Meet The Belfair Gardens Team

Our 24-hour caring and specially trained staff has been carefully selected for not only what is in their heads, but for what is in their hearts. They not only administer a full range of services for our residents, but consider them part of the Belfair Gardens' family. We provide ongoing training well exceeding state and national requirements for caregivers. Our staff is trained in geriatric rehabilitation, cognitive restorative therapies and memory care. Most importantly, our associates are taught how to keep their sense of humor and laugh everyday with the residents. Our Self-Directed Work Team approach encourages each staff member to leave every day knowing that they truly made a difference in the life of a person coping with Dementia. With such a great team, Belfair Gardens brings unsurpassed quality of life to residents and peace of mind for their families. We encourage resident and family feedback to develop programs that will compliment our resident's interests and help cultivate new ones.

Lara Williams, CDS

Executive Director

Lara has been the Executive Director at Belfair Gardens since its opening. She is responsible for overseeing daily operations of the community, ensuring high quality care and services are provided to residents and achieving high resident satisfaction. Lara was the Executive Director at other independent living, assisted living and memory care communities for over 20 years. Lara is a Certified Dementia Specialist and received her National Dementia Care Specialist certification from the Dementia Care Professionals of America. She is certified in Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Care and as a Lewy Body Dementia support group facilitator. Lara has also completed the Dementia Dialogues program through the University Of South Carolina, Arnold School Of Public Health, and is a South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium Continuing Education Trainer for Virtual Dementia. Lara attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her degree in Business Management. Lara is a member of the Alzheimer's Association, SAGE Institute, Healthcare Network Group of the Lowcountry, South Carolina Society of Association Executives, ASAE - Center for Association Leadership and the Assisted Living Federation of America. She sits on the Advisory Board of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. Lara has received numerous awards throughout her distinguished career, including: "Geriatric Best Practice"; A Duke University Endowment Collaboration from South Carolina Geriatric Education Institute; "National Award of Excellence" from the Assisted Living Federation of America; "Leadership in Aging Award" from South Carolina Office on Aging and "Order of the Palmetto Patriot Award" from South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer. Lara currently serves as the Executive Director of South Carolina Assisted Living Federation of America.

Sadie Jenkins

Dietary Service Director

Sadie has been the Dietary Service Director at Belfair Gardens since 2011. She is responsible for overseeing the Dietary Department and makes delicious and nutritious home-cooked meals from scratch every day for our residents using only the freshest ingredients. Our residents enjoy a five-star dining experience lead by Sadie filled with a rich assortment of menu options. In collaboration with our Registered Dietician and certified Sous-Chef specializing in pastries, Sadie incorporates resident’s personal recipes, special requests, old time favorites and specific dietary needs so our well-balanced gourmet menus are designed with their health, personal tastes and preferences in mind. Understanding how important great food is to our residents, Sadie is consistently introducing exciting new cuisines for the community to enjoy. She's known around our community for hosting weekly sessions with our residents regarding the menu. Sadie has 2 decades of experience as a Chef, previously worked at other senior living communities (in Bluffton and Hilton Head) for nearly 15 years and has won several cooking competitions during her career including an Iron Chef. Her other accomplishments include "2010 Ultimate Chef of America" participant hosted by Brookdale Senior Living and "Five Star Dining Service" awards. Sadie is ServeSafe certified.

Tabatha Watkins, RN

Wellness Director

Tabatha has been the Wellness Director at Belfair Gardens since its opening. She is responsible for overseeing resident health care services, the medication delivery system, in-service training of the Health Services Department and conducting "Habits of a Lifetime" assessments. Tabatha is a Registered Nurse and attended Midlands Technical College. Tabatha’s clinical experience specialized in geriatrics at Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital - Division of Geriatric Services, which has a collaborative relationship with the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine - Division Of Geriatrics. She is a member of South Carolina Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association.

Paula Richardson

Life Care Coordinator

Paula has been the Life Care Coordinator at Belfair Gardens since its opening. She is responsible for planning and coordinating community-sponsored activity, exercise and wellness programs for residents. Paula previously worked as the Life Coordinator in a free standing Alzheimer's & dementia care assisted living community in Columbia, South Carolina. Paula is a certified Activity Director and received Modular Education Program for Activity Professionals I & II certifications from National Certification Council for Activity Professionals. Paula attended Midlands Technical College and completed activity-based Alzheimer care training. She is a member of the National Association of Activity Professionals.

Dianne Hillyer

Community Relations Director

Dianne has been the Community Relations Director at Belfair Gardens since its opening. She is responsible for sales and marketing and has helped numerous families find placement for their loved ones. Dianne previously oversaw marketing for a memory care community in Columbia, South Carolina and worked in advertising, fundraising and as a special education teacher. She is a certified Lewy Body Dementia support group facilitator. Dianne received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from North Carolina Wesleyan College and her Master’s in Special Education from California State University. She is a member of the Hilton Head - Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk Committee, American Heart Association, Rotary Club and Healthcare Network Group of the Lowcountry.

Edward Warren

Maintenance / Housekeeping Director

Edward has been Maintenance and Housekeeping Director at Belfair Gardens since its opening. He is responsible for maintenance, repairs and improvements to the community and overseeing housekeeping. Edward ensures our residents' homes and surroundings are in a safe and clean condition. He is a self-motivated achiever who simply gets the job done. Edward previously served in the United States Army. Edward received various certifications from the Licensed Trades of America, including EPA 608 Technician, R407C Industrial Technician and R410A Industrial Technician.

Brittany Giron

Office Manager

Brittany was promoted to Office Manager at Belfair Gardens in 2011 due to her outstanding work and dedication to our residents and families. She is responsible for maintaining day-to-day office operations and procedures, including payroll, rent deposits and resident billing. Brittany was the Lead Concierge and Assistant To Executive Director at Riverside at Belfair and Belfair Gardens from 2008 - 2011. Brittany is currently taking college classes and majoring in Healthcare Administration.

Cynthia Anderson

Lead Concierge

Cynthia has been the Lead Concierge at Belfair Gardens since its opening. Cynthia's 13 years of experience as a caregiver in hospice nurtured the compassion by which she provides professional service excellence as an ambassador for our community. Cynthia previously worked at other home health and assisted living communities as an Administrative Assistant.