Stories of Growth
The team members and leaders at the heart of Village life are the keepers of the Schlegel Villages culture; they live our values in the service of residents and they drive the organization’s mission forward every day.
“In every neighbourhood of every Village, we see these wonderful, committed team members giving the best of themselves to others,” says Christy Parsons, Vice President of People with Schlegel Villages. “To meet the challenges and demands of the present and the future in terms of staffing our Villages with the best people that align with our values and our culture, we need to nurture our leaders from within.”
“Every day at Schlegel Villages, we make sure that
we give love, we give care, we give empathy ... and the family just seems to grow and grow,” Hilda says. “My team members are really my family; attaching my heart to being at work is what makes me happy.”
Ask anyone connected to Hilda Melbourne, and they’ll tell you her smile and her glowing positivity is infectious. It’s a gift she offers freely, and she doesn’t even know she’s doing it.
“The minute Hilda walks through a door, you can feel that excitement and that energy that she brings with her,” says Riverside Glen Assistant General Manager Lynn Lake, who first met Hilda when she worked at a different retirement home where Hilda often visited as a singer and entertainer.
“Hilda's passion and her heart, so full of love would touch the soul of every person she came in contact with,” Lynn says.
Hilda began in housekeeping when she joined Riverside Glen, and she says she embraced every opportunity that came her way, which led to personal and professional growth. She’s attended international conferences about the evolution of senior’s care, she’s become a trainer for other team members as a Connect the Dots Customer Experience facilitator, and she brightens residents’ days as an entertainer still.
“I always feel that they're rooting in the background that, you know, they see something in me that I haven't seen in myself,” she says of the Schlegel family and the wider organization. “They value me, they want to celebrate my successes, they want to be part of a village, they want to connect with me, you know, they just want to make me better.”
Trish Baird began her journey with Schlegel Villages in the Living Classroom at the Village of Riverside Glen, where she thrived with the hands-on experience. Before even graduating from nursing school, she was offered a casual position in long-term care and later a RAI backup position at Riverside Glen.
The Living Classroom, she says “was a unique, immersive experience where you learn skills and then have the opportunity to go right up to the neighborhoods and practice those skills on real people.”
It helped her become the nurse she is today, whose focus is always on the residents first, each with their unique needs and personalities.
Tricia's career took a significant turn when she became Wellness Coordinator at the newly-opened Village at University Gates, and eventually the Director of Wellness.
Assistant General Manager Ion Zdrenghea says Trish’s sense of positivity stands out in his mind when he considers her strengths. He remembers seeing that positivity during her first interview, and he recalls the flower she wore in her hair that day.
For Trish, being able to be her true authentic self in Village life is important, and she says she values the way in the Village values her.
“It surprises me how fast the last 16 years have gone,” Brad says, considering his journey with Schlegel Villages. “I've done so many great things, I've met so many great people . . . and you know people say the older you get the faster time flies – they're so right.”
When Brad Lawrence speaks about his story of growth, he comes at it from a different angle than most, for he has been the General Manager for some 16 years; he has grown within the position, as opposed to others who have grown into it.
His leadership style reflects servant leadership in its finest of forms, as he actively engages with his team, supporting them and truly focusing on personal connections. He speaks of the importance of knowing people’s stories, which fosters a sense of belonging, community engagement and inclusion.
Indeed, his journey of growth is on the path of inclusivity, particularly for the LGBTQ community, and over the years Brad has learned how to support an environment where people can be their authentic selves.
“I think of his experience of welcoming new leaders to the team and he takes such great efforts to get to know them as individuals and to make sure they have strong connections in the Village and are included on the team,” says Joanne Potts, who has worked alongside Brad for several years as Vice-President of Operations with Schlegel Villages. “This strength has shone in Brad's work on diversity and inclusion and the importance to him of making sure that every single person who is a part of the village team today . . . genuinely feels included.”
“I have been blessed to have great mentors along the way who guided me in the right direction and also showed me how to build meaningful relationship with who I serve, residents, team members, and leaders,” Sujeeva says. “Moreover, I have overcome many challenges along the way. Even though it was difficult at times, but I learned a lot from each role. I think all of these roles have prepared me for my next chapter.”
Over the course of 18 years, Sujeeva Muthulingam has transitioned through five different roles within Schlegel Villages. She began her career as an administrative assistant at the Village of Sandalwood Park before moving into an administrative coordinator role at the Village of Erin Meadows. When an opportunity for an interim neighborhood coordinator in long-term care emerged, she jumped at the chance, which marked her first leadership role. She continued to flourish in the role of neighborhood coordinator on the retirement side and later became a project manager with the Schlegel Villages Support Office. In her latest role, she serves as the Assistant General Manager in retirement at the Village of Humber Heights in Etobicoke.
Throughout her career, Sujeeva has demonstrated a strong commitment to learning and personal growth, consistently leveraging each opportunity to build her confidence, resilience, and adaptability.
“Sujeeva's greatest strength is learner,” says Humber Heights general manager Pauline Dell’Oso. “Years ago, Sujeeva came to Humber Heights to apply for a position and at the time, she wasn't the chosen candidate. But after the interview, we had a chance to chat and I gave her feedback from the team and from the interview and she really took that positively . . . and started to look for other opportunities to grow her capacity and learn.”
In her humble way, Sujeeva gives credit for her success to those she has learned from.
“For me, I'm very proud to work for an organization that really values people,” Chi says, “in terms of enhancing the quality of life for the residents and also promoting the diversity and inclusion in the villages; that kind of stands very close to my heart.”
