In an unprecedented sweep of the annual awards handed out by the Southern California Association of Activities Professionals (SCAAP), Silvergate Rancho Bernardo took home the top four honors of the year bestowed by the organization. The community was recognized for its outstanding efforts in 2022 to provide innovative activity and event programs for the 200+ independent, assisted living or memory care residents who reside at the luxury retirement community.
Senior living communities from all around the country nominate their top performing Activities professionals each year to be evaluated by a committee of experts from the organization. In Southern California, the regional governing body for the National Association of Activity Professionals, SCAAP, bestowed honors on four individuals at Silvergate Rancho Bernardo. Awards were presented to the honorees at a regional banquet in Long Beach earlier in the fall with a local ceremony held this month at Silvergate.
Top SCAAP Honors Presented To Silvergate Rancho Bernardo
Activity Professional of the Year — the group’s most highly coveted honor — was presented to Trixie Prince, a 47-year veteran of the profession who serves as Activity Director for Silvergate Rancho Bernardo. Prince opened Silvergate’s Rancho Bernardo community and has served at the state level for the professional Association as Vendor Chairperson and in various capacities on the state board. She is a long-time, active member of the Activity Directors of Greater San Diego (ADGSD), currently serving as its President for the last three years, and previously as Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Chair.
“Trixie consistently sets the bar for activities programming by infusing life-long learning, history, fine arts, culture, and physical movement into every element of her activities programming,” said Sondra Brakeville, Executive Director for the senior living community. “She and her team create exciting and engaging events and activities that inspire our residents to dig into their creative natures and really enjoy unique experiences. I’m constantly hearing from our residents how fantastic the opportunities are for mixing, mingling and getting to know others here at Silvergate.”
Not only did the SCAAP Awards Committee recognize Silvergate’s Activity Director as Activity Professional of the Year, the community’s Executive Director, Sondra Brakeville, was named “Administrator of the Year” and its Director of Resident Care, Severino Doria, was awarded the “Director of Nurses of the Year.”
“Severino really believes that a strong, effective activities program will positively change a resident’s life,” said Brakeville who has worked with Doria since the opening of Silvergate’s Rancho Bernardo community two years ago. “His support of our activity’s programs can be seen in the positive mental and physical stimulation of our residents. Together, he and Trixie promote a quality of life that many seniors hadn’t experienced prior to coming to our community.”
“Silvergate just swept these awards this year,” said Joan Flannigan, who presented the awards at a special recognition ceremony at the community and serves on the board of directors for the Activity Professionals National Credentialing Center. “This community was a shoe-in for these awards, and this recognition really puts Silvergate on the map nationally. As a San Diegan, I’m particularly proud to see a San Diego community be honored this year.”
Rarely Bestowed “Distinguished Merit Award” Conferred to Silvergate
More than a decade has passed since SCAAP has handed out the organization’s rarely presented “Distinguished Merit Award,” which honors an individual or institution in California that has consistently made a significant contribution to the growth and the advancement of the activity profession. The rare honor was conferred to Greg Petree, President of AmeriCare Health & Retirement (the parent company of Silvergate), who SCAAP found to be an industry role model for the profession by requiring Silvergate’s Activity Directors to be board-certified, supporting ongoing education opportunities for the community’s activity teams and fostering a “person-centered” calendar of meaningful and dignified daily and special event programming for seniors.
SCAAP serves as an advocate for the highest quality standards, educational training, & professional growth for Activity professionals across the country to support, expand and improve the quality of life for seniors and their families. The group monitors regulatory requirements for the profession and works to educate activity managers, team members, seniors and their families as well as the general public to have better understanding of the importance and impact of activity programs.
Learn More About Silvergate’s Events & Activities Roster
With new activities showing up on the calendar every month, visitors are welcome to tour the community and pick up a sample Activities Calendar to check out all of the upcoming events at Silvergate Rancho Bernardo. The community is now scheduling virtual and private in-person tours of its apartment homes and 11-acre campus. For information, call Pam Rundle at (858) 451-1100 General information about the independent living, assisted living and memory care accommodations at Silvergate can be found at SilvergateRR.com/RB. Silvergate is located at 16061 Avenida Venusto, San Diego, CA 92128.
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