What if we told you there’s a workplace where winning major awards four years in a row isn’t luck – it’s just another Tuesday? Where your boss actively coaches you for your next promotion and believes in your potential? And where a 102-year-old might be your next friend and mentor?
Welcome to life at Atria Chandler Villas, where Executive Director Shiron Ruff and Maintenance Director Marcus Gillard lead a dream team that’s redefining what it means to love your job.
Awards don’t lie: This team is something special
Atria Chandler Villas doesn’t just win awards – they collect them like baseball cards. In 2025 alone, they’ve earned:
- A Quality Enhancement (QE) Award for the fourth year in a row
- A Best of Senior Living Award from A Place for Mom
- A Caring Super Star Award from Caring.com
- LTIP (Long-Term Incentive Program) recognition
Here’s the kicker: When asked what their secret is, Shiron keeps it simple: “Show up and care. Every single day.”
It’s not just a job – it’s a career launch pad
Free college? Yes, please.
Shiron got her college degree paid for by Atria. Marcus is currently taking classes that will be reimbursed too. At Atria, education isn’t just encouraged – it’s funded.
Promotions actually happen
Marcus was a landscape irrigation tech working for an outside contractor at Atria Chandler Villas. Now he’s the community’s Maintenance Director with a team of his own. Shiron started as the Community Business Director and worked her way up to Executive Director. These aren’t just feel-good stories – they’re the norm.
What makes this team work?
Trust and teamwork, not micromanagement
“When you have good people you work with, it makes it simple,” Marcus explains. His maintenance team includes Dan and Sean, who help make the department’s success possible. No babysitting. No micromanaging. Just professionals who know their stuff.
Daily excellence, not crisis management
At Atria Chandler Villas, the team doesn’t wait for audits to get their act together. Excellence is part of every single day:
- Daily stand-up meetings
- Work orders closed before 4 pm every day
- Mock audits and peer feedback
- Department directors who give tours and make sales
Real relationships matter
Marcus lights up talking about Dorothy, the 102-year-old resident who gives him a daily hug, and Kirby, the handy resident who shares his expertise on maintenance projects. These aren’t just clients – they’re friends.
Leadership changes everything
“She sets our whole team up for success,” Marcus says about Shiron. “It starts at the top and flows through the entire staff.”
Shiron deflects the credit: “Sometimes you just get with a dream team that clicks and everybody works in harmony. That’s what we have here.”
When quality auditors show up unannounced, this team gets excited. They’re proud to show off what they do every day. That’s the kind of confidence and job satisfaction that comes from being truly supported.
Career moves start here
What you get at Atria:
- Tuition reimbursement (at U.S. communities)
- Clear paths for promotion and advancement
- Tenure that’s recognized and rewarded
- A team that has each other’s backs
- Work that matters to real people every single day