By Laurie Whittier
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Two years ago, the allure of Colorado’s majestic beauty and vibrant lifestyle beckoned Claire Menefee away from her job as dining director at Erickson’s Seabrook community in New Jersey.

When Erickson broke ground a year later at Wind Crest, fate brought her back to the company she calls “Food Service Heaven.” In addition to ten years with Erickson in Maryland and New Jersey, Menefee has worked across the  country for companies like Marriott Hotels, Boeing, and Meals on Wheels.

Start of something special
“From the beginning, working for Erickson was wonderful,” says Menefee, who hails from Pittsburgh and holds a degree in food service management. From the supportive work environment to state-of-the-art kitchens to the warm company culture, Menefee says Erickson is a rewarding place to work.

“There’s a focus on values here—a certain respect and understanding for the  older population, and also for each other on the job,” she says. After two and a half years at Oak Crest, Menefee was promoted to dining director at Seabrook in Tinton Falls, N.J. While there, she learned even more about Erickson’s culture, like the fact that they’re always striving to meet residents’ changing needs. “One example is how we’ve progressed over the years to a restaurant-style model,” she says.

“I first met Claire in New Jersey, and she quickly became one of the top dining directors in the company,” says Craig Erickson, executive director of Wind Crest. “She understands how important it is for us to be constantly evolving, and we look forward to her creativity in forming the dining program.”

Today, dining inside any one of Erickson’s communities is a complete sensory experience, featuring a variety of high-quality dishes that are just as pleasing to  the eye as they are to the palate. But Erickson goes a step further by offering a variety of menu items at each meal, having a healthier-choice entrée option available each day—as well as desserts lower in sugar and fat—and preparing  most of the food from scratch.