At PalAmerican, we're all about helping our team members grow and reach their full potential. The first value of PalAmerican’s CARE culture is to be “Curious” by seeking opportunities to learn and improve. We believe that investing in our employees is the key to building a strong, successful team. Through our promotion-from-within philosophy, employees can plot their career paths within PalAmerican. Our goal is not just to fill shifts; it’s to nurture careers and professionalize the security industry.
In our Proudly PalAmerican feature, we showcase the inspirational journeys of our PalAmericans rising through the ranks. This week, we're featuring Gail Crane, Program Manager in Florida.
How it Started
Gail’s introduction to PalAmerican wasn’t a typical one. She was retired and chatting with a friend who worked for PalAmerican when they told her about the company. Gail was intrigued. Later she met with the former manager at Rockledge Hospital, who asked her to write a scheduling program. Computer programming was part of Gail’s background as she worked at McDonnell Douglas Aircrafts as a handbook editor on DC-8, DC-9, DC-10 and C-5 planes. There, she worked her way up to Computer-Based Training and trained military, commercial, and private pilots to obtain and renew their licenses through computer courses she created.
Back to Rockledge, and after completing the scheduling program, the manager asked if she would consider working for PalAmerican. Gail then went on to earn her Class D license and started working at Rockledge Regional Medical Center as a front desk officer.
PalAmerican’s Promotion-From-Within Philosophy
Before joining PalAmerican, Gail didn’t know about the company’s promotion-from-within philosophy. It’s when she met with her manager, Johnny Boykins, that she became aware of it. On the day that Johnny paid a visit to the facility, Gail received a card from a visitor thanking her for all that she’d done for them on their many hospital visits. Johnny saw the card and told her how PalAmerican is a promote-from-within company and that she had the potential to go far. That couldn’t have been more true; Gail soon became the trainer on the team, where they came up with their own saying: “Have you been trained by Gail yet?”. Her rise continued, as she became day shift lead in January 2023, and is now Security Program Manager.
Training that Matters
At PalAmerican, we help security professionals understand the tools and techniques needed to manage critical situations that may arise in a security career. That includes Management of Aggressive Behavior (MOAB) Certification. Gail said this training was a tremendous help for her in a hospital setting. The class provided the tools she needed, and she was able to immediately apply it to her work.
For Gail, learning about the different verticals PalAmerican serves and the training required for each was a difference maker. For example, she says healthcare security is different from rest area security (something she has to manage in her new role), yet the skills she’s learned in a hospital are helping her greatly in her new role.
PalAmerican’s CARE Culture
At PalAmerican, we’re a community of people who are passionate about improving the world we live in. Our CARE culture is how we approach every meeting, shift, or call. For Gail, she prides herself on putting our CARE values into action. Here is how she does so, in her own words:
“C for Curious. I have been curious from the day I was born, and it was no different when I started with the company. I will ask questions about everything. I would like to know the why behind things.
A for Accountable. If I do not hold myself accountable for my actions, I have no right to hold any of my employees or colleagues accountable. Accountability leads to reliability.
R for Respectful. Respect comes along with maturity. I am respectful to all I meet because you never know what someone is going through or what their story is. And if you don’t have respect for all, you may miss out on meeting someone really special and learning from their story.
E for exceptional. Exceptional stands for much greater than usual…. Anyone can meet the minimum. But why be ordinary? Palamerican is one of many security companies out there. Every staff that I work with says the same thing about Palamerican versus the other security companies they have worked for…the Palamerican Difference is that they actually care about their people. That is what makes Palamerican exceptional, and I am proud to project this in my work and be a part of PalAmerican.”
Advice to Others
“Security is an ever-changing world. You have to be accepting of this, and if you are, you can succeed at anything. Patience and understanding go a long way. Every person in this world has a story, and sometimes the best thing you can do in a day is just listen to that person.”
Thank you for your example and professionalism, Gail!
If you were inspired by Gail’s story and are interested in starting a meaningful career in security, check out our careers page for all our opportunities within PalAmerican.
Need help submitting a strong resume for a security position? Here is a free downloadable template to write the ideal Security Guard resume, and be sure to read our blog to learn more about us and the exciting world of security.
