Lori Colwell Jones, COO of 12 Oaks Senior Living, Most Empowering Women Leaders of 2021 Profile

Lori Colwell Jones
COO of 12 Oaks Senior Living


Lori Colwell Jones, COO of 12 Oaks Senior Living, Most Empowering Women Leaders of 2021

“A unique vision with a passion to help senior communities”

12 Oaks Senior Living’s key differentiators are the 1) Symphony of Life Memory Care program 2) Leadership IMPACT training -12 Oaks collaborated with Capacity Leadership Center to create a leadership development curriculum for Executive Directors and Resident Care Directors. Competency and Character are the two main Core Values addressed in this program. 3) High-touch management model - The individualized focus of this concept is complemented by a limited geographical reach. Each Region in the 12 Oaks model is assigned a Regional Vice President. The Regional Vice President, 12 Oaks Solutions-Consultants, and 12 Oaks Office staff members support a maximum of 4-5 communities in a local geographical area. As a result, the experienced RVP spends more time with each community, becoming an expert in the community's day-to-day activities as well as the surrounding area, and is able to develop personal relationships with community staff, residents and referral sources. 4) Accushield screening process for visitors- The residents' well-being is important. 12 Oaks employs a cutting-edge guest and vendor screening module that does rapid COVID-19 screening on all visitors and background checks on vendors, including criminal histories and registry checks.5)Prospect-Centered Selling with Sherpa CRM- When faced with life-changing decisions, people need helpers who empathize with their uncertainty and guide them toward a solution. Sherpa CRM is a person-centered technology solution that empowers leasing counselors to intuitively help prospects step-by-step through the emotional obstacles they face while trying to make a senior living decision.

12 Oaks Senior Living's goal for 2022 is to reintroduce "fun" into daily life. Everyone has been strained by COVID-19, and the focus has been on compliance and wellbeing. Both the staff and the residents benefit from shifting the focus to having fun, enriching activities and finding purpose and belonging. 12 Oaks is likewise committed to innovation. It is looking at telemedicine services for its citizens, as well as Elli-Q.12 Oaks have been experimenting with Bear robotics. This is a robot that assists with service in the dining room. It is a support to the servers and the residents love it.

Lori and her team are very proud of the 12 Oaks Symphony of Life memory care program, which has been patented. The term Symphony of Life™ is an accurate description of what 12 Oaks Senior Living and its crew aim for in their Memory Care communities every day. Lori and the team place high importance on combining the exceptional abilities and potential of each team member and working together to create something amazing, unforgettable, and deserving of the praise of their colleagues, Residents, and the families they care about.

Lori Colwell Jones is an enthusiastic visionary and loves to create momentum, excitement, and a fun environment for staff and residents. Lori is a Registered Nurse, BSN. She has worked with seniors for 35 years in operations and in clinical roles including skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, and she built the home care company for Holiday retirement. Lori became the Director of Nursing at 21 years of age. She is also a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and an Eden Associate. Lori is passionate about the core values of 12 Oaks: character, competency, stewardship, servanthood, and its Efficiency focused CQI/ continuous quality improvement / LEAN work. 12 Oaks lives out its values.

Lori says, “ I would say that my mom is my motivational role model. She is a strong woman and ever since I was young she has encouraged me to think beyond my potential and reach for the stars. I was the first in my family to go to college. I came from humble beginnings. My dad was a police officer and my Mom stayed home and was my Brownie leader, the PTA president, among other leading lady roles at that time. She was a great leader and a great example. I took out student loans to go to college, and after five years of college I had some debt, but I paid it all off within 10 years of graduating. My mom would never let me give up and she has been my biggest fan and cheerleader throughout my career. She is my best friend. Lori also adds, "My favorite quote is, “Fate whispers to the warrior, “You cannot withstand the storm.” The warrior whispers back, “I am the storm.”Lori Colwell Jones's dedication and passion for the organization, as well as her ability to see beyond her own potentials and her desire to do something unique for the senior community, have made her a compassionate and admired woman leader.

“12 Oaks Senior Living brings over 30 years of Senior Living experience to clients, providing highly effective and exceptional third-party management and Consulting Services to senior living communities.”

Lori has substantial senior living experience in her work as Chief Operating and Officer as a Registered Nurse. She oversees a team of regional vice presidents and operational support personnel that are responsible for the operational and financial aspects of 12 Oaks Senior Living properties. Lori began her senior living career as a Registered Nurse and spent the first seven years of her career as a Director of Nursing. After that, she moved on to operations. Lori worked at Holiday Retirement for many years before joining the 12 Oaks team. She worked as Regional Director for 17 of their communities in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Hawaii most recently. She also held many executive positions at Holiday Retirement, including designing and establishing their home care segment and managed as vice president for their assisted living branch, Spectrum.

Lori says, I love what I do and I nurture the relationships that I have whether it is knowing and supporting my team or helping staff and residents know that they matter no matter what position they serve. I believe in a team approach including mutual respect and caring for associates. The key is that we are all in it together and it is important to always do what is right in the eyes of everyone. I have remained loyal in my positions and to the companies, I have worked throughout my career. I have been promoted to the next level of leadership and responsibility through diligence, passion, and the sheer joy of serving.

Lori began her career in pediatrics after graduating from nursing school. Then, in her early twenties, she moved into elder care and began her career as a Staff Development Director in a Nursing Home. Lori established a state-approved Nursing Assistant certification program at the institution where she worked at the start of OBRA. Within a year, Lori was promoted to the position of Director of Nursing. Lori relocated to Hawaii for two years as a Director of Nursing after a few years of clinical leadership. Lori earned her license as a Nursing Home Administrator in Hawaii. Lori worked as a Nursing Home Administrator for three years, achieving two deficiencies-free surveys in Washington State before being elevated to Regional Director. She has worked in Skilled, Assisted Living, and Independent Living as a regional and vice president.

12 Oaks is an amazing company. Lori considers herself lucky to work for and with a group of people who are passionate about living out and exemplifying the company's core values, which include character, competency, stewardship, and servanthood. The company's culture is one of the reasons for the high retention of leaders and employees. All of the company's executives and leaders receive leadership coaching and training from 12 Oaks. The organization believes in and practices "knowing" its employees and residents, "caring and believing" in everyone, and emphasizing the value of why everyone "matters" at all levels. It's very amazing that 12 Oaks has such high retention in this day and age when staffing is such a challenge.12 Oaks offers unique services that set it apart from other senior living management companies, giving 12 Oaks-managed communities a competitive edge.

12 Oaks Senior Living manages Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care communities. It provides specialized memory care as well as a 24-hour staff response system with a high touch regional management model.12 Oaks Senior Living has trained staff to support Veterans in obtaining pension benefits.12 Oaks offers one-of-a-kind services that give it a distinct competitive edge. It's consistently achieving goals via people—building relationships, establishing connections, and pushing forward as a team. It's all about the people in senior living: community owners, staff, residents, relatives, prospects, vendors, and more.12 Oaks has an integrated, simplified, and quick response management strategy to provide the best service, allowing it to stay tuned in to the needs of its managed communities and respond promptly to any request, challenge, or opportunity.IEWL


Company

12 Oaks Senior Living

Management

Lori Colwell Jones
COO of 12 Oaks Senior Living

Description

12 Oaks Senior Living provides highly effective and exceptional third-party management and operation services for senior living communities. Our clients/owners receive all of the customary services provided by traditional third-party managers in our industry, along with the many distinct and competitive advantages that only 12 Oaks Senior Living has to offer.


Emerging WomenLeaders Special Magazine