McDonald's Manager Receives Company Global Award

At the McDonald's in Moore on Eastern, most of the customers know general manager Cirenia Castaneda, but now her notoriety in going global.

She came to the U.S. twelve years ago and got a job at McDonald's working at the front register.

“I can do this; I can do that. She always asks me, do you want to do this, and I always say, yes, I can always,” said Castaneda. That can do attitude got her promoted to manager a month into her job.

“I want to work more, I don’t want to stay here, I want more, and I know I can do that,” said Castaneda.

Today she is general manager of the McDonald's on Eastern in Moore. But it is her work in the community that makes her not just a special employee, it also shows how special she is as a person.

“We partner with Moore Police department, to give burgers and badges, national night out, coffee with a cop,” said Rehan Syed, Senior Director of Operations with Santiago Brennan McDonald's.

She also coordinates backpack giveaways and blood drives.

Because of her hard work and community support, she has been selected to receive the prestigious McDonald’s Ray Kroc award.

“So, this award is only given to the top one percent of the restaurant managers globally in seventy different countries,” said Syed.

“She absolutely goes out and makes an impact on individuals,” said Moore Chief of Police, Todd Gibson.

“She’s always there helping us support our community,” said Gibson.

For the recognition, she will take a VIP trip with one guest, to Barcelona to receive the award, a ring and a cash prize.

“I don’t have words. This is so exciting,” said Castaneda.

However, her work every day in the store is never about receiving recognition, it’s about making the McDonald’s experience the best.

“This is a different place than a lot of the McDonald's that maybe you’re accustomed to going to,” said Chief Gibson. “I don’t want this to be best McDonald's, I want this to be the only one,” said Castaneda.