Spotlight

This quarter, in our Employee Spotlight, we interviewed Kimberly Judd, Senior Manager of Lifeline Senior Living, a Connect America company. Learn more about Kimberly’s role and what she likes most about working at Lifeline in our spotlight interview below:

Explain a little about your current role at Senior Living-Lifeline.

As General Manager, I am responsible for managing all the senior living departments. I am very involved in the business from the ground up, and a typical day consists of working with many different team members to manage complex issues, work through questions, talk with customers, review finances, create marketing collateral, etc. No two days are alike! I try to assist whenever needed, and the entire team knows they can reach out to me anytime. I believe that having that “open door” benefits my team, myself, and our customers.

What do you enjoy the most about your work at Lifeline?

I truly enjoy working with the Senior Living employees day-to-day. I believe I have an exceptional group of people working for me who are committed to what they do. Although there are always challenges, there are also great successes, and it is deeply satisfying to achieve these with the Senior Living team.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced since joining the team?

Supply chain issues. Senior Living has over 400 parts and accessories, some of which are critical to the emergency nurse call systems we install in assisted living facilities. During COVID, there was an interruption in the global supply chain, and it had a direct impact on some of the most essential parts we sell. Getting through this required determination and a LOT of effort from multiple areas of the business. We had to communicate timely and openly to customers (order management, tech support, product, and sales), find alternative parts quickly (engineering), and incorporate these parts into our systems (operations). I think we all learned how to adapt quickly to whatever was being presented as a challenge and do what was needed to meet our customers’ needs.

Tell us about a professional success you’re most proud of.

Since assuming the role of General Manager, I have worked hard at breaking down any silos within Senior Living and forming a more cohesive team structure. I believe open communication is one of the keys to success, and I’ve tried to foster that through team meetings and round tables so that people who may not interact with one another in the normal course of business have an opportunity to connect and understand what the other does for the business. This has allowed each team member to understand they are a part of a larger team that is all working toward a common goal. Even through the most difficult of challenges, the “we are all in this together” mentality has helped us to work through situations without feeling like the burden was on any one person.

What is the best advice you would give someone just starting out at the company?

Ask questions and understand the business holistically. The more you know, the more successes you will have. I have found the people who work for Connect America/Lifeline to be kind and welcoming and very willing to help someone new coming into the business. Take advantage of that and learn as much as you can, which will make you an invaluable team member.

What have been some of the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?

First, I was to get outside of my comfort zone. By trying new things, I broadened my capabilities and set myself up for expanded career path possibilities. Second, don’t worry. I have found that worrying about things that I have no control over can hinder work performance and cause unnecessary stress. I plan and execute but can’t worry about things outside of my control. Finally, always be asking and learning. I am naturally curious and love to learn new things. Asking questions on the job and understanding as much as possible about anything I have come into contact with during the course of my days has helped me to be versatile and allowed me to accomplish things I didn’t know I was capable of.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy going for long walks with my dog, kayaking, and going for long car rides with my husband to explore new places.