Siena Lakes Offers Staff More Than Just a Job

January 19, 2025

The adage “Listen to your mother” has worked out well for Alexander Reyes Dominguez.

When his mom, utility worker Leticia Dominguez, recommended that he seek a position where she works at Siena Lakes, an Erickson Senior Living-managed retirement community in Naples, Fla., Alexander, who was working as a CNA elsewhere, did just that.

“She told me they’re going to open a continuing care building called Torre Square, and that I could put my nursing experience into use,” says Dominguez. 

Knowing how much his mom enjoys working at Siena Lakes, he looked into it.

He adds. “If I could have an opportunity to be surrounded by people who really do care for you and want the best for you, then why not?”

Moving on up

Since Torre Square hadn’t yet opened, Dominguez began working as a dining server to get a foot in the door at Siena Lakes.

“I put in a lot of hard work,” Dominguez admits. And his diligence paid off, as he was promoted to train servers.

Being a trainer taught him a number of leadership skills, and he took on more responsibility while learning to multitask. But his promotion helped in other ways as well.

“I used to be introverted and lacked confidence,” he admits. “But ever since I began working here, something changed in me, and it’s a great experience! I’m more open, more confident.”

So much so that he sought out another position at Siena Lakes.

Career for life

At the end of July, Dominguez started working in security. All security staff are or become certified as emergency medical responders (EMRs) to assist residents if needed. Dominguez took the classes, which gave him another certification.

This is one example of how ESL communities offer team members countless opportunities for achieving their goals, including further education, professional development, growth opportunities, and a healthy work-life balance.

At a recent Career Expo for team members, Dominguez spoke with Siena Lakes Continuing Care Director Yarly Sylvain.

“I found out more about Torre Square, what some future opportunities will be, and got recommendations on, for example, taking a class about medication depending on what I might want to do,” says Dominquez. 

“Our goal is to provide our talented and diverse team members with a meaningful work experience that matches their interests and goals,” says Nicole Walker, Chief Human Resources Officer for Erickson Senior Living. “This is why we created the 2024 Internal Career Expo Series across the enterprise. As a growth company with a bright future, we strive to be an employer of choice by providing our team members with the resources to cultivate the career they personally desire at Erickson Senior Living.”

Dominguez enjoys working in security, and whether he remains there or moves to continuing care, he wants to be a future leader. He’s already spoken with a number of managers and supervisors to find out the paths to their positions. In August, he even was named “Employee of the Month.”

“I’m learning a lot every day. I know I have the potential to be something great at Erickson. I love interacting and helping everyone in the community—the residents and the staff,” says Dominguez. “I’m going to keep working hard because I want to stay with the company. My main goal is to work at Erickson until I retire!”

Watch your calendar! Be on the lookout for the 2025 Career Expo at Siena Lakes!

Learn more about career opportunities at Siena Lakes and apply online at www.ericksonseniorlivingcareers.com.

 

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