At The Landing in Lincoln, Nebraska, Associate Executive Director Jeannie Barber is known for her warmth and calm presence. She has a special way of connecting with older adults. Her path into retirement living began earlier than most. From the start, she felt right where she belonged.
At Immanuel, careers like Jeannie’s are built through hands-on experience and professional growth. The work is meaningful. That focus drives My Story, Our Mission, a video series hosted by Chrissie McDaniel, Manager of Talent Acquisition, and Jameon Rush, Director of Marketing. Each episode features team members who show Immanuel’s mission in their daily roles.
Discovering a calling at 17
Jeannie’s passion for senior living began when she was 17 and still in high school. She worked as a server for a different retirement community in Lincoln. “From that day, I knew I wanted to work with older adults,” she said. “I just fell in love with them right away.”
What struck her most at a young age was the wisdom and presence of those she served. This clarity shaped her education and career. It guided her toward psychology, social work, and gerontology.
“I just knew I was drawn to them right away, and just the wealth of knowledge that they have,” Jeannie said. “If you’re open to learning from them, it's really a remarkable honor to be able to learn from them.”
A career built on compassion and growth
Jeannie’s path with Immanuel began on the corporate side. She served as the corporate director of sales. When The Landing’s longtime life enrichment manager retired, Jeannie felt called back to community-based work.
“It was more in alignment with my background and right here in Lincoln, and so I made that switch,” she said.
Today, as associate executive director, Jeannie supports the community in many ways. She is the executive director’s right-hand partner, providing leadership support as needed. She also manages key operational responsibilities like billing and administrative work.
Her favorite part of the role is easy to name: “Both the residents and the staff at The Landing,” she said. “We are just really, really lucky to have amazing residents and staff that I get to work with every day.”
Her background in social work also continues to shine through in meaningful ways. “I didn’t realize that my social work hat had been put on,” she said. “I don’t realize, probably day-to-day, how much I draw on it, but I definitely do draw on it.”
The joys and heartaches of retirement living and senior care
Jeannie speaks openly about the emotional landscape of senior living: the highs, the lows, and the privilege of being present for both. She remembers a resident who made an especially lasting impact.
“She was just the life of this community,” she said. “She found out I like giraffes, and so I have a whole slew of cards and pictures that she gave me with giraffes on them. We recently lost her, and it has been difficult, but I mean, I got to know her, so that’s a blessing.”
Jeannie also recalls the advice she once received from a beloved professor: “If you're going to work with older adults, you will go to a lot of funerals, and you will eat a lot of candy.”
It turned out to be true and meaningful. “I would say if anyone has any inkling of working with older adults, just do it because it is so, so rewarding,” Jeannie said. “It's an honor.”
Celebrating life’s joyful moments together
This past year brought Jeannie personal joy as well: she got engaged during a family trip to Hawaii. “We went to a luau, and then afterwards, he popped the question.”
Back at The Landing, she discovered her news traveled fast. Residents and staff teased her about making sure her fiancé was properly vetted. “(A resident) said, ‘Well, I’ve never even met this guy. I feel like he's going to have to come in and go through an interview process,” Jeannie said.
It’s moments like these that reveal the extraordinary closeness of The Landing community; a place Jeannie calls her second family.
Advice to her younger self, and to others
Jeannie’s story is one of passion, presence, and purpose. Her story is just one example of career growth at Immanuel. Reflecting on her journey, she hopes others entering retirement living and senior care see the beauty in its twists and turns.
“It would not be a straight path, but that's okay,” she said. “The zigzags that I did, I learned something. I met people… they were all valuable experiences.”
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