After a career managing health and wellness centers and a hiatus to devote herself to motherhood, Ryan returned to the field that had first inspired her as a college student, managing residential communities for the elderly. “I found a passion for the elderly when managing retirement communities,” she says.

That passion guides her work as Sunshine’s regional director. “You can genuinely see with the population we serve that we’re positively affecting their lives,” she says. “We have a duty to keep our members healthy and strong, in mind and body, to postpone placement into institutions and also to offer a much ­needed respite for caretakers. I make sure that our members are having a good experience and that we’re providing them compassionate care.

Ryan credits the success of Sunshine ADC to her staff. “They enjoy working with this population,” she explains. “That’s what makes for a successful daycare.” Ryan has built a staff of experienced, certified home health aides who find the time they spend with Sunshine members as meaningful as she does. “They’re truly compassionate people who are amazing,” she says. “I couldn’t be more proud of our staff.”

Sharing days that are filled with engaging activities and a spirit of camaraderie makes Ryan, her staff, and Sunshine’s members a vital part of each other’s lives. “When you get older, you can become lonely and isolated, and sometimes a victim of illness,” says Ryan. “We create these awesome programs and centers that are clean and friendly and warm and comforting for our elderly members to find a place to reach their optimal levels of functioning and to feel loved. And that’s rewarding. No paycheck could ever give you the type of intrinsic reward that these members give back to us when we treat them the way they deserve.”