11 years ago, Vanessa was a stay-at-home mom with a passion for service. Now as an executive director at Aveanna, she combines her love of helping others with her hardworking attitude to lead a small but mighty team in the Fort Myers office. Her growth at Aveanna has inspired her to give back to families in her community with special needs children, a partnership she holds close to her heart as someone who is related to an individual with special needs.
"My journey with pediatric homecare started with my own family," said Vanessa. "I personally saw the impact I could make with the other patients and families in our area. Being on the other side made joining such a mission-focused company like Aveanna that much more appealing."
Vanessa joined the Aveanna team as an administrative office coordinator, where she showcased her can-do attitude and willingness to learn. After she had success bringing in hours and patients to her office, she took on the role of scheduler. She continued to forge relationships with patient families and build trust, all the whole honing her leadership skills and management tactics. Three years ago, her dedication paid off when she was promoted to executive director of the local office she had joined years before.
"My leadership journey at Aveanna has given me a unique perspective with my team because I was in their shoes at some point," said Vanessa. "My team pushes me to be my best, we stay positive, and we're there for each other. Aveanna has great core values in what we do, and we all live up to those for the people we serve."
The patient-centered approach that she fosters at her office has given her a new understanding of compassion. For Vanessa, compassion with both the team members at her office and the families makes all the difference in living out Aveanna's mission each day.
"My growth at Aveanna has been more than just a professional journey," Vanessa said. "It's inspired me to continue giving back to families like my own so we can change more lives for the better. I'm so grateful for that."
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