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Watercrest Senior Living Group Celebrates 14 Years of Impactful Leadership

This July, Watercrest Senior Living Group proudly commemorates its 14th anniversary, a remarkable milestone since its inception by Marc Vorkapich and Joan Williams. Their vision was simple yet profound: to create a senior living organization that honors elderly individuals with unprecedented care, respect, and servant leadership. The guiding principle of Watercrest is rooted in the belief that we should care for seniors as we would for our own parents.

Since its establishment in 2012, the company has evolved from a singular vision into one of the Southeast's premier developers and operators of independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities. Based in Vero Beach, Florida, Watercrest now boasts multiple facilities across Florida, Texas, and Virginia, with ambitious expansions planned for the future.

Vorkapich, as CEO, has directed the strategy for growth and development, focusing on operational excellence and purpose-driven expansion. Meanwhile, Williams, as CFO, has instilled a robust financial discipline that allows for sustainable scaling. Together, they have woven the fabric of Watercrest around the tenets of servant leadership, encapsulated in their mission: To Welcome, To Care, To Serve.

This mission is not merely a statement, but rather a commitment, supported by six guiding principles that serve as the foundation for each community. These principles compel their associates to serve a purpose that transcends their own interests, act as trusted advisors, honor the residents’ families, lift others up, create lasting and meaningful experiences, and maintain an unyielding commitment to excellence in every endeavor.

One of the most distinctive practices at Watercrest is in how they identify their team members. Instead of traditional job titles, associates wear name tags that highlight their personal core values. This small but significant detail reflects the belief that the character of the individuals providing service is just as crucial as the tasks they perform, emphasizing the unique gifts that each team member brings to the organization.

In Vorkapich's words, "Fourteen years ago, we set out to build a senior living company unlike any other, a place where excellence in care and character mattered above all else. The difference is our people, and everything we've built since then has been in service of that original promise." This commitment to excellence has helped propel Watercrest’s growth, particularly against the backdrop of a rapidly changing senior living landscape post-COVID.

Having opened their first community in 2015, Watercrest now manages over two dozen communities, with additional developments soon to follow, including a new opening recently celebrated in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Their dedication has not gone unnoticed; the company has earned accolades including being recognized as a nine-time certified Great Place to Work and receiving the U.S. News and World Report's prestigious Best in Senior Living award.

Watercrest is lauded for its high-end communities, innovative memory care programs, and hospitality-centric approach to senior living, all while remaining grounded in the founders’ pledge to honor seniors in a manner they themselves would desire for their loved ones.

As Joan Williams, Principal and CFO, reflects, “Our associates are our greatest asset, and our most important investment is in them. Fourteen years in, that's still true at every one of our communities, and it's an anniversary worth celebrating.”

About Watercrest Senior Living Group

Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded with the ambition to honor our elders, aspiring to serve as a model of quality in the senior living sector by exceeding care standards, service excellence, and associate training. Their communities are celebrated for luxurious aesthetics, exceptional amenities, world-class care, and cutting-edge memory care programming that offers unmatched services to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. As a testament to their culture and approach, Watercrest maintains the distinction of being a nine-time certified Great Place to Work.