Meet Jon
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:
How long have you worked in the retirement industry?
20 years!
What do you like best about your job?
Connecting with the residents, making a difference in their lives, and bringing a smile to their faces.
What do you like to do in your free time and why?
Family time and relaxing.
If you could meet one person, past or present, who would it be and why?
Ronald Reagan – his ability to mix humor and professionalism; build consensus and teamwork amongst differing parties.
What’s your favorite movie and why?
I have never been one of those people who fell in love with a movie and watched it over and over. I enjoy relaxing and watching a movie with good humor – one that takes me away for an hour or so and leaves me feeling better when it is over.
What’s your favorite dish or dessert and why?
I like most foods, but we eat more Mexican food then anything. Chocolate Pie because my grandma always made it for my birthdays!
In what ways do your residents inspire you?
Their history, past experiences, the fact that they have seen so much and persevered and many have such a positive outlook on life.
Do you have any memorable experiences with a particular resident you would like to share?
Mrs. Shamlety, a sweet assisted living resident who I was blessed to know from age 100-106. She always smiled, laughed and made everyone feel good.
How do you honor your residents at your community?
Call them by their name, recognize special events in their lives, and celebrate life with them.
Tell us about a resident with a remarkable life story?
Wally Wilkerson, a great Godly man who served God through his life even when faced with MS and then cancer. He always kept his faith and positive attitude towards life and death.
Tell us about a resident whose life changed for the better once they moved to your community.
Over the years I have witnessed so many lives changed by the environment of being around other people, eating better, and general feeling of being more relaxed because they have less concerns.
In what ways do your employees inspire you?
Our employees maintain a positive attitude, connect with the residents, and form great bonds.
How do you create a family-like atmosphere at your community?
By getting to know the employees by name, learning about their families, being visible and interacting with them daily, working beside them, celebrating with them, employee recognition events.
Tell us about an employee who embodies one of our core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, professionalism or teamwork.
Today it would be Diego ….. – he is an employee in our Savory Expressions department and does many duties but his favorite is that of wait staff, where he gets to interact with the residents and make a difference in their lives. He is a big asset to our sales team as he naturally sells our dining services through his positive attitude.