It is hard to believe that I am celebrating 30 years in the Assisted Living Industry. When my husband and I moved to North Carolina after I completed a Combined Degree Nursing Program in New York, I never envisioned ending up in this field.

I started out my career as a Resident Care Director at a brand-new Assisted Living community in Cary in 1995. My first Bachelor’s degree was in Elementary Education and Secondary Science, so I took on training Med-Techs – creating my own tools and checkoffs so my team would have the knowledge to be effective in their work.

In 1997, the Assisted Living community where I was the Resident Care Director was acquired by Southern Assisted Living, Inc. (SALI), so I am a proud SALI Alumni like many of my colleagues. As an Operations Trainer, I combined my two passions of education and nursing. I taught classes at SALI Universities for Resident Care Directors, Med-Techs, Supervisors, Leadership and front-line team members. SALI had a great culture, and I loved being part of growing team members to be the best they can be and advance to new levels.

After SALI was acquired by Brookdale, I worked part-time as an RN Case Manager while my children were still young. I have also served as a Regional Nurse for Five Star Senior Living and supported 13 communities. I had the opportunity to continue to train and teach, thus ensuring compliance and quality of care.

Prior to coming to Navion, I was an Executive Director at Spring Arbor in Greensboro. This was during the pandemic, so I have memories that I will never forget. This experience truly taught me to be a servant leader while dealing with the unknown and appreciate each moment – since we learned that each day is not promised to us.

My heart has always and will always be in helping others. I was happy to join Navion in May 2023 and work with many familiar faces that were once part of SALI. The core values of Navion are ones I live by, especially joy in service, while striving to deliver the highest standard of care. I have an awesome group of people to work with that are truly family. My “family” has recently grown to 23 communities since I now support all Navion North Carolina communities and our one community in West Virginia as Senior Regional Director of Clinical Services.

I find fulfillment and happiness in providing care and support to others. I am so pleased to be combining both backgrounds and doing what I love. Making contributions to quality of life while making a difference is what it is all about.

Sharon Vroom, MS, BSN, RN

Regional Director of Clinical Services