“I’ve been with Sunrise of Golden Valley since March 2013. Prior to Sunrise, I worked in home care as a marketer. Sunrise became my largest account and I believed in the continuity of care model that Sunrise had established. It was an easy decision when the Director of Sales position became available to become part of the Golden Valley team!

The best part of working at Sunrise is seeing the residents every day! I love helping families navigate the journey and decision making process in choosing an assisted living community.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, keeping active at the gym, and bowling.”

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Jennifer Bernardy

Resident Care Coordinator

“I love being a nurse at Sunrise of Golden Valley. Working with seniors is truly rewarding and makes me smile every day. 

Sunrise is my home and has been for more than 12 years. I believe in the principles of service and follow them daily.  I want to make a difference in peoples’ lives and be part of a hardworking team.”

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Carolyn Zdroik

Activities & Volunteer Coordinator

“I love my role at Sunrise of Golden Valley because I get to spend my days with our amazing residents. In my role, each day is different and I have such fun with our residents doing activities, having special events and going on outings. Not many people are lucky enough to spend their work day leading activities and visiting the zoo, art museums, theaters and restaurants with a great group of seniors!

I really believe in what Sunrise stands for and our mission to champion the quality of life for all seniors. Activities play a huge part in our residents’ quality of life and I am proud to be a part of a company that supports such a vibrant activity program.”

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Gretchen Remington

Business Office Coordinator

“I have been a part of the Sunrise of Golden Valley team since 2009. I originally held the Life Enrichment Manager position for more than four years and then transitioned into the role of business office coordinator. I am proud to have won the company-wide Joy in Service Award on behalf of Sunrise of Golden Valley in 2015.

I love working with the residents at Sunrise of Golden Valley each day! I feel I am able to make a difference in our residents’ daily lives and enjoy nurturing their spirits any opportunity I can get. I believe in the Sunrise mission and how we care for seniors who decide to call Sunrise their home.”

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Vern has lived at Sunrise of Golden Valley since August 2015. As a young man, he hauled cattle for his father until he left for the Army in World War II, where he became a paratrooper. He was stationed at Fort Bliss in Oklahoma for two years. After the military, Vern headed home to Ashland, ND, where he started a trucking company to continue hauling cattle for his father.

Vern then started working for St. Olaf College—driving the choir tours and entertaining the students. It’s here where he met his future wife Edith, with whom he’d have two daughters, Margo and Junie. Vern started building homes and eventually built his own in St. Louis Park where he lived for more than 40 years.

“Being the resident handyman has provided me with the ability to help the residents I live with. I work with Jerry, the maintenance coordinator, to keep up with all the odds and ends—and there’s a lot of them! Jerry gives me a task and I get it done. The shop is like my second home!”

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