Meet Kim
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?
8 years
What do you like best about your job?
The best thing I like about my job is being able to make a resident smile. I enjoy greeting my residents at breakfast each morning. This is a great way to start the day. I love it when I hear a resident call Horizon Bay home. This is a reminder I am doing my job well. When a resident calls Horizon Bay home it makes everything I do worthwhile. We have helped a resident continue their story here…
What do you like to do in your free time and why?
I enjoy spending time with my family. I married my best friend 18 years ago and we have two boys. We spend a lot of time together playing games, going to church and simply “hanging out.” I like hearing my boys laugh. I think it is important to have fun and create memories with each other. I get great pleasure in seeing my boys growing into young men. I consider it an honor to be a wife and mother.
What’s your favorite movie and why?
My favorite recent movie is definitely “The Bucket List.” It reminded me to live my life to the full. It made me laugh and cry – just what you want from a good movie. Last week, a resident told me there was only one thing on her bucket list she had not done. This was to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from the streets of New York City. It made me realize she had lived a fulfilled life.
What’s your favorite dish or dessert and why?
If I had to choose just one, I would say Spaghetti. I could eat this dish every day and not grow tired of it. Actually, when I was pregnant with my first son, I did eat it every day for the entire 9 months. I craved it non-stop and still love it!
In what ways do your residents inspire you?
My residents inspire me every day in some way or another. They inspire me to create memories with my friends and family. The residents have such great stories about their lives and experiences, and they keep reminding me to cherish the time I spend with the people in my life. I love hearing their stories. They inspire me to care for my mind, body and sprit. They inspire me to be grateful for everything that I have. They have all lived through so many things. We have so much to learn from them if we just take the time to listen.
Do you have any memorable experiences with a particular resident you would like to share?
There are so many experiences I have gained throughout the years it is difficult to decide which one to share. I sat down one day with a new resident who was not sure he needed or wanted to be living in my community. I started asking him about himself and ended up listening to his story about Pearl Harbor and found myself fascinated with his memory of every detail. The pride that beamed through him as he told of this time made a huge impact on me. I remember feeling such gratitude to him and the men he shared with me. Since this time, I have had a greater sense of patriotism and gratitude to the men and women who have served our great country.
How do you honor your residents at your community?
We do some very nice things like a resident spotlight article in the newsletter, birthday parties and special meals. What I am most proud of, though, is the respect the staff shows to the residents and all the great compliments I get from families saying how helpful and caring the staff is. To me, showing respect is the most powerful way we can honor our residents.
Tell us about a resident with a remarkable life story?
One story a resident shared with me was of her and her husband’s courtship. They were celebrating 78 years of marriage. I was inspired as she told me their story. She was 14 and he 17 when they met. When he turned 18 he asked for her hand in marriage and her parents objected. She knew she loved him more than life itself so she asked him to marry her anyway. They went to the neighboring town and got married. In their 78 years of marriage they raised three sons, had eight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Every day in the dining room they still held hands, bowed their heads and gave thanks to the Lord. This couple was an inspiration to me in my own marriage.
In what ways do your employees inspire you?
My employees inspire me to be a better leader every day. I always have to remember that all my actions are being watched. I also don’t ever ask them to do anything that I haven’t or wouldn’t do myself.
How do you create a family-like atmosphere at your community?
I wouldn’t call it family-like, I would just call it family. It is a blending of generations, with the residents providing their wisdom and gratitude and the staff showing compassion, respect and dedication. Respect, trust and honesty are key factors to building an atmosphere that is strong and comfortable. We treat each other and anyone that walks through the door with respect and dignity.
Tell us about an employee who embodies one of our core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, professionalism or teamwork.
There is not just one employee at our community that embodies the core values, it is the entire team. Our team is willing to do anything and everything for one another as well as our residents. If someone is short-handed one of the other departments will offer to help out. If someone isn’t having a good day we all care and try to help or offer to work for them so they can go take care of their personal business. Everyone pitches in every day to make it successful at our community and make it a great place to work.