Spotlight Magellan gives colleagues and those we collaborate with the opportunity to get to know Magellan employees beyond the surface through facilitated interviews that explore their personal interests, experiences, and aspirations. Through intentional engagement, Spotlight Magellan fosters a sense of community and connection, strengthening relationships and creating a more enriching shared experience.

This month, we’re getting to know Mary Connole, senior paralegal, regulatory. Mary has been with Magellan since 1992.

Continue reading to learn more about Mary:

What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

I have a few things I rotate on different weekends that include going to our local ceramic shop to work on a current project, visiting with my friends, going golfing with my husband or side-by-side (UTV) rides. Pretty much anything outside.

What’s your favorite way to use your PTO?

My husband and I try to go on a cruise every year with my cousin, his wife and our granddaughter. We also like to go camping around southern Nevada with our Shi Tzu Dotty and my cousins who also live nearby. We also enjoy using the time off to plan reunions and spending time with good friends and family.

What is the furthest place you’ve traveled (or would like to travel to one day)?

The furthest place I have traveled to is the Southern Caribbean. My bucket list destination is to go on a Panama Canal Cruise and also cruises to Australia and South Pacific Islands after retirement. Anywhere with a beach!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

The best piece of advice I have received is that change is inevitable and is going to happen whether you are ready and agree with the change or not. Try to just accept it and move on. You will never be given any more than you can handle.

Do you have any pets? Tell us about what quirky personality traits your animals have!

We have one dog named Dotty. She is an 11-year-old Shi Tzu. She is an older dog but still acts like a puppy sometimes. She is also quite the diva! She has been known to interrupt a Teams call to bark at me to let me know I have been sitting at my desk for too long and need to get up and move. She also may be just a little spoiled!

Spotlight Magellan gives colleagues and those we collaborate with the opportunity to get to know Magellan employees beyond the surface through facilitated interviews that explore their personal interests, experiences, and aspirations. Through intentional engagement, Spotlight Magellan fosters a sense of community and connection, strengthening relationships and creating a more enriching shared experience.

This month, we’re getting to know Michelle Penman, training manager, family advocacy support services, federal market. Michelle has been with Magellan since August 2016.

Continue reading to learn more about Michelle:

Do you have any secret talents/ something you’re very good at that would surprise others?

I love to read and craft. My hidden talent is knitting. I have made items big and small. Currently, I am working on a shawl to wear once the weather gets cooler again.

What are you currently reading?

I am embarking on getting my Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, so I am mainly reading textbooks. When I have the time, I like to read sci-fi and mysteries. I love a good classic like Dune or Devil in the White City.

What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

My favorite thing to do on the weekend is to hang out with family. As a retired military spouse, I spent years away. We decided to move back closer to our family and it has been the best decision! We love to play games, have bonfires, watch movies and go on adventures together.

What are some goals that you have for yourself, both personal and career, that you hope to achieve over the next five to ten years?

I would like to achieve earning my Master of Arts degree. It’s a lifelong dream of mine. I would also like to continue working in federal contracts. I would love to someday be a program manager for a contract!

What is your self-care routine after the work week/ favorite ways to unwind after work?

I love good food! I like to make tasty and nutritious meals for my family. I enjoy including my three kids in the process of making new recipes so that I can show them that cooking is fun and it’s okay to experiment and deviate from the traditional recipes. I also love growing my own produce! It’s truly a joy to make something of your own from scratch.

Spotlight Magellan allows coworkers to get to know one another by going beyond the surface level through facilitated discussions that delve into personal interests, experiences and aspirations. Through intentional engagement, Spotlight Magellan aims to cultivate a sense of community and camaraderie across our company, ultimately contributing to a more cohesive and fulfilling remote workplace culture.

This month, we’re getting to know Jennifer Moran, veterans’ benefits specialist for the federal market. Jennifer has been with Magellan federal member services since July 2015.

Continue reading to learn more about Jennifer:

Describe a typical workday in your life.

I’m an attorney, and I was a Rating Veterans’ Service Representative at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for six years, where I adjudicated disability compensation and survivors’ benefits claims. Now, I represent veterans seeking benefits before the VA, both at the regional office level and before the Board of Veterans Appeals. My workday involves a great deal of client communication: intake calls with veterans seeking benefits, providing clients with case updates and coordinating the necessary paperwork and answering general benefits questions. The rest of the time I am reviewing veterans’ medical and personnel records page by page looking for evidence to help ensure that they are awarded appropriately, communicating internally with VA to address problems that arise with claims, preparing claims and evidence for submission and continually educating myself about constant changes in VA procedures, law and policy.

Do you have any secret talents/ something you’re very good at that would surprise others?

Few people know that I can sing. My mother was a highly trained lyric soprano with a voice like Julie Andrews. I was lucky enough to inherit some of her natural talent, which I exercise with joyous abandon in my car.

What are you currently reading or binge watching?

I am a bibliophile, with a 30-foot floor-to-ceiling library in my home. I’m always reading several books at once. My current favorite is “The Elements of Marie Curie” by Dava Sobel. As for binge-watching, it’s usually historical fiction. I’m just now watching “Outlander” and “Vikings.”

What is the farthest place you’ve traveled (or would like to travel to one day)?

The furthest I’ve ever traveled is New Zealand to visit a childhood pen pal with whom I exchanged letters in the days before email. We’re both over 50-years-old now and still keep in touch.

Do you have any pets? Tell us about what quirky personality traits your animals have!

I have three dogs, all former strays. Benson is my high-strung, slightly neurotic Staffordshire terrier who runs the house and greets all visitors with a shoe. Though the smallest, he’s been known to punch his siblings to be first in line for a piece of watermelon. RocNRoll is the massive (but very chill) 80 pound pit bull I adopted from a high-kill shelter 10 minutes before he was due to be put down. His hobbies include tearing up cardboard boxes and hanging by his jaws from tree branches. Ruger is a medium-sized pit bull/ mastiff/ German Shepard mix who looks like Scrappy-Doo with heavy eyeliner. He loves to watch television and likes to carry his favorite blanket with him everywhere.