RiverWoods

Shopping is our cardio! 🛍️ RiverWoods Manchester residents, along with our fitness team, enjoyed a day strolling through The Mall of New Hampshire, topped off with a delicious lunch. It was a perfect blend of fitness and fun!

Our #HumansofRiverWoods feature this week is Susan Marcella, Director of Community Life for the Boulders campus in Exeter. With 14 years of experience at RiverWoods, Sue has found her calling. “I started at the front desk at The Woods, worked with the maintenance department, and then moved to the community life team. When the former director retired, I stepped into this role. I love it, this has always been my end goal." Sue's favorite part of her job is learning the residents' backstories. “We have so many incredible people that live here. It's just mind blowing to me what some of the people that I'm living and breathing with every single day have done with their lives." The resilience and vitality of the residents inspires her daily and keeps her excited to be at campus. Reflecting on her journey so far, she shares, "Helping residents transition to different stages of their lives here is an honor. Building trust with them is key, and it's something I take great pride in." Outside of work, Sue finds joy in being part of the Exeter Run Club and training for her second half marathon in November. She also finds happiness and fulfillment in her close relationship with her daughter, who recently finished her freshman year at the University of Montana. "As hard as it was to see her go that far away, the fact that she could do it makes me feel like I did something right." One of her proudest achievements at RiverWoods is completing the RiverWoods University program, which was a resident led course focusing on skills needed to be the most successful version of yourself. "There's so many people here with so much knowledge and so much training and so much education that they wanted to give back." Sue took classes in finance, public speaking and more. “It was a big accomplishment for me, especially the public speaking class.” #HumansofRiverWoods #RiverWoodsRetirementCommunities #CommunityLife #RiverWoodsExeter

Today we are sharing the inspiration behind one of our fearless founders desire to start RiverWoods. Maryanna dreamed of building a better and more secure way of retirement living, as care for seniors was important to her. During Maryanna's education, she stated, "At one point, I was going to night school to complete my degree and my professor believed that by the year 2000, there would be more elderly people in need of care than you could imagine. He was determined that he would recruit me to become involved with this sort of thing. Well, indeed that happened.” Join us in honoring Maryanna Hatch's legacy and celebrating 30 years of inspiring stories from a community of #trailblazers. #RiverWoods30Years #LegacyOfMaryannaHatch #CelebratingMaryannaHatch #RiverWoodsLegacy

Our next #HumansofRiverWoods feature is Carmen Chaisson, Marketing Coordinator at RiverWoods Manchester. Carmen has worn many hats throughout her 18 years at RiverWoods, including positions with dining, housekeeping and campus services at the Exeter campus. “It was a little sad to leave everybody in Exeter, but when I came to Manchester I realized the environment is exactly the same. Everyone’s friendly.” Her dedication and adaptability shine as she manages everything from events to resident move-ins with precision. Her transition to marketing allowed her to be the first friendly face for prospective residents, shaping their initial impressions of RiverWoods. “I felt like this is where I was supposed to be from the beginning. All my other positions that I was in, I met the residents after they had already moved in. But in marketing, I’m the first person they talk to and get information from, which I think is cool.” Carmen’s impact extends beyond her roles; she’s instrumental in our cottage project, showcasing her commitment to enhancing our community. Her favorite part of the job? “Move-in day. It’s stressful yet exciting, seeing residents start their new journey here.” Outside of work, Carmen is a Certified Professional Organizer, a mom to two children and a lover of family board games and Disney movies. “I enjoy anything that has to do with nature, like yoga outside, meditating or being by the water.” She recalls going indoor skydiving and rock climbing with the RWM Marketing team as some of her most memorable moments with the company. Her commitment to RiverWoods is fueled by the friendships and familial bonds she’s built over the years. “I love working here. People have turned from friends to family. It’s like a home away from home.” Looking to the future, Carmen is excited to build the waitlist and use her organizational skills to streamline this process between all three communities. “I feel like I’ve spent half my life working here and I’ve been given so many great opportunities for growth and flexibility in my career. I’m thankful for that.” #HumansofRiverWoods #RiverWoodsRetirementCommunities #CareerGrowth