Chi Awadh began her journey with Schlegel Villages in 2005 as a part-time recreation team member at The Village of Erin Meadows, and has since grown into the role of Resident Support Coordinator, which capitalizes on her training as a social service worker. Throughout her career at Schlegel Villages, she says she has always felt supported and recognized for her strengths.
"Chi's greatest strength is connectedness,” says Assistant General Manager Terence Paul. “She has honed the skill so well that has become second nature to her. She's level headed. and maintains a good positive outlook. These qualities, combined with her strong leadership skills, greatly benefits her in her daily life and the village life.”
Chi says she finds deep meaning in serving others and is passionate about working with seniors. Her leadership style is characterized by a genuine care for residents, consistent advocacy for their rights, and the ability to build deep, authentic relationships with residents and their loved ones.
The true intention of putting people first at Schlegel Villages resonates deeply with Chi, as well as the family culture.
From a Director of Recreation to Assistant General Manager, Jo-Anna began her service with Schlegel Villages at The Village of Erin Meadows before moving down the road to be General Manager at The Village of Sandalwood Park.
The experience there prepared her to support The Village of Tansley Woods in Burlington, where she has served as General Manager for several years. In this capacity, Jo-Anna serves one of the largest Villages in the organization, and the Village is always busy.
“There have been many people that come and take part in Village Life, and it’s because of Jo’s approach and how she relates to people,” says Vice-President of Operations Rose Lamb. “She never wants to have people feel left out and she makes intentional opportunities for people to be better tomorrow than today.” “We have a lot of heart in the Village,” Jo-Anna says, “and I haven’t changed from my values from 21 years ago.”
She’s an active member of the community, and says her favourite experiences are found in outings with the residents, whether she’s driving the Village bus down the road or visiting countries around the world as part of the ‘Tansley Trippers’.
MaRhoda embodies the spirit of the Schlegel Villages value of hardworking and hands on.
She came to Canada from the Philippines and worked tirelessly to support her children as a single mother while training to first become a PSW and later, a nurse. She remembers seeing The Village of Aspen Lake under construction in Windsor and told herself she’d work there one day, and she began when the Village opened as a part-time PSW. With her nursing credentials, she eventually moved into a RAI coordinator role and today, she is the Assistant Director of Nursing Care at The Village at St. Clair.
Compassion is what St. Clair General Manager Dana Houle says MaRhoda offers to everyone she serves at the Village. “She has had so many different roles within the Villages that she can support the team the way that she would have wanted to be supported. She’s able to take that compassion and really dive in and work with the team.”
Deep, meaningful relationships with the team and the residents she serves is MaRhoda’s reward for her dedication and compassion, she says. Watching her develop those relationships and reduce any angst others might feel is something that Dana says inspires her to strive to be a better leader.
“Every leader at University Gates is homegrown,” Ion points out, whether through University Gates or one of the sister Villages.
Ion began his journey with Schlegel Villages as a Registered Practical Nurse in 2008 after an incredible journey from his homeland in Romania through the United States and into the Toronto area, where he began working at The Village of Humber Heights. He would come to learn about the Schlegel Villages values and aspirations while serving as a neighbourhood coordinator and eventually, a Director of Retirement Services.
In 2020, he joined the team in The Village at University Gates as Assistant General Manager when the new retirement suites opened, and the Village has been thriving since.
Chris-Anne Preston works closely alongside Ion as a Senior General Manager serving University Gates and several other Villages. She says Ion’s natural understanding of the concept of servant leadership stands out when she thinks of Ion’s dedication.
“He always has some really unique ways of coming at problems,” Chris-Anne says. “He thinks a lot about challenges and supporting our team and how to work through some of the things that might trip us up.
“He’s creative and innovative and he always puts others first.”
Like so many leadership team members within Schlegel Villages, Masud Moiz first stepped into The Village of Erin Meadows as a volunteer.
A natural people person, he spent his time engaging socially with residents in Long-term Care. He would later become a screener during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he eventually stepped into a role in the retirement neighbourhoods as a Village Experience Coordinator, which led him to his current role as a Director of Lifestyle Options.
“Masud’s greatest strength is his ability to just make someone’s day,” says Stephen Bungay, who supports Masud and the Erin Meadows team as a Regional Director of Lifestyle Options. “He just has a way to know your story and brighten your day . . . and in his current role, he spends his day helping people on their journey.”
The sense of belonging and community is what Masud says sets a Village apart from any other seniors living setting, and that’s what he values about the growth adventure he has been on at Erin Meadows.
Crystal says she’s never thought about hers as a story of growth, for she’s only ever found simple pleasure in the work she does in service of the team and residents at Fairview Nursing Home.
She had worked nights as a PSW before Fairview joined the Schlegel Villages family in 2015, and her kind heart and sense of servant leadership quickly became apparent to the Schlegel team as they came to know the Fairview Community. She was offered a position in Recreation as a supervisor, where she had the opportunity to learn from Julie Music, who was then Recreation Director but would soon venture to neighbouring Maynard Nursing Home as General Manager in the months following that home’s acquisition. Crystal was a logical choice for director when Julie moved.
“Crystal’s resilience in the face of a challenge is one of her greatest attributes”, says Saurabh Bhatnagar, General Manager at Fairview.
“Her ability to multitask, her ability to gather all her strengths and resources in spite of everything that is thrown at her, not only in the Village but at home, and her ability to positively impact that is priceless,” says Saurabh.
She’s humble as she reflects on her growth journey, and says the fact that she can “unapologetically be myself” when she’s at work is a great comfort. There are no facades or work personalities, she says; just genuine authentic people in service of others, and that is the true gift of life with her team and the residents at Fairview.
“I didn’t have to change to be a leader,” Crystal says.