One of Us

Bruce Jones

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Bruce Jones has been CEO of Vicar’s Landing since 2012. Over the years he has embraced the challenge of overseeing the community’s future growth, which includes the current construction going on of the new Vicar’s Landing at Oak Bridge.

Can you please tell us a little bit about your background and how you got to where you are?

I knew I wanted to work in health care and after graduate school, I had the opportunity to work for a real estate investment trust that invested in senior housing properties.

As the due diligence manager, I was able to visit wonderful communities all over the country and see the great work they were doing.

That piqued my interest in operations, so I left to become licensed as a nursing home administrator. After running a nursing home in Gainesville, I was invited to run the health care at Vicar’s Landing and fell in love with the community.

After my predecessor left in late 2012, I was asked to take over as CEO and have enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity to be a part of the growth of Vicar’s Landing.

What are the most rewarding parts of being CEO at Vicar’s Landing?

There are so many rewarding parts of this career. I get to be a part of providing exceptional care and services to a community of fascinating people, I work alongside a dedicated and compassionate staff, and now we have the excitement of growing at Vicar’s Landing at Oak Bridge to meet the huge demand for our product.

I love what we offer, too, as we provide peace of mind for the future and a vibrant quality of life for today!

 

What are some of the projects and future plans you are working on?

Our most obvious project at the moment is the new construction at Vicar’s Landing at Oak Bridge.

Once built out, we are planning on having 175 additional homes for independent living and 60 high-quality assisted living homes, some of which will be purpose-built to care for those residents with dementia.

We will also have two dining venues, fitness spaces, plenty of outdoor activities, and, with shuttle service between the two campuses, our members can take advantage of all we have to offer.

Besides the Oak Bridge project, we are always looking at how we can add value for residents of Vicar’s Landing. Projects have ranged from improvements to our member woodshop to our croquet and bocce courts to our latest safety improvement of converting to electronic locks.

What are some of the challenges that you face with your job?

The biggest challenge right now is the same for every business - finding excellent staff.

We are proud to have been a Great Place to Work, to have the Governor’s Gold Seal Award of Excellent in Long Term Care, and to be accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and have a lot to offer as an employer, but there are not enough workers available to meet the demand for open positions.

Another challenge is that we fall under regulations from several federal and state agencies so keeping up with changes due to the pandemic has been interesting.

 

What do you enjoy most about living in the North Florida area?

I was born and raised on the Space Coast and lived in Orlando for several years.

What I love about being a bit further north is that we have seasons up here! I enjoy the friends I have made, and the amenities offered in greater Jacksonville.

It’s been a great place to live and raise my kids.

What do you like to do in your free time?

When away from work, I spend time with my family and supporting my kids’ activities.

My daughter is a senior and is a competitive Western equestrian and leader in our church youth group and worship team. My son is in his last year of middle school and plays golf and baseball, plays in the school band, and is in a community theater production this December.

I can’t forget our active dog we adopted from another great local organization, K9s for Warriors. They all keep my wife and me quite busy.