Solvere Living creates a senior director growth path position for community team members. Ashley Johnson and Maria Omana are the first to receive the promotion.
St. Petersburg, Florida – December 9, 2020 Solvere Living is creating a senior director growth path position for every discipline in its communities. The company wants to foster a workplace where team members are given the opportunities to grow professionally, expand their work experience and provide equitable work opportunities.
“When team members are valued, their sense of self-worth and self-esteem increases, which are key drivers in our long-term success,” said Kristin Kutac Ward, CEO, Solvere Living. “A senior director embodies our core values and demonstrates creativity and expertise in their role.”
The first two team members to be promoted are Maria Omana, the Salus assisted living resident engagement coach at The Atrium at Boca Raton, Florida and Ashley Johnson, the Valeo memory care resident engagement director at The Monarch at Richardson, Texas. Both Maria Omana and Ashley Johnson received the promotions because of their leadership, which includes supporting new directors, incorporating residents’ interests and creativity in their programming and supporting all Valeo Directors and Salus Coaches. They embody the Soul of Solvere.
Maria Omana – The Atrium at Boca Raton Maria grew up in Italy and Columbia. She went to a Catholic OPUS DEI all-girls’ school, is fluent in three languages and received her degrees in psychology and social work from Palm Beach State College and Florida Atlantic University. Her first interest was children support services and then a friend suggested a career in senior living where her creativity and “fruit loop personality” was needed. She’s never looked back.
The best part of her job is when she comes in the morning and then leaves at night, residents tell her how much they appreciate her. Her goal is to transfer her positive energy to residents, open their youthful side and just have fun. Before the pandemic, the resident calendar included an Annual Turkey Trot, skydiving, wine tasting, Zumba class, fishing club, swimming with the dolphins, riding with a Harley Davidson club and many more.
The Atrium residents are from all over the world so her background and fluency in Spanish and Italian have helped her relate to them and their families because she understands their cultures and traditions. She also helps families unburden themselves with the guilt they feel and helps them understand their parents will have a chance to continue living with joy and get the assistance they need. For Maria, Solvere means “where achievability of possibilities dances.”
Ashley Johnson – The Monarch at Richardson Ashley was born and raised in Texas and considers herself “a true Texas gal.” Ashley’s passion is refinishing and bringing back to life old, ugly, antique furniture, which she finds at thrift stores. Her best memories growing up were spending summers with her grandmother in East Texas, where she would help her keep up the garden, cook the most amazing meals and do any housework. Her grandmother developed Alzheimer’s disease, which was very painful for Ashley, but she wanted to make her grandmother’s final days as joyful as possible. She feels helping senior adults is a true calling from the Lord. She is passionate about people with memory care challenges and feels it’s an honor to serve them during this stage in their lives.
The best thing she likes about her job is creating a positive environment where residents can thrive, be challenged and reach their full potential. Her favorite program is learning about residents’ cultures. “The group will pick a recipe, and everyone has a part, whether it’s opening the packages, pouring, stirring or cutting the vegetables! We cook together and they are so proud and excited to taste it!”
One of her most memorable moments was a legacy kit party where family members brought special items for the parent’s shadow box. Each family member shared memories and there were plenty of tears and belly laughs to go around. The toughest part of her job is calling family members to let them know their loved one has passed away. Ashley says “Valeo means ‘to thrive’ and the Solvere Programs were created so residents can live to their full potential, regardless of the level of dementia.”
About Solutions Advisors Group
Formed in 2009, Solutions Advisors Group is a group of companies providing comprehensive consulting and operations management expertise for the senior living and active adult sectors. With offices in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Richmond, Va., the three companies are:
Learn more at SolutionsAdvisorsGroup.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
