Born in Mexico but now working to entice folks to Ruleville for medical care, Daniel Ceja’s plan was nothing short of hard work, dedication and determination.
The CEO of North Sunflower Medical Center has an eclectic, varied background that includes family restaurant jobs at its foundation.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico in the state of Jalisco, Ceja legally came to the United States when he was 9 years old to Houston, Texas, where he stayed a couple of years before moving to Cleveland with his family to open a restaurant.
“I moved here with my uncle, my mother and my brothers and sisters to open Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant in Cleveland,” he said. “But they didn’t care for the small town atmosphere and left after six months. They liked the big city and went back. But I liked it here and stayed.”
He graduated from Cleveland High School where he played football, then went to MDCC and Delta State University where he attained a degree in accounting and two master’s – one in business administration and one in professional accountancy. But his first degree at MDCC was in drafting. His original plan was to become an architect.
“That fell through when the housing market crashed. I had a couple of friends who were architects in Colorado and they couldn’t find a job.
I changed my major quick,” he said.
“I’ve worked all my life since I was a kid,” Ceja said. “In the restaurant business, I’ve managed several and have owned restaurants. When I went back to school and finished my degree in accounting, I went to work at an accounting firm, Jackson and Braswell.”
But after a decade of that, he decided to get back into the restaurant business and opened in Ruleville with his partners.
“I had a pretty successful restaurant for a year and a half but then I decided it was time for another career change,” he said.
He applied for the CFO position at NSMC. He interviewed with NSMC CEO Billy Marlow and was hired.
“I stayed here and took the job. I was CFO for about eight months and then Mr. Marlow promoted me to CEO. It was an honor and I knew I’d do everything in my power to help it grow and reach its potential,” he said. “I came here to help the community as well.”
He wanted to always be part of something “greater than just yourself. Its family here. They make you feel that way and I continue that and see what the potential can be. I’m just here as a vessel to help facilitate and see what I can do to help to see what other specialties we can bring.”
Ceja noted the hospital draws patients from a 60-70 mile radius. The more he feels he can bring to Ruleville, the less travel most patients will have to make to get full care.
“I’ve been waiting for a position like this all of my life. I want to be part of something. This is helping our community and we have over 600 employees. You have to be on top of your game to not only make sure people get a paycheck but that they enjoy their job. Hard work is my middle name,” he said laughing.
His daily duties include making a lot of financial decisions as a CFO while working as a CEO to help save money.
“First I come in and walk the hallways to make sure everything is fine,” he said. “And I don’t know what it’s like to run a hospital without COVID.”
Ceja renegotiates contracts and makes sure every department has everything they need to be operational and continue doing their jobs.
“Every day, everything is new,” he said. “Nothing is boring and nothing is set in stone.”
And with his background in the restaurant business, Ceja has worked in the hospital cafeteria when workers were out sick with COVID.
“We ended up cooking fried fish one day and fried chicken one day. I was there in hair nets and everything. I felt like I was back at the restaurant. I’m willing to go above and beyond. If I ask you to do it, I’m going to be right there beside you. I can’t be a nurse or doctor but I’ll work in the cafeteria or sweeping the floor or mopping the floor. I always have and always will,” he said.
In his restaurant days, he worked every job and filled in across the board to get customers taken care of.
“You will be short-staffed and as a restaurant manager or owner, you have to go back there and cook. I’ve done it all,” he said. “I love the kitchen, everything starts there. I love cooking and I love calling or texting my mother and asking how to cook this.”
Ceja has taken to the Delta lifestyle in his southern style cooking and hunting with friends.
“I’m southern through and through. I’m a hunter. I love to deer hunt and duck hunt. I love eating wild game. I’m instilling all of that in my kids, especially my son. He loves to deer hunt,” he said. “He loves to eat deer meat. I think I burned out my family on eating deer meat. I’d love to get into alligator hunting. We’re thinking about saving our money and going to an outfitter to get a big buck. I want to put my hands on a 170 or 180 class buck.”
He’s even incorporated his wild game meat into his traditional Mexican recipes.
“It’s turned out great. I’m proud of my heritage but I’m proud to be an American. I became a citizen in 2013 and its one of the greatest achievements in my life.”
Ceja enjoys collecting guns and would like to get into competition shooting and he also trains in Jujutsu but a back injury slowed his progress in the sport.
“I hurt my back lifting stuff at home and I had to quit. But I plan to go back. I was really close to getting my blue belt. It’s a great opportunity to train for self-defense but you also work out without realizing you are working out,” he said.
Ceja came to the US on a Visa and permits and was able to start the process to become a citizen.
“It took seven or eight years and it took so long because I was working and going to school. We didn’t hire an attorney and we paid all the fees and went through the whole process,” he said.
Ceja and his wife, Amy have three children, 15-year-old daughter Katelyn, 12-year-old son, Landon who plays travel baseball and the little one is Alexa.
“That’s my pride and joy. They are why I do everything I do,” he said.
He does try to visit his mom and his siblings in Houston each year. Ceja is the second of the five siblings. He credits his mother’s hard work that influenced him early in life.
“I’ve gone through a lot, coming from a single parent home and having to make it through a rough neighborhood,” he said.
The Mexico-born Ceja is a self-proclaimed “huge Ole Miss fan. Matter of fact, I should have gone to school there. Nothing against Delta State. I got accepted at Ole Miss. I was either going to Ole Miss and paying or it or going to Delta State for free. I chose to stay here.”
In addition to continually looking for ways to make North Sunflower Medical Center better each day, Ceja is working to get his nursing home administrator license within the next two years. He wants to be state and federally certified.
“I’m here to do a job and my job is to help facilitate,” he said. “I like to get in the trenches with people. I want to expand myself in any way to help this place.”
