possible.”

Coatney attended the Laundry Processing and Operations session of the Laundry & Linen College in October 2017, and will now attend the Textile Care Services session, April 23-27, thanks to the scholarship provided by MIP Inc. Coatney intends to become a Registered Laundry and Linen Director (RLLD).

“I have been an ALM member for approximately six months, and the laundry and linen industry is a very rare and tight-knit community,” Coatney continued. “I value every piece of knowledge I can obtain and look forward to a long career in the industry. With time and continued education, I believe I would be a benefit to the industry as a whole and am very excited about what is to come and the possibilities that are before me. I am looking forward to being a dedicated member of the laundry community.”

“I am grateful to be honored with the Encompass Tony Hanson and Heidi Ayala Memorial Scholarship,” said Ward. “I am certain there were many talented and deserving applicants, and I consider myself very fortunate to be given this chance.”

Ward was awarded the memorial scholarship from the Encompass Group. She has been with the textile care industry for four years at Crothall Healthcare, and an ALM member since 2016.

“It has been a privilege to work for the laundry division at Crothall Healthcare as a Strategic Account Manager,” Ward continued. “It never ceases to amaze me how much more there is to learn. Fortunately, I have an amazing team of peers and leaders that have prepared me for this very opportunity.” 

“ALM works to ensure our members have the tools they need to remain profitable in our changing industry,” said Linda Fairbanks, executive director of ALM. “We are proud to have such generous allied trade members, who help support others in our industry and provide these opportunities to build their knowledge.”

Scholarships to ALM’s Laundry & Linen College are available on an application basis. The Laundry & Linen College is aligned with the information on the RLLD certification exam; while attendance at the college is not a requirement, it is excellent training to ensure successful completion of the exam. Directors, general managers, or those with experience in middle management of a laundry with an aptitude for higher levels of responsibility are candidates for the RLLD exam.

More information about the Laundry & Linen College, including the scholarship application, is available on ALM’s website, under Education, Laundry & Linen College.