Andie Fitzgerald: Chief Operating Officer, Terwilliger Plaza

Nov 14

You were raised within a Navy family.

Both my parents were in the Navy. I was born in Maryland, at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Soon after, when I was a year old, my father passed away in a car accident and we relocated to Virginia Beach when my mother was reassigned and stationed in Norfolk, VA.

What an amazing strength of character your mother possesses.

My mom raised a one and a four-year-old, while working full time in the Navy. She went on to become a commander in the Navy in charge of aircraft maintenance. This was the early 1990s and she was one of the first female commanders in aircraft maintenance at that time and had been one of the first aboard a ship, ever.

We lived in Norfolk for eight years, and then, after 21 years in the Navy my mom retired and we moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina to be closer to my grandmother. There, my mother went back to college through the GI Bill and began her studies on the path to getting her PhD in linguistics. She is also a world ranked swimmer and an avid tennis player. Very impressive.

What was the transition to your studies and working within the Senior Living industry?

I received my undergraduate degree from Johnson & Wales University Charlotte in Hotel Management. During my studies I did an internship at a hotel and determined very quickly that that I didn’t want a career working in hotels.

What was it about hotels?

It was the transitory nature of it. In a hotel people are just coming and going. I am a relationship-oriented person.

I had to decide what to do other than hotels. Just out of college I had the opportunity to become a catering director/ food and beverage director for a new country club in Charlotte. I was there for about three years before the recession hit. The club began to struggle financially and laid off much of my staff. I had to pick up multiple functions, which was unsustainable.

You then had a family health care situation that changed the direction of your career path.

My grandmother had a stroke. My mother had recently remarried and was on her honeymoon in Chile and my sister was living abroad. At that time, I didn’t even truly understand what a stroke was or what to do in this situation. We were unable to reach my mother and it was my responsibility to step up to this health care crisis and make some serious decisions. That’s where I began to learn about senior living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and the challenges that you face when you’re in this predicament.

Shortly after, when my mom returned, we moved my grandmother into assisted living in the Charlotte area. As my job was expecting more of me at the country club, I found myself gravitating towards my grandmother and visiting with her after work. There was something about it that brought me joy.

You began volunteering at your grandmother’s senior living community.

I would volunteer and play games with her and the other residents. I remember getting in the elevator one day and there was a sign, “Game Night with Andie.” I could tell that my grandmother was proud. For me, it was a sense of reprieve and therapy after a stressful day at work. I eventually resigned from my position at the country club and began volunteering at my grandmother’s community while I searched for a new job.

You were then offered a job at your grandmother’s community.

Soon after I began volunteering, the activity director offered me a part-time job, which quickly became a full-time job. At first, I thought – this is interim. My career path is supposed to be in hospitality. But I really enjoyed what I was doing and just couldn’t stop. I was offered a position in memory care and became their Memory Care Program Director, and then, worked as the Sales Director. That’s where it began.

It was at this time that you went back for your graduate degree in Gerontology.

I began my graduate studies remotely at University of Massachusetts, Boston while continuing to work. Working and going to school was ideal for me. As I got deeper into my courses alongside my real-life experiences, I was able to provide substantive feedback into the discussions because I was living what we were talking about. I began to excel.

This began your journey as an administrator in the senior living industry.

After my grandmother passed it was time to start anew in a different community. I worked as the Community Relations Director at a stand-alone memory care community and was eventually promoted to Executive Director. I was there for almost five years.

What brought you to Oregon?

I wanted to expand my portfolio and work experience in assisted living and independent living communities, with an eye towards new construction. I came across a perfect campus administration position that was exactly what I was looking for. What I hadn’t realized when I first applied was that the job was in Redmond, Oregon. At that time all I knew about Oregon was the Oregon Trail and Portlandia!

During the interview process I experienced a series of signs that caught me off guard. For instance, there was a small gas station by my house. I had just been reading about Deschutes Brewery, and there on the shelf in the cooler of this random gas station in North Carolina was Deschutes Brewery beer. Then, a state surveyor was in my building, and she mentioned she had just moved from Bend, Oregon. I turned on the television and it was about wolves in Oregon! Oregon references were everywhere.

So, I took the job, packed my little dog, a backpack and two suitcases, and rented my house out. I left everything else behind and moved to Bend, Oregon to take a position at Juniper Springs Senior Living. I didn’t know anyone. I was trusting my gut and my instinct.

Was it the right decision?

