By Leigh Ann Hubbard

How many people in your community deserve an award? A parade? A shout from the rooftops!

The fourth annual Foresight Awards for excellence were announced at Evolve 2023, Foresight’s virtual conference for life enrichment professionals. Recipients were nominated by friends, co-workers, peers, and leadership. As role models for the industry, they demonstrate compassion, creativity, passion, and drive.

We celebrate them, and everyone who makes senior living a great place to work and live.

These winners were selected from their stories in a blind judging process. The stories below are edited compilations from submissions and remarks made during the awards ceremony.

The Foresight Awards are made possible by Total Brain Health.

Life Enrichment

Aliza Orent

Zest Director
Maravilla at the Domain

Austin, Texas

Nominated by Kit Baumann

Aliza is the quintessential life enrichment director. Bubbling with creativity mixed with intellect, she is a great team leader filled with compassion for her life enrichment team — and most importantly our residents and their families.

Aliza will think nothing of throwing on a crazy hat and holding a baton to lead the residents in a perfect New Orleans-style second line dance, or of bridging cultural gaps by implementing a thoughtful and spiritual comparative religion seminar with an imam, a rabbi, and a priest. Sounds like a bad joke, but our residents walked away with a better understanding of their Muslim, Jewish, or Christian brothers and sisters.

Aliza embraces all that senior living offers and utilizes her LCSW background by listening to residents’ issues, or assisting adult children with ideas on how to better help their parents in this seasoned time of their lives.

As the sales director, my job is getting a prospect to move into our community. The life enrichment director is responsible for delivering all that we have marketed. She is a great colleague as well — assisting the sales department with event planning that prospects and residents can enjoy! She goes above and beyond to create a lifestyle that encompasses a holistic approach to aging — i.e. the mind, body, and spirit.

Community Development

Andrea Gibson

Executive Director
Rydal Park, a HumanGood Community

Jenkintown, Pennsylvania

Nominated by Daniel Kaye

Andrea came into the organization as the pandemic raged. She used a compassionate, steady hand to assure us we would be okay. She quickly began learning about our 500 residents and 350 to 400 team members, absorbed our policies and procedures, and set out to make things better.

With creativity and imagination, Andrea elevated staff, improved services, attacked longstanding issues, and navigated us through difficult times. She listened and heard us, and then made changes we needed to improve our lives and the lives of our residents.

She has also raised wages. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is just $7.25, but our cost of living is anything but stagnant. Gas, housing, food — everything has risen to levels where folks would have to work two jobs just to get by. Andrea took up this challenge immediately, researching competitive wages across every job in our community. At the same time, she knew increases would be difficult for residents.

She had conversations with all stakeholders, bringing honesty to everyone about what was fair. She talked about making ends meet — what could be done immediately and what needed to be tiered — and got buy-in from all sides.

Creativity and Compassion

Rob Miller

Director of Culinary Services
Artis Senior Living of Mason

Nominated by Mary Underwood

Each month, Rob meets with the residents in the memory care community. They talk about food traditions, he holds food demonstrations, he asks for their input on celebration menus, and he wants their input about how the culinary department is meeting their needs.

During one meeting, two residents shared that they wanted a steak dinner. Although most of the other residents were not overly interested in that idea, he didn’t let it go. Instead, he decided to plan a steak dinner — not for them, but with them.

He took these two ladies, Rosetta and Claire, to the local grocer and let them do the shopping. They picked out their steaks and also what sides they wanted with their meal. He set up the “Neighborhood Center” (activities room) for a nice meal, and together, the three of them enjoyed the steak dinner.

Rosetta and Claire were thrilled with the outing and the meal. They felt special and heard.

Rob, who has been with the community since before its opening — so nine years! — gives people in memory care the control that the disease often takes away from them. He completely empowers residents, enriching their lives everyday.

Leadership

Cassondra Bradford

Regional Vice President of Operations
Pacifica Senior Living

Nominated by Lucie Neves

Having worked closely with Cassondra for over seven years, I have witnessed her unwavering dedication, passion, and commitment to the residents, staff, and overall success of the organization. Her extensive experience and expertise in senior living operations have made a significant impact on the quality of care and services provided.

Her ability to lead by example and inspire her team is truly remarkable. She possesses exceptional communication skills, fostering a positive and inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Her empathetic and compassionate nature shines through in her interactions with residents, families, and staff, making her a trusted and respected leader.

What sets her apart is her relentless drive for excellence. She consistently goes above and beyond expectations, ensuring that the highest standards are met in all aspects of operations. Her keen attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and strategic thinking have resulted in improved efficiency, increased resident satisfaction, and impressive financial outcomes.

Beyond her professional achievements, she is a genuine and caring individual who always puts others first. She takes the time to listen and understand the needs and concerns of residents and their families, going the extra mile to provide personalized care and support. Her dedication to creating a warm and nurturing environment truly enhances the lives of those she serves.

Longevity and Dedication

Cheryl Snycerski

Sales Coordinator
Beaumont Commons

Farmington Hills, MI

Nominated by Diane Beri

Cheryl has worked at Beaumont Commons for 33 years as of August 2023. During that time she has moved in multiple generations of family members to the campus — and followed them as friends during their movement within the continuum of care.

Residents and families call her to ask their questions, get resources, and make connections with other residents and services. She treats each resident as her best friend or close family member.

Cheryl will do anything for a resident or family. She will move furniture if a resident moves between levels of care so the family is not so overwhelmed. She will go and get clothes and makeup for residents when they need to spend time in the skilled nursing center. She will have emphatic conversations about the next level of care so residents are not embarrassed if they are having changes. And she always leads with her heart.

Cheryl is the first person that families contact when they are in doubt or fear. I aspired for 16 years to be more like her each and every day, as I never witnessed her saying no to a resident, instead always prioritizing their well-being, self-esteem, and happiness.