Growing Awareness
Culture Champion and Team Motivator
JIMMY PORCADILLA, CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AT THE BROADMOOR
Cultural engagement has proven to be one of the most important components in the workplace. The positive impacts it can have on staff include fostering personal growth, cultivating a sense of community with peers, and enhancing new perspectives, all of which help build resilience and awareness across businesses everywhere. Meet Jimmy Porcadilla, culture champion and team motivator here at The Broadmoor.
Can you tell us a bit about your position and how it came about here at The Broadmoor? Also what other roles have you held at the resort, and how did your career evolve here?
Hi, I am the Cultural Engagement Manager for Human Resources here at The Broadmoor, but I actually started at the resort when I was a Sophomore in high school. After being rejected by Chuck E. Cheese, I interviewed with Convention Services because I figured setting up tables at 3:00am would work out perfectly with my busy extracurricular activities schedule! That position didn’t happen, and instead, I interviewed for, and wound up as, a Barista at Espressos, which was a small coffee/grab-and-go shop where Café Julie’s now is. But my career here really took off after working a couple of seasons at the pool under Osanna, who was the Pool Director at that time (and she is still my mentor today.) I started evolving and was promoted to Lead Supervisor, then I ended up going on to become a Supervisor at several of the dining outlets here around campus, which gave me a lot of food and beverage experience and my growth continued.
I then moved on to a different company doing non-profit work, which laid the foundation for my love of community, but soon someone back here at The Broadmoor reached out to tell me about the newly created position of Cultural Engagement Manager in Human Resources. The role really consists of developing and carrying out plans to foster a positive company culture, and making sure that our team members are engaged and guided by initiatives that we’ve introduced (i.e., the new Broadmoor Culture Initiatives rolled out last year.) I’ve held this position for about two and a half years.
Why do you think you are a good fit for this particular role?
Well, I tend to lead a lot with my heart...that’s definitely my leadership style, and it sort of determines how I interact with employees here. Employee morale is so important, and even when I was a Supervisor in past positions, I found myself always wanting to protect my employees. They were on the front lines, doing all of the operational things and dealing directly with guests, and they deserve to be well taken care of. In my current position, I ensure I continue to do that, while also being a “friend” and role model to all. I find that as long as others are happy, then I am happy. All of the events that I help put on are for the employees here; I truly love what I do and I love the hotel.
What does a “typical day” look like for you? How do you balance the demands of the role, especially since you interact with every department across campus?
So no typical day; it varies based on what events are scheduled. The most consistency I have comes at the end of each month, when I sit down and plan for what will be coming up next month. We like to sit down in November or December of each year and plan for the entire upcoming next year if we can. The most demanding part of doing all of these events is making sure that the preplanning is secure, and everything is set up correctly with all of the other different departments involved.
One of the other privileges is making rounds and interacting with all of the different departments and employees on a daily basis. It’s fun and one of my favorite parts of my job—definitely rewarding—and has given me cause to reflect on the fact that while I’m a social butterfly and extroverted, the part of me that is introverted...well, it can be draining, you know. I’ve learned that I need to make sure I recharge, because let’s face it, sometimes working in this position, there are moments when I need to help others out of not-so-positive situations. People trust us in HR, and it’s our responsibility to help ease their burdens and offer the appropriate resources when and where we can.
What have you learned about our company and employees since you’ve been in this role?
I’ve really learned that The Broadmoor does care. You know, we all find ourselves sometimes slipping back into the mindset that this is just a job and just work, but at the end of the day, The Broadmoor really does have a huge heart...not just for our employees, but for our community at large as well. In this role, I’ve really gotten to see this, and experience it, from a bird’s eye view. It’s been really refreshing to me, because I wanted to come back to The Broadmoor and step into my new position and feel that it was a genuine undertaking. The Broadmoor truly does care...and this is not a cliché...it’s what gets me up in the morning and excited about going to work.
The employees here also truly do care very much as well; they are all so diverse and I get to serve approximately 2,000 of them. We are one of the larger companies in the Colorado Springs area and it’s really nice to see how much The Broadmoor takes care of them, especially if I stop and compare us to other larger entities in the area.
