Executive Director at Freedom Pointe in The Villages

What is most rewarding to you working in senior living? Working with interesting people who I enjoy and respect. I aim for closer relationships between all of us.

Why do you do what you do? I’ve been in the senior housing field my entire career and love what I do. It’s all about enriching the life of the older adult. Our job is to be that trusted partner of each resident and it’s extremely rewarding.

What’s best about working for a company like Brookdale? Brookdale strives to be the best senior housing company in the world and their focus is on people. I love that. Brookdale invests in its communities and the associates that work here. We continuously seek ways to engage with our residents and exceed their expectations. That’s the Brookdale way.

You recently have had a quadruple bypass procedure, how has that experience and the process of recovery influenced your interaction with residents? I feel closer to the residents than ever. While I have always been compassionate, I’m much more in tune with their pain and suffering. I think I’m much more empathetic.

How have you achieved such speedy recovery, just 3 months? I attribute my quick recovery to listening to the advice of my surgeon Dr. Tim Moore and his nurses at the Leesburg Heart Institute and to Dr. Jose Rosado, my Cardiologist and his cardiac-rehab team at Florida Heart and Vascular. Also to my wife, Terri, who is very watchful and health conscious.

Favorite Films? Dead Poets Society and Field of Dreams.

Favorite thing about your city? It’s what’s happening in Leesburg now that’s my favorite; seeing places like Sip, Two Old Hags down the street, and Turner’s open. It’s creating a Main Street destination for people that we didn’t have before. Leesburg is a great town going through rejuvenation.

What’s your musical genre? I’m a Rock ’n Roll guy.

Cat or dog person? I have two dogs; one is a Pitbull and the other is a Pitbull mix. Terri rescued them both by the road.

Any hobbies? I’m an avid spin biker at Anytime Fitness and in my spare time I enjoy boating, fishing, scalloping and swimming with the manatees in Crystal River.

PHOTO: Fred Lopez