CHOICES
Where Arts, Culture and Creativity Flourish
From the stirring music of an orchestra … to the pulsing rhythms and memorable lyrics of a tribute band … to mindful moments of creativity in day-to-day life, The Glenridge is a place to discover new possibilities.
Hitting the High Notes
When the curtains go up and the concert starts, a musician's job is just beginning – but for Joan Sussman, who dedicated her career to directing and marketing performing arts companies, that’s the moment that her job is done. “It’s both satisfaction and relief – finally, you can just sit back and enjoy the concert,” she says.
After decades working with symphony orchestras as far afield as Phoenix and
Charlotte, Joan’s appreciation for the arts continues to grow. In 2021, she stepped up to serve as the Executive Director of La Musica, a local chamber music group –reviving the company’s prospects after pandemic-era shutdowns dealt a heavy blow to smaller artists.
“At the time, La Musica had come close to extinction,” she says. “So being part of its revival has been one of the more rewarding experiences of my career. I feel that bringing it back to
life and making it viable is the best thing I can do.”
At The Glenridge, Joan has been able to share La Musica’s talents with a wider community of fellow arts-lovers – most recently, through an open rehearsal that brought 180 guests to GPAC. With fully professional lighting and sound systems – and a beautiful Steinway piano – the state-of-the-art theatre welcomes musicians from Sarasota’s top performing arts organizations throughout the year.
“People come to Sarasota for the culture,” she says. “This city is known for quality ballet, opera, theatre, orchestra, and more – and if you’ve been involved in the arts elsewhere, when you come here, you just jump right in.”
That’s part of what Joan loves about life at The Glenridge, too: a vibrant, stimulating atmosphere that encourages members to flourish from the moment they move in. “Everyone here is focused on living – and that’s what I’m interested in doing too,” she says. “There’s a million ways to get involved.”
For longtime orchestra director and community member Joan Sussman, The Glenridge’s Performing Arts Center (GPAC) hits all the right notes.
Creative Exploration
From Antarctica to the North Pole … from South America to New Zealand, pilot Genie Hindall has checked off a long list of globe-trotting destinations in her time seeing the world by air – and between flights, she welcomed visitors of her own to her sight-seeing business in Washington, D.C.
“I’m curious by nature,” she says. “I love meeting new people and learning their customs – there’s just nothing like it. When you reach beyond your comfort zone and your familiar
community, you realize how we’re actually all so much alike.”
And while her home base these days is The Glenridge, she’s still exploring the world through a creative lens – in particular, through her hobby of artful journaling. “Instead of just writing, you add an artistic touch to illustrate the poem on the page,” she explains. “Sometimes it’s watercolor; sometimes it’s collage … but each page takes you somewhere different. The process is a creative release – very relaxing and meditative.”
When Genie’s not putting pen to
A NEW VIBE
Tribute Bands Take the Stage at GPAC
Music never gets old. It has the power to transcend generations, bring people together, take you back, lift you up, and reconnect you with defining moments in life. But did you know that it can also play a role in healthy aging? Research shows that music can stimulate cognitive function, elevate mood, reduce pain, foster social connections, and enhance personal growth and development. And just as important: Whether you’re playing it, listening to it or dancing along with it, music is just plain fun! With that in mind, The Glenridge has launched a new, complimentary, by-invitationonly concert series geared to prospective members. Featuring live music of the ’70s and ’80s, the “big events” to-date featured celebrity tribute bands Turnstiles (Billy Joel) and Creedence Revived (Creedence Clearwater Revival), along with Rock the Yacht, a local band playing jazz-infused soft rock.
Suffice it to say that the Glenridge Performing Arts Center has been a-rockin’ … and there’s more to come! Remember: These events are by invitation only, so if you’re interested in joining our mailing list, call (941) 552-5369.
paper, she can be found getting to know her new neighbors and exploring everything The Glenridge has to offer. Between coffee meetups and dinners, bocce with friends, lifelong learning lectures and more, she says there’s a world of opportunities for new members to get involved.
“The people here are incredibly interesting, and everyone is willing to share their experiences with you – it’s a great place to make new friends,” she says. “I’ve always known that I wanted to move to a place like this, and The Glenridge has everything I was looking for – a beautiful campus, an active lifestyle, and a wonderful community.”
Live concerts featuring rock music of the ’ 70s and ’80s played to full houses at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center.
A former pilot who has landed in exotic destinations around the globe, Genie Hindall now explores the world through a creative lens in her artful journals.
An Environment for Inspiration,
Across The Glenridge’s scenic 150-acre campus, members can pursue lifelong interests and passions in a breathtakingly beautiful natural setting.
Flights of Imagination
For her, it’s a quiet moment in the art studio. For him, a serene hike out in nature. Inspiration takes different forms for different people, but both Barry and Barbara Gerber believe that it can often be found in life’s moments of quiet beauty.
A painter, Barbara is happiest at the easel creating works with her signature bold hues and abstract patterns, some of which decorate the walls of the couple’s
Glenridge home. The hobby is relaxing, but also focused, she says: “When I take out my canvas and line up my paints, I’m able to block out the whole world and just concentrate.”
Barry’s interests lie outdoors. An avid birder and Florida Master Naturalist, he’s rediscovered a passion for flora and fauna in retirement. “I didn’t have time for it during my work years, but now I’m able to explore it,” he says. “Birding really gives you a sense of freedom and peace – because it’s just you and nature out there, and there’s nothing more satisfying.”
Barry has encountered a wide variety of unique species around the world, but he says there’s plenty of biodiversity right in Sarasota – from his backyard at The Glenridge to the 400-plus acre Celery Fields, where he is an active member of the Sarasota Audubon Society.
