At Atria Senior Living, building a strong community starts with investing in the people who bring that community to life each day. Through Journeys, Atria’s professional development program, employees have access to training and mentorship that help them enhance skills, deepen their operational knowledge and take charge of their careers.
For those who lead – or aspire to – Rise is a six-month leadership program designed to help emerging and established leaders strengthen their capabilities and better support the teams who rely on them.
“Rise is part of Atria Journeys because great teams start with leaders who are equipped and supported to guide them,” says Heather Cunningham, Atria’s Senior Director of Talent Development. “It’s so rewarding to see people step into their potential knowing the company is with them every step of the way.”
For Kate B., who participated in the 2025 Rise class, the experience gave her practical tools and a clearer sense of how to reach her goals for her community.
“It’s refreshing to work somewhere that doesn’t just talk about growth but actually gives you the tools and support to get there,” she says.
Kate entered the program with a strong foundation. A licensed social worker by training and with experience directing multiple communities, she has always valued the relationships she builds with residents and families.
Rise helped her further cement those skills and expand her perspective as a leader, especially in areas like strategic thinking, delegation and guiding team members toward shared goals.
Each month, from April through September, participants met virtually for structured sessions that included presentations, discussion and small breakout groups. Leaders from across the organization took part, from Executive Directors to department leaders in a variety of disciplines. Hearing how colleagues approach challenges in different roles created valuable insight.
The program also explored practical leadership skills such as behavioral interviewing, understanding the reasoning behind delegation and navigating difficult conversations. These conversations helped participants reflect on their own leadership style.
Mentorship played an important role throughout the program. Participants had the opportunity to talk through real situations unfolding in their communities and receive thoughtful feedback from experienced leaders. The conversations reinforced the idea that growth is something shared across the organization.
Kate was mentored by Sarah Pitt, Atria’s Vice President of Recruitment, who valued the opportunity to exchange ideas and perspectives along the way.
“Mentoring Kate during Rise was a true highlight,” Sarah says. “She’s a thoughtful and talented leader, and it was inspiring to watch her sharpen her approach throughout the program. Mentorship is never one-sided – I learned from Kate as well. Seeing her perspective and the way she supports her team gave me insights I carry into my own work.”
The program concluded with each participant presenting reflections to the senior leadership team at Atria’s Support Center. Rather than relying on a script, leaders spoke directly from their personal experience about what they had learned during the six-month journey.
Looking back, Kate describes the program as energizing and meaningful. It sharpened her leadership approach and reinforced her commitment to helping her team do their best work.
And the impact doesn’t stop with the individual leader. The lessons, strategies and confidence gained through Rise ripple outward – shared with colleagues, modeled for team members and woven into the daily life of each community.
That ripple effect reflects a simple belief: When leaders grow, the residents, families and employees who rely on them grow too.