Employee Spotlight: Brookwood Point Campus Director Kristi Sweyer

Finding the right career opportunity is a thrilling development for anyone. For Kristi Sweyer, that exciting next step meant taking a new opportunity with a former employer.

Kristi is the campus director for Brookwood Point, a brand-new independent living community in Berwick, near Bexley, Ohio that’s set to open January 2024. While many of the seniors will move into a National Church Residences property for the first time, Kristi is making her return to the organization after many successful years in the senior living industry.

A Lifelong Passion for Working with Seniors

Kristi was fortunate to find her passion and calling early in life.  According to her, she was called to help seniors from a young age, all thanks to a very important person in her life.

“My biggest influencer in my life was my grandfather,” Kristi says. “I always wanted to work with seniors because he changed my life. I always keep him in mind with any decision I make – what would he want?”

It didn’t take the Bowling Green native long to set out on her chosen path. Kristi earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in health administration while working as a state tested nursing assistant (STNA) at Ohio University. After graduation, Kristi got her first job as a director of resident relations with National Church Residences, an appropriate start to her professional career. 

Over the last 20 years, Kristi has gained experience in senior living working in marketing, admissions, and community outreach. She also gained management experience as a director of a memory care program where she managed the community, trained staff, and worked directly with families.

According to Kristi, one of the most rewarding aspects of her time as director was working with those residents. The ability to help seniors was immensely rewarding, especially given her connection with her grandfather. However, there was something that eventually pulled her away from her work – her family. 

A Family Break Before Returning to National Church Residences

With a young family at home, Kristi made the hard decision to step away from a field that she loved to care for her growing children. This decision started a five-year period where Kristi lovingly cared for infants and toddlers at home away from the office and communities she helped grow. 

Although Kristi was busy at home, she missed working with seniors. She started working from home as a home health care scheduler after a couple years away from her professional calling. Kristi eventually went back to work full time in Marketing for an Independent Living Community. As her kids grew older, it was time to focus on the next big step – one that led to her becoming the campus director for Brookwood Point in October 2023.

The Perfect Fit

According to Kristi, returning to her origins made so much sense. She feels very passionate about working for not-for-profit organizations and is excited to bring her skills to this new role.

“It seems like a perfect fit because it brings a lot of my background together for this role,” Kristi says. “With my experience in marketing, I’m excited to be working with families once they move in so that I could be there for them, getting the activities up and developed for residents, and just trying to make their experience as positive as it can be.”

There’s also a lot of excitement about being able to help seniors at a brand-new property like Brookwood Point. The 55+ independent living community is National Church Residences’ newest senior living community with spacious one- or two-bedroom apartments and a variety of exciting amenities to help seniors enjoy a worry-free lifestyle where they can socialize and enjoy their golden years.

“It’s exciting to start with a new property because we can make it what we like it to be,” Kristi says. “We can come up with new ideas and try new things and get feedback from the residents moving in and find out what is important to them so that we can meet those needs.”

While Kristi is eager to work with seniors, she’s also happy to be in a position where she can grow professionally and spend her free time with her family, whether that means attending more soccer games, hiking with the family dog, or enjoying a good historical fiction novel. That balance of professional growth and personal freedom really did make for a perfect fit. 

“This is where I was meant to go,” Kristi says. “It’s such a great company with so many resources and people to reach out to with so many different experiences. There are endless opportunities here, especially if you like to work with seniors.

Looking for a job where you can make an impact in your community? View our senior living job opportunities and start your next career.