Over the last ten years, the Spy and Londonderry on the Tred Avon have worked together on stories about this unique retirement community that educates both its residents and the community at large. With the new addition of Christine Harrington as Londonderry’s new CEO, it was decided that we would follow Christine as she learns about the nooks and crannies of this beautiful campus.

This week, Christine visits with Londonderry resident Robert Grill. After moving to Londonderry after a successful building construction career in Pennsylvania, one of the things that Robert misses the most is his long association with the Rotary service organization. And with an instinct that he was not the only one in the Londonderry community who missed it, he decided to form a Londonderry auxiliary chapter of the Easton Rotary.

This video is approximately eight minutes in length. For more information about Londonderry, please go here.

Over the last ten years, the Spy and Londonderry on the Tred Avon have worked together on stories about this unique retirement community that educate both its residents and the community at large. With the new addition of Christine Harrington as Londonderry’s new CEO, it was decided that we would follow Christine as she herself learns about the nooks and crannies of this beautiful campus.

This week Christine visits the kitchen and Tavern with Londonderry’s executive chef Chelsea Harris to talk about how she and her team serve three meals a day for the 150+ residents. Christine also talks about the special freedom of creating her own innovative, menu items, and working collaboratively with the community members to offer one of the most outstanding private restaurants on the Mid-Shore.

This video is approximately 11 minutes in length. For more information about Londonderry please go here.

As Londonderry on the Tred Avon reflects on 2023 and looks ahead to 2024, it is thankful for the dedication and enthusiasm of their team, residents and community partners who all played vital roles in this year’s success. This same team has set the stage for an even stronger 2024.

A few highlighted achievements include:

Londonderry proudly welcomed new CEO, Christine Harrington in September. With Harrington’s extensive experience as both an organizational leader and day-to-day manager in the senior living work field, with over 15 years in an executive role, she has been an ideal fit for the community.“We were thrilled to welcome Christine this past September,” said Rachel Smith, Londonderry’s Sales and Marketing Director. “Getting to know her and witnessing the unique value she adds to our community and team has been a delight. We’re eagerly looking forward to the future and counting on her as an integral part of our exceptional team.”

Londonderry also continued its record of community recognition in 2023 winning Best Retirement/55+ Community in the APG Best of the Best Chesapeake Community Choice Awards and being named a finalist in the Senior Living Category. Other awards included, “Best Residential Community” in Talbot and Dorchester Counties for the fourth year by the readers of Coastal Style magazine as well as  “Best Retirement Community” in What’s Up Eastern Shore magazine.

Also in 2023, Londonderry was pleased to introduce our New Board President, John Flohr along with two new additions to our Board, Steve Cades and Jean Rhian.

Jennifer Hughes, Londonderry Controller, graduated from Shore Leadership, a nine-month program where participants learn through face-to-face discussions with local community leaders and experts from organizations and institutions that shape the region’s economic structure and culture.

On October 19th, Londonderry hosted their annual themed event, with Casino Night being 2023’s theme. The event was attended by more than 100 guests, which included residents, residents’ families, members of the Board of Directors, local elected officials and other community members. Guests walked a red carpet, played table games led by a professional croupier with fun money and were entertained by a live band while enjoying casino-themed drinks and appetizers.

“The accomplishments of this past year are a testament to the dedication of our incredible team members, Board of Directors, residents and supportive community business partners,” said Christine Harrington, CEO. “We are truly fortunate to have so many wonderful people contributing to our commitment of excellence on campus. As we step into 2024, we’re excited to enhance retirement living at Londonderry through innovation and advancement.”

As the new year gets underway, there are ownership opportunities available. To learn more about what residences are available, please contact Rachel Smith, Sales and Marketing Director at [email protected] .

 

Irma Toce, CEO, announced her retirement after a decade of successful leadership at Londonderry on the Tred Avon.

Londonderry has thrived under Irma’s leadership over the past ten years because she was committed to creating a culture and community where everyone, residents and staff alike, is invested in our success,” says Julie Crocker, Londonderry Board President. “She will be sorely missed, but we know we are on a great path thanks to her hard work and mentorship of our team.”

Before moving on to her next chapter in early 2024, Toce has committed to working with her successor to ensure a smooth leadership transition over the next few months.

Irma’s success at Londonderry has centered around her commitment to excellence and her ability to inspire others to think big. When Toce first began at Londonderry, she challenged residents and staff to think differently about what the community could be and could offer.

“We are not selling real estate here, it’s truly much more of a lifestyle. We offer a home, a community, to support our residents’ last chapter, so let’s make that a happy chapter, and one to remember. The more we can give to the residents and keep them independent, the better it is. And that’s what we’ve been doing, and I think we’ve done it well.”

It is this guiding principle that has inspired many changes on the campus over the last decade. Irma inspired her team to embrace a hospitality mindset and holistic approach to wellness that grew to include more resident engagement, on and off campus activities, fitness classes and a complete revamping of the dining services operation to include more locally-sourced and well-balanced meals.

Toce also spearheaded many physical changes to the Londonderry campus, such as the grand re-opening of Magnolia Manor in 2016, the building of the new clubhouse in 2017-2018, the creation of new floorplans and the complete build out of the community.

She also led the community through milestones, both happy and challenging, including the community’s 25th and 30th anniversaries as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Toce put safety plans in place and cared for residents in any way they needed during the pandemic. “She got us through COVID,” says Rachel Smith, Sales and Marketing Director. “She made sure the team, to the best of our ability, kept offering residents the lifestyle Londonderry is known for.”

It is this investment in the Londonderry team that will endure as her biggest legacy.

Londonderry is known for its strong team of staff members who go above and beyond in service to residents. “Through exemplary leadership and a strong dedication to her career, Toce has created a hardworking and passionate team that looks up to her and trusts her to lead them down the right path,” says Rachel Smith, Marketing and Sales Director. “She is known for always putting her team and residents at Londonderry first, making everyone feel seen and heard within the workplace, as well as in the community.”

While looking forward to the future, Toce reminisces on what she will miss the most about Londonderry, “I will miss the team. They’re just wonderful. What they do for the residents is amazing to me, and they all do it with smiles on their faces. I hope they stay as cohesive and supportive as they are now and will look towards the future, not the past. There are a lot of changes in healthcare, and there will always be changes in independent living. As a team, you need to be prepared for that.”

In addition to her work on the Londonderry campus, Toce is recognized as an expert on aging and senior living. She has shared her wisdom with the Talbot County Council on Aging and through the Ask Irma series with the Talbot Spy, starting in 2018, a monthly column that covered Toce responding to readers’ questions on issues related to aging.

During her tenure, both Londonderry and Toce have been honored numerous times at the local and regional level, highlights include: 7 years as the Best Retirement Community in What’s Up Eastern Shore Magazine, Best Residential Community by Coastal Style Magazine, Best Boss from APG Media’s Best of the Best Chesapeake Awards in 2022, Best Retirement Community and Best Assisted/Senior Living Community by APG Media’s Best of the Best Chesapeake Awards, Top 20 Outstanding Woman CEO by The Women Leaders Magazine in 2022, featured as a “Faces of Retirement on the Eastern Shore” in Baltimore Magazine, and Best Large Business from the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce.

In her retirement, Toce plans to travel (initial destinations include Aruba, Portugal and her home country of Holland) and enjoy her new home in coastal Delaware.