Sonrisa Senior Living Names Pickard Campus Executive Director

February 2, 2024

ROSEVILLE, CA — Watermark Retirement Communities has appointed Carol Pickard as campus executive director of Sonrisa Senior Living, according to a press release. Pickard brings more than three decades of experience in senior living to the Roseville community, which just expanded its campus to offer assisted-living and memory-care accommodations alongside its independent-living accommodations. Pickard oversees all three levels of care.

“Carol is an outstanding leader who enriches seniors’ lives with the utmost passion and care for their physical, emotional and social wellbeing,” said David Barnes, CEO of Watermark Retirement Communities. “Sonrisa Senior Living is one of the leading senior living communities in the Sacramento area, and we’re confident that under Carol’s capable hand, the community, and its residents, will continue to thrive.”

Pickard joins Sonrisa Senior Living after years leading operations at Sacramento’s largest senior living communities, including ACC Senior Services, Adventist Health and Rideout, Milestone Retirement Communities and Emeritus Senior Living. She also served as executive director for several senior living communities across California, including Somerford Place of Fresno, Belmont Village of San Jose, Aegis Assisted Living of Aptos, and Sunrise Assisted Living in Fresno.

“I am honored to join Sonrisa Senior Living and lead such a talented team that cares deeply about the holistic wellbeing of its residents,” said Pickard. “It’s thrilling to see the growth of this thriving community and to now be able to provide three levels of care for Roseville’s seniors.”

ALSO: Watermark Retirement Communities Opens Sonrisa Assisted Living and Memory Care

Outside of her work within senior living communities, Pickard has been a tremendous advocate for education around senior care, serving on multiple professional committees that support education and advancement around senior living. She is currently a member of the LeadingAge legislative cabinet and serves on the employment development committee for the California Assisted Living Association (CALA), the only association solely representing the state’s residential care facilities for seniors. She also serves as an advisory council member of Area 4 Agency on Aging, which advocates for all older persons residing across Northern California, and she frequently speaks publicly about topics related to Alzheimer’s and Dementia care and mentors young professionals in senior living.

Sonrisa Senior Living features more than 200 independent-living apartments, 110 assisted-living apartments, and 26 memory-care apartments, each with state-of-the-art appliances and fixtures. Residents enjoy a fitness center, outdoor pool, salon and green spaces, a theater, and art studio, while its restaurants are helmed by some of Sacramento’s leading chefs and offer gourmet, healthful meals. The pet-friendly community also boasts a dog park and a room with tubs specifically for washing dogs.

Based in Tucson, Arizona, Watermark Retirement Communities has been named one of the top 25 Best Workplaces for Aging Services in a national program conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute and published on Fortune.com. A privately held company with over 30 years of service, Watermark manages more than 65 retirement communities in 21 states coast to coast. Watermark is ranked as the nation’s 10th-leading senior housing operator by the American Seniors Housing Association.