Please join us in congratulating Jenn on 22 amazing years with RiverWoods! 🎉 Jenn started her journey at Riverwoods in 2002 after relocating to the area from Virginia. Jenn, along with her sister Margaret, became members of the Facilities team after a relative recommended they both apply to RiverWoods. Jenn has had the opportunity to grow through several positions in her time at RiverWoods, and currently manages the apartment refurbishment process which she says has always been a passion of hers. Regardless of her position, it has been the warmth and appreciation from the residents, and working with her teammates that has brought value to her time here. We are lucky to have Jenn as part of our team and value all her contributions from over the years! #WorkAnniversary #EmployeeAppreciation #CareerGrowth #EmployeeRecognition

Cheers to the weekend! Looking for some summer fun? Our residents recommend a trip to Hampton Beach. Explore the stunning sandcastles, enjoy some shopping, and don't miss a sweet treat from Blink's Fry Doe. Thank you to our Community Life teams for organizing events like this one and to our drivers for providing safe transportation. Your hard work helped create the smiles seen in these photos! #HamptonBeach #SandCastleSculptures #BeachLife #SummerFun #WeekendVibes

Happy Independence Day from all of us at RiverWoods! As we approach an incredible 30 years, let's remember that Freedom is part of what RiverWoods was created for. Freedom to enjoy retirement, community, and incredible care, so we are going to celebrate a little extra today! Enjoy this beautiful day! ❤️💙🤍

Our next #HumansofRiverWoods feature is Jen Hunt, the Housekeeping Manager for RiverWoods Durham. “Once I started working here, the residents made me feel like I was at home. I’ve got 200 grandparents; they just welcome you in.” After joining RiverWoods, Jen realized her passion for working with older adults, which only fueled her commitment to work even more. “I like being here for our residents, I love people.” Her love for people has also made being a manager the perfect position. “I like to manage, but I don’t like to micromanage! I’ve always worked my hardest to be the best at my job so that I could be better for the community.” When thinking about what has shaped her into the person and leader she is today, Jen reflects on discovering she had a heart condition at the age of 19. "I was driving home from work when my heart stopped, and I was put into an induced coma for about a week. They weren’t sure I was going to make it. But I did, here I am!” She now has a pacemaker and defibrillator that controls her heart and prevents another incident like that from happening. “I call myself bionic!” Although a scary situation, Jen said it changed her outlook on life. “It made me realize I need to live for every moment and be present in any situation and just be mindful of what’s going on.” Outside of RiverWoods, Jen helps her husband run their septic business. “We’ve been in business for 5 years now, and it’s been going great! We are so busy, with pumping, inspections, and installs.” When asked what fuels her to work hard even on the toughest days, she says, “My family.” Jen’s family consists of her wonderful husband and their four dogs—two boxers and two rescues, ranging from eight years to one year old. “They’re my children.” She also loves to travel with her husband, and they have a goal to visit all the national parks. “We did the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. That’s one of our bucket list items, to mark off all the national parks.” To say that Jen is busy would be an understatement, but each part of her busy day truly fills her soul. Does Jen sound like the best boss ever? Check the link in our bio to apply for her team!

It is never easy to say goodbye, especially after nearly 20 years of dedicated service. Please join us in wishing our Clinical and Quality Officer, Cindy Martin, a heartfelt farewell as she embarks on her next journey. We feel truly blessed to have worked alongside her for so many years and wish her continued success. As Justine Vogel, our CEO, stated, "Cindy has a unique blend of knowledge and humor and understanding of both RiverWoods as an organization, as a place to work, and as a home for so many older adults." What Cindy has accomplished at RiverWoods will forever be cherished, and we cannot thank her enough for her invaluable contributions.

After close to 18 years with us, Cathleen Toomey is charting her next course in life. Cathleen has been instrumental in helping RiverWoods grow extensively over these past years, navigating challenges like the 2008 financial crisis and a global pandemic. RiverWoods CEO, Justine Vogel, states, "Most importantly, I think Cathleen is someone who understands what older adults are looking for and understands how to relay who we are to our audience." Cathleen's dedication and expertise have been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for her contributions. Please join us in congratulating her on her retirement!