At Brightview Senior Living, the idea of Vibrant Living is the energy that flows through every community and the entire company. Now leading this energetic department is Corporate Director of Vibrant Living, Dori Ray.
As Dori describes it, Vibrant Living is not just a department, but it’s the way we do things at Brightview. “Vibrant Living is a continual and consistent part of community life,” she said. “We are thinking, what can we do to get residents out of their apartments or engage in community life?” Vibrant Living Directors in the communities lead a team that creates these opportunities for residents to learn, have fun, and make strides every day.
“We believe in senior living, not senior existing,” Dori said. “We want to support what residents want to do. This is not their last chapter – it’s just another one.”
Dori’s passion for enriching lives through education, fun, culture, and more comes from a long history of working in camps. As a longtime camp attendee as a child, it made perfect sense for Dori to work in camp directing and activities for the Jewish Community Center following graduation from Towson University. After over a decade of work with the JCC, Dori made the transition to senior living.
The Vibrant Living Director position at Brightview Mays Chapel Ridge attracted Dori because it offered opportunities to connect with residents and grow in her career. After starting in that role, Dori instantly felt like she was in the right place and part of something larger than herself.
“Brightview really saw me. I felt valued for what I was bringing to the table,” Dori said. “I didn’t realize how much that mattered and how supported I felt.”
Working with residents was a shift after Dori worked with children in the first part of her career. She loved the input and conversations she had with her residents as they brainstormed how to make life in their community engaging.
“I love their personalities, humor, and families,” Dori said. “They are living history books. They have been part of the biggest moments of our history in our country, which is so remarkable.”
After working for five years in Vibrant Living, Dori considered moving to a sales role within Brightview. However, she made the jump to a learning and development position with Brightview University. Dori had a lot of experience training camp counselors in her role with JCC, and she was intrigued by the idea of being a Brightview culture carrier. Dori enjoyed her time in learning and development, but she never strayed far from her passion for Vibrant Living. When the Corporate Director position opened up, Dori told the hiring manager, “I’m going to make it impossible for you to pick someone else for this job.”
In her new role, Dori is excited to support her team at the community level. According to Dori, the entire Vibrant Living Director team is full of talent, energy, and creativity. “I want to coach them to be the best versions of themselves,” she said. “I want to help them share best practices and gain knowledge from each other.”
Dori is also interested in emphasizing wellness for the whole person even more in each community’s activity planning. She also sees Vibrant Living incorporating technology more and more into their toolset.
Dori is a frequent reality TV watcher outside of work – it helps her decompress after a busy day! She loves spending time with her family and dancing – especially with Brightview residents!
Brightview Senior Living builds, owns, and operates award-winning vibrant senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. We offer senior Independent Living, Assisted Living, Enhanced Care, and Wellspring Village™, a specialized neighborhood for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Schedule a personal visit to experience our communities firsthand.
