Warm, Loving, Funny and Just a Little Bit Sassy: Meet the 'Director of Fun' at CountrySide Lakes
PORT ORANGE, Fla., April 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- When Stephanie Lynch served in the Army, she got more done by 9 a.m. than many people accomplish in an entire day. And come to think of it, not much has changed now that she's the director of engagement at Shepherd Living's senior living community near Daytona Beach.
Lynch, who started with Shepherd in February 2018, is clearly energized by her work. She asks: "We go to school, we work, we get married, we have kids, we pay bills … but are any of us really engaging in life?"
Her answer at Shepherd is a definite "yes." She organizes trips, prompts smiles wherever she goes, spearheads charity work, picks out music from the 30s to now, organizes too many activities to list and, in general, is a big part of what makes CountrySide Lakes a true community as opposed to a place to live.
It started when she was a little girl growing up in Volusia County. She watched her mother work her way up from a housekeeper to a corporate property manager and was also raised by six aunts and uncles, loving grandparents and a family of almost 60. She spent extended family summers in North Carolina and worked on her uncle's farm in Arkansas when she was 8, getting up at 4:30 a.m. to feed horses, pigs and goats and clean stalls. As the first-born child, she was encouraged to try new things, always enjoy what she was doing and look for ways to help others. In the military, she was stationed in Italy as a weapons specialist, conducting training missions with grenades, anti-tank weapons, rifles, pistols and her favorite, the M60 machine gun.
"My hard work ethic comes from my dad who taught me at a young age I could do anything and to never depend on anyone but myself," she said. "You can lean on people but ultimately the journey to your destination is on you. Serving in the United States Army compounded that philosophy."
She is "obsessed" with psychology and figuring out why people do what they do, which helped during her work in property management, retail, restaurant management and managing an RV park. That was fun, but she was still looking for something else – something that left her heart full at the end of the day.
"When I found Shepherd Living, I was so impressed by their mission that I knew I had to be a part of something with that passion and ideology," she said. "The first time I visited, I was completely moved by the care and compassion shown to every person. There was a level of dignity, respect and, ultimately, love that I had not witnessed before in a senior community."
She says the residents are warm, funny, loving and a little sassy, but that describes her precisely as well.
Adds Lynch, "I wanted this job so much, I prayed for it. When I got it, there was nothing I would not do to make it my greatest accomplishment to date."
For more information about becoming a member of the Shepherd Living family at CountrySide Lakes, call 386.756.3480 or visit CountrySideLakes.com.
About Shepherd
Co-founded by Christine Menedis and Naveen Trehan, the Lucky Shepherd family of companies integrate technology and real estate development, while crafting unique operational brands that push their respective industries forward. Shepherd Living, the group's senior living division, has made an early name for itself as an innovator by disrupting traditional notions of what a senior living community must be and crafting spaces for the broader public to enjoy - not just its residents. The company integrates holistic wellness throughout each of its developments, from farm-to-table culinary and on-site greenhouses to more than 15,000 square feet of spa/wellness offerings, including proprietary fitness classes created specifically for those 55+. Most importantly, Shepherd Living has a steadfast focus on bringing joy into the lives of seniors and their communities across the United States. For more information, visit liveShepherd.com.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Charlie Dierke
Director of Operations
Shepherd Living
[email protected]
214.683.1793
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SOURCE Shepherd Living
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