Meet Treva
Executive Director
The executive director, along with our friendly and professional staff, strives to create positive, stimulating ways for residents to continue living life with meaning and purpose. We are a friendly family where we treat residents like real people with real life stories.
Our community is a great story that includes heartwarming chapters and incredibly unique characters all in a wonderful setting. Here is the executive director’s story:
In what ways do your residents inspire you?
I suppose it would be in the way that they seem to never give up, they stand together, they have a solid sense of family, and they have seen the world change in so many ways. They continue to look for adventure and draw strength from each other.
Do you have any memorable experiences with a particular resident you would like to share?
I had a resident, Anita, who had to be the most elegant and graceful lady I had ever met. She was 84 years old and was a freelance writer who had traveled the world. She adored her late husband and her children. No matter how ill she felt some days or how tired she was, it was always important to her to put her best foot forward and present herself as a “proper lady,” as she would say. She taught me a lot about holding my head high and putting that smile on my face, even in times that you don’t quite feel up to it. I often remind myself of her words on days I just don’t feel great, and will cherish always the notes of advice she would leave under my door.
How do you honor your residents at your community?
We honor our residents by celebrating their important dates and milestones with them. We will begin to have a theme each month to spotlight a story about one of our residents. I am also putting together a bulletin board showing pictures of residents.
Tell us about a resident with a remarkable life story?
Martha grew up in Germany and her husband was in the service. When he got out, her husband made watch casings and was offered an position with the Bulova Company in Providence, R.I. So in 1957, they moved to the United States. They are permanent residents with green cards, but she was never able to work here. Their dream was to retire and return to Germany but once they retired, most of their family had passed away, so they just stayed here. When her husband passed away she came to Greenwich Bay Manor for a trial stay. That was two years ago, and she never left. She loves it here.
How long have you worked in the retirement industry?
Six years.
What do you like best about your job?
What I like the most about being executive director is the opportunity I get to make a difference in the lives of our residents and our staff. We learn from each other every day. Hearing their stories of the adventures they’ve had is amazing. I draw my strength from them.
What do you like to do in your free time and why?
I like to work on stained glass projects. It’s a lot of tedious work at times, but the end result is always beautiful. I also live by the beach and walk my dog down there every day.
If you could meet one person, past or present, who would it be and why? It would have been Princess Diana. I just think she epitomized true inner beauty and strength. She seemed like she would have done so much for the world if she was still here. She didn’t seem to mind jumping right in to any cause to make people’s lives better.
What’s your favorite movie and why?
My favorite movie is “A Knight’s Tale.” It’s a movie about a father that was only a roof thatcher and gave up his only son to become the helper to a knight. He told him to go and “change his stars” to have a better life than he had. Even though he knew he’d miss him it was an opportunity to make sure his son would have a better life. In the end the son became a knight. I am a single mom and have three sons. We have used this phrase ever since we saw this movie. As a family, we have had some very big challenges…and we have changed our stars.
What’s your favorite dish or dessert and why?
I’m pretty much a meat and potatoes person. I just like simple meals that taste good. But then again I never pass up any good dessert. They always make me smile.
In what ways do your employees inspire you?
They inspire me in the way they have embraced my ideas and changes that we have made. They have worked hard to become a team. That inspires me to work harder to make our community a great place to come to work every day.
How do you create a family-like atmosphere at your community?
By smiling and respecting all of our staff. We work together as a team. I tell them all I can’t do it without them, and we work out problems with dignity. I tell them it’s important for us to be strong together because we spend more time together than we do with our families. I’m mindful to always thank them and praise all accomplishments and encourage to reach higher for our goals. We do all respect one another, and it shows. It’s a happy place.
Tell us about an employee who embodies one of our core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, professionalism or teamwork.
That would definitely have to be Brenda, our dining room supervisor. She embodies them all. She makes every resident feel so special. She has control over the dining room and a lot of the kitchen, and she’s our food service director’s right arm. Brenda presents herself well every day by setting an example of how to look at work. Her uniform is always spotless, pressed, her hair up neatly, and there’s always a smile on her face. She is fantastic at overseeing marketing functions, steps in to do activities with the residents when asked, she makes it a point to personally know each and every resident and their individual needs (even some beyond dietary), and she has valuable input at our team meetings. She is thorough when hiring and training new staff and continually is coaching and motivating the rest of the dining staff. I can always count on her to go above and beyond what is expected of her. We all count on her, and the residents absolutely adore her. I am very lucky to have her as part of the team.
At Greenwich Bay Retirement Living, we understand that deciding where to live is a big decision that deserves careful thought. We invite you to visit us, stop by for lunch or be a guest at one of our special events or classes. We look forward to meeting you.