The Gerbers’ love of nature also played a role in their decision to move to The Glenridge, he adds: “We can walk out the back door and have our feet hit the grass, we’re surrounded by wetlands and preserves, and we have everything we need in our own home.”
Barbara agrees: “Moving to The Glenridge may be the best decision of our married life!”
In Full Bloom
Lifelong orchid grower and commercial business owner Bob Scully found just the right retirement location at The Glenridge. When he and wife Sue arrived, the campus already sported some orchids previously attached to campus trees by orchid enthusiasts who had lived at the community. Those beautiful orchids presented a serendipitous moment that connected them to what is now their new home.
Gardening is a family passion for the Scullys. Bob grew up learning the business in his family’s Miami plant nursery; he went on to study tropical horticulture at the University of Florida and then the University of Hawaii. Over time, he became an international orchid judge and exhibitor. Sue began working at the Scully business where the two met in the ’70s. And from there, the Bob and Sue partnership flourished.
After moving to Sarasota 28 years ago, the Scullys soon became active members at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and continue their support today.
Interestingly, it was through Selby Gardens friends
For Barry and Barbara Gerber, the Glenridge campus is a source of daily inspiration –whether they’re capturing colors on canvas or watching wildlife.
Fostering Connection, Camaraderie, Community
When you move to The Glenridge, you’re part of a family. A circle of friends. A support network. A close-knit neighborhood united around shared values and traditions. And that comes with something truly special: a feeling of deep connection and total confidence in the future.
Surrounded by Friends
It didn’t take long for Ernie and Anne Nagy to start feeling like part of the Glenridge family. In fact, they were already getting to know their new neighbors even before they moved in.
“A sense of community is so important to us, and The Glenridge gave us a number of opportunities to get to know the people who would be our neighbors,” says Anne. “So we were able to contact them, meet them for lunch, and get to know them all before we joined. We just felt like we were already surrounded by friends.”
Having a strong support network was always a priority for the Nagys,
whose careers in management and consulting gave them an appreciation for the importance of taking a long-term view. Another catalyst: the experience of helping their older parents navigate sudden health challenges. “We are very aware of how unexpected change can come into life, and we’re both planners,” says Anne. “We wanted to be in control of our future, because we know the stakes.”
The couple did plenty of research to explore their options and find the best fit. But when they tallied up the results – with healthcare, lifestyle, and community all factored in – both Ernie and Anne agreed: The Glenridge was
where they wanted to be. “Everything is here, soup to nuts,” says Ernie. “We have not had one day of regrets.”
Since moving in, the Nagys say life at The Glenridge has lived up to every expectation, and then some. “We’ve made more friends in six months –I mean, really close friends – than anywhere else we’ve lived,” says Ernie. “Everybody’s here to enjoy life and support each other.”
Adds Anne: “It’s given us peace of mind, security and dependability. People look out for each other, and anything you need is right on campus. You can’t put a price on that sense of comfort.”
At The Glenridge, Ernie and Anne Nagy (left) forged many new friendships. Here, they enjoy entertaining neighbors Barry and Barbara Gerber on their lovely lanai.
Busier Than Ever
Doug and Kathy Price have never shied away from trying something new. That’s true for pioneering careers in developing technology – he as a defense contractor specializing in computer security, and she as a PhD of Information Systems in healthcare. It’s also true for their decision to move to The Glenridge.
“We hear all the time from people who say, ‘I’m not ready yet,’ but that’s really the wrong way to look at it,” says Kathy. “If you wait, you’ll miss your chance to take advantage of all the benefits. We didn’t give anything up when we moved here – if anything, we’re more active than ever.”
When Doug isn’t working on his hobby of cryptography (the science of coding and decoding messages), he enjoys tai chi and attends lectures on global affairs. Meanwhile, Kathy is engaged in everything from strength training to painting, photography, ceramics and Academy classes. She even joined a start-up ukulele group.
It’s a “busy schedule,” the couple admit, but peace and quiet are never far away. Their spacious Northside Club Home offers an escape into nature close to home, with a scenic backyard and lanai where Kathy enjoys tending orchids –and where the couple’s two cats enjoy lounging in the sun.
Above all, The Glenridge is a place where the Prices can really feel at home – surrounded by a warm and welcoming community of friends and neighbors. “There’s a very strong sense of connection here,” says Kathy. “We’ve
lived in close-knit neighborhoods before, but this is really an order of magnitude greater than that – everyone wants to get to know you, and everyone looks out for each other.”
An Added Layer of Security
When Jaap and Tobie van der Vorm decided to retire to the beach in sunny Sarasota, they were ready for a laid-back lifestyle. But after they were forced to evacuate several times from their condo on Longboat Key due to hurricanes, they decided it was time to start looking for a safer harbor – for their home and their health.
“We knew we wanted to stay in Sarasota, where we’ve been involved with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College for many
years,” says Jaap. “But we were ready to be somewhere with an added layer of security.”
The Glenridge’s scenic campus came with everything they had in mind: comprehensive amenities, maintenancefree living, and assured access to on-campus care, if ever needed … not to mention peace of mind during storm season. It was somewhere the van der Vorms could enjoy life at their own pace, stress-free and seamless.
“It’s truly ‘independent living’: You do the things you care about most,” says Tobie. “And while there’s nothing you have to do, there is such a variety of activities and programs happening here that you always have lots of choices.”
Jaap agrees: “This place makes us feel young!”
Jaap and Tobie van der Vorm, shown dining at The Kiltie, say life at The Glenridge makes them feel young.
Doug and Kathy Price have found a strong sense of connection at The Glenridge.
