Derek Harris, Managing Director of Wellness Integration at Arrow Senior Residing, has been named a 2025 Future Chief by Senior Housing Information.
To turn into a Future Chief, a person is nominated by their friends. The candidate should be a high-performing worker who’s 40 years of age or youthful, a passionate employee who is aware of tips on how to put imaginative and prescient into motion, and an advocate for older adults and the dedicated professionals who guarantee their well-being.
Harris sat down with Senior Housing Information to share what drew him to the senior housing & senior residing business, the largest management classes he has discovered, his ideas on the way forward for senior housing & senior residing, and way more. To study extra concerning the Future Leaders Awards program, go to https://futureleaders.wtwhmedia.com/.
SHN: What drew you to the senior housing & senior residing business?
Harris: What drew me in was the limitless prospects and alternatives inside the senior residing business, one thing I by no means anticipated once I first began my profession. The primary time I ever stepped into an Assisted Residing group was to fill out a job utility for an evening nurse place. On the time, I used to be a reasonably new LPN, and I seen the position as a stepping stone till I might pursue my RN and BSN.
Curiously, senior residing was by no means my unique plan. My first main in faculty was Pc Administration and Info Techniques (CMIS), however midway via I noticed that my true ardour — and my basis — was in nursing. I enrolled in a thirteen-month LPN program that allowed me to graduate in 4 years, with the intention of shifting on to a hospital profession. Nevertheless, LPN alternatives have been largely in Expert Nursing and Assisted Residing, which led me to that first evening nurse place.
What shocked me was how rapidly I fell in love with the atmosphere, the individuals, and the unbelievable influence we might make on the lives of seniors and their households. Over time, I continued advancing — incomes my RN, BSN, and ultimately a grasp’s diploma — however the considered leaving this business by no means as soon as crossed my thoughts. Trying again, I understand that I didn’t select senior residing — it selected me. And I’m so grateful it did.
SHN: What’s your largest management lesson discovered since beginning to serve this business?
Harris: Crucial management lesson I’ve discovered is the worth of getting an distinctive mentor.
Early in my profession, I used to be desperate to make change occur rapidly, with out realizing that management is a strategy of steady studying. A mentor usually sees extra potential in us than we see in ourselves, and thru their steerage I discovered the significance of being analytical, starting with the tip in thoughts, getting ready for challenges, and increasing my ability set. In brief, a mentor is usually the best champion of your profession, investing time, power, and sources in your progress.
SHN: When you might change one factor with a watch towards the way forward for the senior housing & senior residing business, what would it not be?
Harris: If I might change one factor, it will be for laws in all 50 states to align and be modernized.
Present laws usually lag behind at present’s technological improvements and create pointless duplication of labor. Aligning these requirements wouldn’t solely enable the business to raised leverage know-how for enhanced care and effectivity, but in addition simplify operations for multi-state suppliers and assist nurses and different clinicians who apply throughout state traces.
SHN: In a single phrase, how would you describe the way forward for senior housing & senior residing?
Harris: Limitless.
SHN: When you had a crystal ball, what do you assume will influence the senior housing & senior residing business now and into 2026?
Harris: If I had a crystal ball, I’d say the largest influence will come from how operators leverage third-party partnerships to broaden wellness providers and complement care. These collaborations can ease workers workloads, usher in specialised experience, and in the end enhance residents’ high quality of life. The important thing will probably be integrating these partnerships seamlessly into each day group life.
SHN: In your opinion, what qualities should all Future Leaders possess?
Harris: In my view, each Future Chief should be a lifelong learner.
The world is continually evolving, and leaders who keep curious and dedicated to progress are higher ready to adapt, embrace innovation, and reply to challenges with confidence. By looking for information via training, mentorship, and on a regular basis experiences, they not solely develop themselves, but in addition mannequin progress for his or her groups.
A lifelong learner fosters a tradition of steady enchancment and innovation, exhibiting that management is a journey, not a vacation spot.
SHN: When you might give recommendation to your self wanting again to your first day within the senior housing & senior residing business, what would it not be and why?
Harris: I’d inform myself to deal with each lesson as a possibility to raised your self. You received’t have all of the solutions on day one, however every problem is an opportunity to develop, enhance, and turn into extra assured in each your abilities and your objective.
