TriCare Retirement Communities are busy, vibrant places, and it takes a special person to ensure everything runs smoothly. Tiana Stevens is the Village Manager at James Ommaney Retirement Village, and she has made the role her own since she started in January this year.
“I was drawn to working as a Village Manager because I was searching for a rewarding role where I could positively help people and influence culture to create an inclusive and uplifting environment.”
With that in mind, Tiana aligns her decisions daily with this objective – making business decisions that only build and maintain a wonderful environment for residents and prospective residents, where everyone is welcome and feels at home. Tiana has come to TriCare via a unique path, but one that has prepared her well for the challenges of her current role.
“I’m new to Retirement Living but am currently studying a Bachelor of Nursing so that I can become more involved in the healthcare aspects of caring for others. Before starting at James Ommaney Retirement Village, I spent some time in the Australian Army as a Combat Engineer Officer. I enjoyed my various roles in the Army and learned a lot along the way.”
What surprised Tiana most was how transferrable her Army skills were to her role as Village Manager. Skills like decision-making, responding to change well, and personnel management have helped her succeed in her role.
Additionally, she discovered dormant skills from her time in the Army upon commencing with TriCare at James Ommaney.
“I think learning how to connect with people and finding out how to help is a skill I didn’t realise I had. I use those skills every day in the village and am very grateful I learned them early in my professional career.”
Tiana’s confidence and adaptable skillset equipped her well for the unpredictable nature of her role at TriCare. She is on the ball with all the diverse requirements of her role as Village Manager, and she is comfortable with the fact that there is no such thing as an average day!
Because James Ommaney is our smallest Retirement Community, Tiana takes advantage of being able to nurture its cosy, close-knit community and its peaceful environment. She spends a couple of hours a day with the residents, helping to plan the social calendar and introducing new activities for residents.
This full itinerary is worth it for Tiana though, as she derives a great deal of pleasure from the fantastic people she gets to work with.
“Spending time with the residents is the most enjoyable part of my role. I absolutely love learning about our residents’ families and friends and hearing about their adventures before they came to James Ommaney.
“I also enjoy co-ordinating fun outings and events such as going out for coffee, our walking group, or our health and wellbeing seminars. It is a pleasure to be in such great company each day at work.”
As a people person, Tiana is often engrossed by residents’ amazingly diverse and interesting lives. For example, she is inspired by the pioneering example set by the women at James Ommaney, who forged impressive work lives and who were ahead of their time in many ways.
“Each one of our residents is like a puzzle piece, and they all fit together in a funny sort of way to make James Ommaney a village and a community, and I am very proud of that. Our residents are generous, kind, and love to have fun – a perfect combination!”
Tiana has found her place at James Ommaney and has bold plans for the community in 2023.
“We have been gaining social momentum throughout the year and have started to really get to know each other and build up trust and friendships. For me, that’s our biggest goal! We have so many exciting plans for activities for 2023; keep your eyes peeled!
If you would like to live in our wonderful James Ommaney village, where Tiana will make sure you feel welcomed, why not look at some of our homes for sale? Find out more here.