Since you’ve started this post, how have you seen the overall employee culture morph here on campus? Do you feel there is more progress to be made?
This is a great question. My role began when there was already a shift happening in employee engagement and a rework of company culture. It was a little difficult at first to find my footing—I felt sort of like I was in a washing machine at times—getting thrown over here, over there... It really took a year for me to understand how and where “culture” was going to fit into the larger picture; I had to factor in “The Broadmoor Way,” which isn’t a bad thing...it just is what it is. I had to figure out how I was going to push new initiatives, how I was going to enact change, etc. I observed a lot at first and tried to make sure I understood how things would ultimately fit together.
I am guided by something referred to as The Five Initiatives of Engagement, or The Five Pillars, as I refer to them, and they consist of: local events, employee programming, cultural days, recognition programs, and community service/engagement. We let these elements steer our department and The Broadmoor at large. We try to be intentional with all of our events, making sure we are inclusive so people feel comfortable. Our Executive Committee here has been so supportive and amazing with all of our initiatives as well, making it a very collaborative effort.
As for more progress to be made, well of course there is always more that can be done, but I feel like we have evolved so much already. For example, we evaluated our employee recognition programs and identified that more could be done to celebrate our seasonal staff and H-2Bs, so we now honor them with our Golden Globes event (conceived by my team member: the amazing Emily Wallace!) I love all of our appreciation programs, and we are continuously adding to them, developing them and making them our own. I am very thankful to be part of something bigger and enjoy being a driving force for our team members.
The Broadmoor consists of more than just our Main Campus property when you factor in our other entities: Seven Falls, Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Soaring Adventure, and Wilderness Properties. How do you ensure that all team members benefit from engagement activities? What are the challenges connecting with all across our organization?
Another great question! Well, it took a bit to get there, and I want to point out that 3rd Shift really needs to be included in this as well. Building a connection with Cog was pretty natural as it just required a little planning. On Cultural Days in the Employee Café (where we feature a specific country and its cuisine), we started packaging up food for them and taking it out to the Depot, so that all of those employees could enjoy the event as well, even though they weren’t on the main campus. We also did a 133rd Birthday Celebration for them this year, getting them a huge cake with the Cog logo on it, games, prizes, snacks, etc. It was so cool to see their faces and how appreciative they were. They are an extension of our family and just a bunch of sweethearts up there.
During the summertime, when the Wilderness properties are open, we try to bridge the pop up events that the BCC does here on campus with them, by sending up supplies and care packages on their shuttles so they get to enjoy them, too. It may just be popsicles or smores kits, but they get to be a part of these events in this way, too.
For our 3rd Shift staff, we like to throw parties for them in the Employee Café, along with the B-More Appreciative Committee. We pick a theme and we decorate, have music and prizes, and we will serve them breakfast/ dinner. It’s a nice celebratory event that they can experience since they miss out on what normally goes on during the regular day time.
Your role often puts you in the spotlight here on campus. Can you share a funny story with us about an event or performance that didn’t quite go as planned?
What?!...but they’ve all gone so well...haha! Hmmm..well one day I was walking around, trying to just touch on different departments, and Shooter from Golf grabs me. He says, “Hey, Jimmy...come on over here. We’re having a birthday party for Ulli; can you sing Happy Birthday to her?!” Totally unplanned, but there I am, in the middle of this department party, interacting with them in this positive way. It was really nice to be welcomed in and you know, sit and share a piece of cake with them! I realize that I am a face that people across campus recognize and trust, and that’s very rewarding.
What’s the proudest moment you have experienced here at The Broadmoor as part of the Culture & Engagement Team?
I would have to just say that all of the “thank yous” that I get, or hearing how I’ve positively influenced an employee here, really makes a big impact on me. That’s what makes me continuously grow as a professional, and honestly, in this world. I want to keep providing that feeling of comfort and safety to everyone here by way of The Broadmoor. It’s achievable and can actually be pretty seamless. It’s so important when I hear that I’ve made a difference to someone. It’s really just those moments that keep me going.
