Company reorganization designed to foster resident access
GRF STAFF
by Ruth Osborn
rutho@lwsb.com
Leisure World celebrated its first 60 years last June, and in an effort to set a firm course for the next 60, the Golden Rain Foundation will undertake a comprehensive staff reorganization set to roll out March 31.
The majority of LW residents will not notice the internal change, which amounts to clustering GRF’s various departments into four divisions.
The strategy is designed to broaden resident access to staff expertise and foster teamwork among departments.
Externally, members will see a more dynamic company response as departments work together to solve problems and institute new projects and plans to move Leisure World forward as a premier retirement community.
“This change is intended to build collaboration among departments, which will result in more proactive member services and a more streamlined approach to conducting daily business,” said Executive Director Jessica Sedgwick.
Under the new structure, Sedgwick will oversee senior directors who will manage four divisions—Facilities, Member Services, Human Resources and Internal Operations.
All current GRF departments will be categorized within those four divisions as follows:
• Facilities Division will include Physical Property, Service Maintenance, Security and Fleet Management.
• Member Services Division will include Finance, Recreation, Mutual Administration and Member Support.
• Human Resources is a stand-alone employee-focused division charged with finding, screening, recruiting and training job applicants, plus managing employee benefits among other tasks.
• Internal Operations will include Information Technology, Safety, Communications, and Learning and Development.
Marryingthosedepartments with similar core missions will promote team culture and collaboration, both of which are essential to company growth and development.
As departments funnel through four main divisions, business operations will become more unified, which will provide higher levels of customer support and a path to quickly resolve more persistent problems.
The reorganization, which has the support of the GRF Board of Directors, was also designed to strengthen the bridge between the GRF and the Mutuals by reinforcing support to all Mutuals.
Every Leisure World resident is a member of both the GRF and one of 16 Mutual Corporations.
This restructuring will realign company practice with the enduring principle that GRF is here to serve every member.
“We are ready to set in place an infrastructure that will provide next-level service for another 60 years,” Sedgwick said.
The GRF employees a staff of about 200 full- and part-time to provide management services for operation of shared Trust facilities as well as services to the 16 Mutual Corporations.
