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When asked what three words she would use to describe herself, Aracely de Jesus Navarro Mendoza of Casago Rocky Point chose her words carefully. The experienced housekeeper, who has been with the company since its early days, defined herself as grateful, loyal, and understanding. Above all, Aracely highlights she is a buena compañera – a good colleague, a good teammate – no matter what environment she’s in. “I adapt well,” she concluded.
These adaptation skills have served Aracely well within Casago. In over two decades with the company, she has transitioned from the Marina Pinacate condos to Princesa de Peñasco, Sonoran Sun, and now Las Palomas.
Along with a number of condos she continues to care for at the Sonoran Sun, Aracely is also responsible for several units at Las Palomas. She thoughtfully notes differences from one resort to the next: which one offers what kind of amenities, which is quieter or more peaceful, which has more green spaces, etc. In essence, Aracely has an observant eye and an acute feeling for such details.
Aracely de Jesus Navarro Mendoza: Home between the desert and sea
Originally from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Aracely used to vacation in Puerto Peñasco when there was “nothing but desert.”
“There was Calle 13 and Luis Encinas,” she recalled, “…and the Jim Bur Plaza. Do you remember that?,” referring to the plaza on Blvd. Benito Juarez now home to a large TelCel store.
On those early vacations when she would visit Puerto Peñasco’s Old Port, Aracely never imagined she would end up living and working in this corner of Sonora on the Sea of Cortez.
Yet, after getting married and having her son, Aracely and her new family made their way to this spot of desert and sea. Her daughter was born just one year later, and together, they have all made their lives here.
Aracely’s son was born with a cleft palate, which meant several trips back to Los Mochis for surgeries. In later years, the Mexico Children’s Foundation, founded by Steve Schwab, assisted her son with dental care in Mexicali. Now an adult, her son works at la Mina – the mines – just south of town.
Aracely’s daughter has a pastry shop that specializes in cakes. Dulce Bocado is located in the heart of Puerto Peñasco on Blvd. Sonora. After work, Aracely frequently helps her daughter at the shop. Undoubtedly, she can recommend where to get the best cakes around. This has come in handy when celebrating coworkers or other Casago events.
The Early Days
As one of Casago’s early housekeepers, Aracely retold how she first worked for local businesswoman Esthela Hernández. At the time, Esthela was the manager at the Marina Pinacate condominiums next to what was then Hotel Las Glorias (Peñasco del Sol). This was shortly before Steve Schwab started up the present company.
Aracely recalled how she started working on a personal basis with Esthela. She would help with chores and picking the kids up from school. It wasn’t long until she was asked to join the housekeeping crew at Pinacate.
“Plus,¨ she chuckled, “I didn’t really know how to drive but I was truly motivated.”
Now, as an Independent Housekeeper for Casago, Aracely drives her own car. Still, she laughed when recalling how they would all get around in the “early days.”
“Before,” she explained, “we used to just have a little pick-up, or the boss’. That´s how we got around and did everything.”
Aracely’s eyes sparkled and she cracked a smile as she drove down memory lane. “There was just a small pickup that took us,” she recounted, “We would take the laundry and climb on top. We’d go back to the office like that. It never bothered us, it made us laugh! If they did that now, people would never do it; seeing a pick-up full of dirty laundry – they just wouldn’t do it. Now there are several staff vehicles, and we’re at several resorts.”
Aracely’s recollections of Casago’s early days (formerly SeaSide) present even more direct contact with company founder Steve Schwab, including help with linens and laundry.
“At that time,” as Araceli tells the story, “Steve would help by taking us when we would take the linens and prepare the condos. He would go back and forth with us and we’d see him a lot.”
Change and Growth
Aracely has watched Casago’s rapid growth attentively. Acknowledging some challenging times, she stated, “I think it’s the only (rental company) in Peñasco that has risen from below. Now, dare I say, it’s the best, and I’m excited for everything to come.”
Much of this growth has also meant using changing technology in her role. Preparing reports, documenting services with photos, and recording inventory are among the items Araceli and her coworkers do daily to maintain Casago standards. She clarified, “It’s not just cleaning, it’s maintaining control over the units, the inventory.”
She remarked though they may make a fuss whenever there’s a change in technology, they’ve successfully adapted and it’s been helpful. “You can program your work,” she explained, “Anticipate what the week is going to be like, and I know when my owners are going to come so I prepare things how they like them.”
Owners & Guests
As a Sandy Beach expert, Aracely has built relationships with a number of homeowners. She can promptly begin listing ones that greet her with hugs, as well as those that bring “Christmas”. She is quick to point out the difference in preparing a home for either a guest or a homeowner.
“When I know a particular owner is coming,” she explained, “I know how to arrange their home. For example, there’s a difference between the standard we provide for guests and what owners like. So, I need to know them well, I always need to be prepared for everything.”
“There are also some guests you really get to know,” added Aracely, “and there are those that will invite you to sit down and chat.”
To further illustrate this point, she shared memories of a pair of photographers that would rent the same condo each year, for about 6 years.
“They would leave a book out for me with phone numbers,” she detailed, explaining how the couple would go out into the desert to film eagles. “They’d say ‘If we don’t get back by this date, call this number, or do this.’ They had beautiful videos of the eagles they were filming.”
That particular condo was later sold and Aracely lost track of the eagle couple, noting “It’s been about 2 years since I’ve seen them.”
Aracely de Jesus Navarro Mendoza at Casago
Aracely is nearing 60. She imagines retiring one day and visiting La Paz again, where she once fell in love with the spacious boardwalk.
“I’m not planning on retiring now,” she clarified, “but getting my paperwork ready because this year I’ve said I’m giving it all I’ve got. I can’t imagine just staying home, but I may slow down a bit as I need to take care of myself.”
As Casago continues to grow, Aracely’s recommendation for anyone looking to join the team in Rocky Point is, quite frankly, to be honest.
“Honesty is so fundamental, because when the condos are occupied, people trust things are going to be ok. It’s a lot of responsibility,” she explained.
“I’m comfortable, at home here,” Aracely reiterated when thinking about Casago, “The company has given me a lot, it has provided my family with good stability, particularly when my children were growing.”
Going back to how she would define herself, Aracely added the word appreciated. She remarked most people in the company know and appreciate her.
“I don’t need to introduce myself,” she stated, “and if someone doesn’t know me they might ask ‘who is she?’ because of the same trust we all have.”
“I like to organize everything,” Aracely started wrapping up our conversation, “from cakes for my coworkers to meetings with the homeowners, or I’ve been asked to bring cakes for anniversaries, or other things.”
´And of course you know where to get the cakes,´ I hinted as I closed my notebook.
“Of course!” Aracely smiled, “Dulce Bocado.”