Speaking of making a difference to our team members here, can you tell us a little bit about the BCC?
Sure, the BCC is the Broadmoor Cares Committee, which solely focuses on the employee experience here, and it’s been around for 27+ years I think (or at least since Rhonda, our Director of Retail, has been here.) It used to be called Pride, and then it evolved into BCC. I’m proud to be part of a committee that’s been around for so long, and taking over this group that’s comprised of salaried managers here on campus has been so amazing. These are just great people in our community, and getting to work alongside them and to know them has been so fun and rewarding. The focus of the group is to raise money for the BCC Fund, which is a reserve in place to help Broadmoor employees if they happen to need a little extra help. In 2024, the Holiday Employee Sale generated about $17,000 for BCC, and we raised over $2,000 with the Thanksgiving Pie Sale. $5,000 of this cumulative total is going to go to Care & Share. The BCC tries to do one event a month, often centering around a holiday, to keep the momentum going. We are also responsible for voting on and determining the Employee of the Month recipients. Just a lot of great stuff done by this team that a lot of people probably don’t know about.
If someone wanted to join the BCC and start helping out, how would they go about doing that?
We actually added three new members in 2024! So, you have to be a salaried manager to sit on this committee—from any department here on campus—and you basically do an interview with Rhonda and I. We fill you in on everything that the BCC encompasses, and then you attend a meeting.
At the end of that meeting, we chat and you’re asked if you’d like to be part of the BCC. We typically meet once a month and go through an agenda for upcoming events, etc. It’s a lot of work but a lot of fun!
Thanks to your hard work, the staff gets to engage in intramural sports, delicious lunches highlighting a foreign country each month, and community outreach experiences, just to name a few opportunities provided to us. If you had to pick your favorite engagement activity, what would it be and why?
Actually, my favorite event that I’ve ever gotten to put on here was the 105th Birthday Celebration of The Broadmoor. It was so much fun for me because I got to be a part of choosing/creating the decorations, making center pieces for the tables, picking games, etc. But my favorite initiative that I get to be involved with is community service, and I think that’s because it really is a motivational force in my own life. I picture myself progressing into a community-centric role one day, and I want to hopefully get into politics or civic engagement down the road. Fun fact about me: I made it into the Mayor’s Civic Leadership Fellowship for 2025. I am so beyond excited; it’s going to be so much fun and so engaging. It’s that need within me to help others and offer assistance to see them progress that spurs me on. I just want to help make everyone be the best that they can be. I love watching others succeed.
Since you’ve held so many different roles here (as well as outside positions/endeavors), is there any advice that you can give an employee starting out who maybe wants to try out something different or develop their career here?
I would say, when you come here, try to first really understand The Broadmoor. It really is its own unique place. Then it’s key to find someone who believes in you—find that mentor—because that person is going to give you opportunities that others may not. They will recognize your potential. Become comfortable in your own skin, too, because it took me a while to get there. Once I became my authentic self...that’s when I started to thrive. I think anyone can soar once those three things are in place. The Broadmoor is a great place to work in the sense that if leadership doesn’t think you fit in one area, they will recognize where you would work out well, and then help you fulfill that role. If you are determined, compassionate, and kind, then you will succeed.
And finally...inquiring minds want to know: just how much Red Bull do you have stacked in your office to maintain that intimidating amount of high energy you project?
Very good question! So let me start by saying that I don’t drink any caffeine.
I have energy, yes, but I don’t think that I’m over the top. I’m not at the other end of the spectrum either; I fall somewhere in the middle I guess. I think the enthusiasm stems from a place of wanting to be the best that I can be; it’s a genuine glimpse of the care I have for others and wanting to honor them. I’m happy because it makes me happy to see others happy... does that make sense? But, let’s not forget that I am a performer and have done a lot of theatre, so that plays into things, too. I find it gratifying to entertain others and make them smile and bring them joy, letting them know that it’s ‘ok’ to have fun with things and laugh. All of this actually ends up creating a wonderful new energy in the room.
If you would like to find out more about Jimmy, the BCC, or maybe even request a birthday song, he can be reached at [email protected] or Ext. 6138.