It was the best decision. I gained an enormous amount of experience opening their new building. This is also the community where I learned my lease-up and construction knowledge. Soon after I opened that community, which continues to thrive, the parent company, Compass Senior Living offered me the opportunity to become an area director and then a regional director. While I focused mainly on Southern Oregon, I worked with multiple communities in multiple states. At one point I had seven communities in seven states, eventually focusing on Oregon, Wyoming, and Montana.

What brought you to Terwilliger Plaza?

Just prior to joining Terwilliger Plaza I was Vice President for Operations at Frontier Senior Living. I had been there for about 18 months, and realized it wasn’t the job or the culture that I wanted for my life. I oversaw 14 communities. It was a lot of travel. The position at Terwilliger Plaza became available and I was intrigued.

What was it about the position of Chief Operating Officer at Terwilliger Plaza?

The position was of interest to me because it incorporated a new construction, an innovative and groundbreaking sustainable building, a stand-alone senior living community founded by a group of educators, and an engaged resident Membership with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. It was also an opportunity to get back to a resident/Member facing position.

What is in your portfolio as Chief Operating Officer?

I am a Member of the executive leadership team with Ryan Miller, the CEO and President and CFO, Judy O’Donnell. Within my portfolio I oversee all of facilities which includes Housekeeping, Maintenance, and the Member-facing operations of Terwilliger including Dining, and the Deli, as well as Community Life, which manages the front desk, drivers, transportation, and many of the services available to our community. My team also includes Social Services, Health and Wellness, and Health Services which manages Short Stays and Assisted Living, which are the licensed areas of Terwilliger.

Is there a key element that you bring to your position?

I bring an eye for efficiency. Being a good financial steward and advancing the health of the organization and operational functions to enhance the quality of life and experience for our community – both staff and Members is very important to me.

Is there anything that stands out about your experience so far?

What I appreciate about Terwilliger Plaza is that every decision made is talked through and considered from all angles. There is no such thing as a bad idea, too grand or too small. All ideas are welcomed and discussed. As a stand-alone organization you can be heard and make decisions that have an impact. It’s a very respectful organization.

You mentioned a recent situation where you were able to address a community request.

At a recent Resident Council meeting I learned that the community was asking the administration if there was a way to keep the pool open longer with extended hours. My response was, “We’ll figure it out.” My team began to do some research and we figured out a solution to keep the pool open 24 hours. I was so pleased to announce this new approach to the community.

What was the solution?

For our type of pool to adhere to the regulations set forth by the State of Oregon, we are required to document the pool temperature and numerical values of the chemicals every two hours. This has been done manually, which is labor intensive and limits the hours of the pool to when the maintenance team is working.

The solution is that we are installing an automated chemical monitoring system to stay in compliance with the regulations. Instead of having the pool monitored by a person every two hours, this new system automatically detects and documents all the chemicals. Now it only needs be to be manually verified once a day and frees up our maintenance team to work on other projects and Member requests.

This solution directly impacts our community, which is gratifying. It’s a key differentiator between being a stand-alone organization versus part of a larger chain. We can identify a need and address it as a team.

What does the future hold for Terwilliger Plaza?

Terwilliger has a great reputation. Ryan and I are aligned in our commitment to make Terwilliger Plaza the best senior living community in our industry and embrace a leadership position where others may follow suit. I am confident that Terwilliger will continue to evolve, expand, and advance its reputation as a progressive and innovative senior living community.

What I appreciate about the leadership approach here is that we are on the cusp of so many breakthroughs just in the DEI elements of staffing. We are well ahead of other organizations with culture, which is key to the longevity of our team members. We have staff members who have been here for 40 years, which is extraordinary. It’s not a place where you come to work. It’s a place where you come to make a lifestyle.

Sounds like you’ve come home to Terwilliger Plaza?

I love being immersed within this senior population. I am learning constantly - hearing Member stories, gaining their feedback, and learning from their life experiences. I am a gerontologist and a senior administrator in a senior living community. The two perspectives merge continuously, building upon and complementing my knowledge base.

It’s amazing to interact with the membership on a day-to-day basis. The community here is unlike any other membership or resident body that I have encountered. They are kind, witty, funny, forgiving – they are wonderful people. Since joining Terwilliger this past April, they’ve welcomed me with open arms, and provided me grace and guidance.

I have found my long-term home where the ethics and values of Terwilliger Plaza align with my own. I enjoy coming to the office every day working alongside my team members and interacting with the community of Terwilliger Plaza Members. I feel the same joy that I felt when I first began working at my grandmother’s community. It’s full circle.

I am genuinely interested in who people are, and to be in a position where I can make a difference and have an impact on people’s lives is incredibly rewarding.

Think Joule