Dee Novak, a resident of Lake County, is the new senior director of sales and marketing for Lexington Square senior living communities in Lombard and Elmhurst.
With a background in design and successful experience as a designer, Novak owned and operated her own firm while raising her children. When her life took a turn, she recalled, she realized it was time to do something different and was disappointed that she couldn’t be creative in the same way anymore. “Creativity and design had been my passion and my life’s work until then,” she said. Then, a design client of Novak’s, who was the sales and marketing director at a retirement community, told her she believed Novak would be successful in the senior living industry. She said she had enough in her budget to give Novak a two-quarter project. Novak said the opportunity was life-changing.
Novak was pleased and surprised that she could draw upon her existing skillset in her new position. “Everyone has a dream for their life. They know how they want to live. I liked the opportunity to draw that information out of them and present them with an environment where they could live their best life. In order to do that, you have to get to know every individual. It’s very personal as you explore the journey of their lifestyle and their dreams for their life.” Novak continued, “It requires really getting to know and care about people. That’s something I enjoy doing.”
After that, Novak became a transition specialist, traveling the country for various owners and management companies in senior living. “I supported different communities, especially those experiencing changes in owners or operators, keeping sales teams focused on occupancy growth,” Novak said, adding that she enjoys setting teams up for success. “I like that a lot. Then I support, coach, and mentor.”
