Stacy Zimmerman is a Mesa girl, through and through. She grew up in Mesa and attended Westwood High School – just a few miles down the road from where she works now as executive director at Avista Downtown Mesa.
Zimmerman started with Avista in 2017. She was recruited for the position and says she has never regretted working in senior care.
“Every day is a new adventure,” she says. “I never could have imagined just how much I would love working with seniors.”
Zimmerman says she loves hearing the life experiences and stories that her residents share. Her team includes about 50 staff members, many of whom have been at Avista Downtown Mesa longer than she has.
“For our residents, the staff are their family. You can tell they really love the residents,” she says. “Here at Mesa, there’s such good stability and so much love to go around.”
Zimmerman says her philosophy is to help each resident and staff member feel supported. Under her tenure, the community has increased diversity at the community and built a greater feeling of unity.
“I never have one of my team members do a job that I’m not willing to do,” she says. “It’s important to really know the staff and the residents, to be in it with them and part of the team.”
Avista Downtown Mesa provides senior living services to a primarily lower-income population. This creates unique opportunities.
“We want to make sure that seniors here in Mesa have a nice place to live and fun things to do,” says Zimmerman. “We want them to live more fulfilling lives and not to worry about their finances. It takes a huge pressure off of them.”
Located in the Historic District of Mesa, Arizona, the nearby area has lots for seniors to do – with restaurants, performance theaters, and museums nearby and the senior center right across the street. Zimmerman says it’s exciting to see all the growth in the area.
When she’s not caring for the team members and residents at Avista, Zimmerman enjoys traveling. She loves to camp and hang out in nature with her 110-pound Italian mastiff by her side. Her positive, can-do attitude exemplifies her attitude toward care.
“We want the residents to be happy and healthy,” she said. “We are here to always do what is best for them.”
Interested in learning more about Avista Downtown Mesa? Call us today at 480-378-0547.