David Mooney had been leading the team at Lendlease’s Timberside Villas for less than a year when he took home the Programmed Award for Village Manager of the Year in 2020. What are Mooney’s success secrets?
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in mid-March 2020, Mooney was just six months into his new career as a village manager at Timberside Villas in the Perth suburb of Woodvale.
But Mooney had already built strong relationships with his residents and was ready to lead at a time of crisis.
“David had already gained enormous respect from everyone in our village with his ability to manage in such a way that the spirit among our residents was the best I had seen in my six years at Timberside,” says Allan Watson, chairman of the residents’ council.
While life in lockdown was difficult for everyone, “we were so lucky to have a manager who had the ability to adapt to the circumstances and minimise the effect on our lifestyle”. Watson says Mooney went “beyond his duties” and his efforts “will not be forgotten”.
Mooney is one of hundreds of village managers who rose to the challenge of COVID-19. But his commitment to residents made him an obvious choice for Programmed Award for Village Manager of the Year at the National Retirement Living Awards in 2020.
Mooney came to the industry after a career as a professional golfer. “I love spending time with people and looking after the customer,” he says. “When I was considering a new career, I thought retirement living would be the most rewarding. I’m close to my customer and can see the results of my efforts every day.”
He entered the industry with “an attitude that I’d listen and understand exactly what residents wanted,” Mooney adds. “By listening I’ve developed great relationships, figured out the dynamics of village life and learned what makes the residents tick and how I can best serve them.”
Mooney is big on relationships. “The whole reason I won the award was because of the relationship I have with residents,” he emphasises.
Small actions can make a big difference in the retirement living sector, he adds. “When I started at Timberside, I heard from the residents that the village bus could do with an upgrade. I was able to get a fabulous new bus within budget and we now have a resource to go to the zoo, the theatre, and cinema. It’s given people more independence and has helped them remain socially engaged.”
Mooney is also a loud advocate of technology. With the help of some tech-savvy residents, Mooney secured Australian Government grants to purchase new computing equipment.
“We built a computer room and can now hold classes where residents teach other residents how to set up their internet banking, send emails or sign up for Zoom. These were such important skills to learn last year,” he explains.
A virtual reality event, with rented headsets, was such a success that Timberside has since purchased a VR headset with another grant. “Residents were able to go on virtual holidays to Venice or Borneo during COVID lockdown without leaving the village,” Mooney says.
“The technology has enabled us to have more community events, which is great because most residents want any excuse to come down to the community centre to hear a speaker, keep fit, watch a movie or just chat with people.”
Health and wellbeing are also high on Mooney’s priority list. Daily keep-fit classes are now complemented with a virtual offering on the village’s inhouse channel. “Residents tell us it makes a huge difference to them starting their day.”
Mooney works alongside a “very active” social committee and turns to the sage advice of the residents’ council.
“I think I’ve been successful because I’ve built strong relationships. I don’t sit in my office all day with the door closed. I get out and walk around, talking to people and listening to what they have to say. We’re all human, and the residents want to know their village manager is someone they can relate to.”
The ideal village manager is a “jack of all trades,” Mooney admits. His job description includes everything from balancing the budget to fixing a leaking tap, managing a large event to packing away the trestle tables afterwards. “No two days are the same.”
What did Timberside residents think of his win? “It was like having 145 proud grandparents,” he laughs.
In lieu of a gala dinner, award sponsor Programmed hosted a morning tea at the village and “the turnout of residents was unbelievable,” Mooney says. “Around 100 people came down to the community centre for tea and a chat, and a big roar went up when I was handed the award”.
Do you know the next David Mooney? The 2021 National Retirement Living Awards will celebrate high achievement across the retirement living sector – and this year we’ll be back with an in-person gala event. Nominations for the awards are now open until Friday 21 May at 5pm AEST. Find out more.