Meet Dennis
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 plus years
What do you like best about your job?
Laughing with the residents and listening to their experiences.
What do you like to do in your free time and why?
I Play golf, swim, read and cheer for the Denver Broncos!!
If you could meet one person, past or present, who would it be and why?
John Elway. I am a huge Denver Broncos fan and he was a tremendous player that dedicated himself to winning. He gave back to the Denver Broncos to reach the Super Bowl again after the first three, which he lost, so that he could win and he did win two in a row. He retired on top!!!
What’s your favorite movie and why?
Matrix. Because technology is becoming such a large part of our lives. What if the movie was true?
What’s your favorite dish or dessert and why?
Bananas Foster. I had it for the first time while living in New Orleans and I have never found anything better when it is made right.
In what ways do your residents inspire you?
Their experiences are invaluable and we could learn so much from them by just listening to them.
Do you have any memorable experiences with a particular resident you would like to share?
When I first became an Executive Director the president of the resident council befriended me and helped me to learn about the community and some of the residents. He subsequently passed away and his wife came to me and said that she was going to have to move out for financial reasons. We had been working on a program at this particular rental community that after a number of lease renewals the increases would be limited and or cease. I was able to let this resident know that if she could hold on for one more lease renewal she would see some relief. Five years later she came up to me and thanked me for helping her with being able to stay in the community where she had developed so many friendships.
How do you honor your residents at your community?
I listen to them and learn from their experiences so that I might become a better person.
Tell us about a resident with a remarkable life story?
I became good friends with the first All-American to ever graduate from Duke University and he was the first baseball player to ever be shown on national TV. He batted first for the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. I loved to listen to his stories about playing baseball with Babe Ruth.
Tell us about a resident whose life changed for the better once they moved to your community.
One resident moved into the community and was extremely upset that he had to move from his home. His vision was failing and he was not too interested in the future he was looking at. I befriended him and he started going to some of the activities provided. By the time I left the community he was attending many of the events in the community and became close to the activities director.
In what ways do your employees inspire you?
I love to see and hear about employees that go the extra mile to create an environment that is loving and warm to our residents.
How do you create a family-like atmosphere at your community?
We laugh and have fun together just like I do with my family members. My wife comes to the community and becomes a part of the experience the residents have with me.
Tell us about an employee who embodies one of our core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, professionalism or teamwork.
I know one associate who had befriended a resident who was quite affluent. That resident placed the associate in his will and when the associate found out he went to the family and refused to take anything. This was all on his own with no knowledge from the company. His integrity was impeccable.