The Life Behind the Party: Meet Coterie’s Resident Engagement Directors

That person is the Resident Engagement Director, a versatile role that blends the welcoming warmth of a hospitality manager, the dynamic flair of an entertainer, and the keen instincts of a social connector.

“My primary goal is to get residents involved in events and help them find their community,” says Jasmin Moosavi, Resident Engagement Director at Coterie Cathedral Hill.

“I find it takes a week or two for a new resident to warm up to community life, so I’ll pop by their place every day to escort them to meals or invite them to a lecture or a movie. Eventually they’ll realize, ‘She’s just going to keep coming here. I might as well say yes to something,’” Jasmin laughs. “I like to be that familiar face for them.”

Melissa Orr Azzato, who heads up the Resident Engagement team at Coterie Hudson Yards, agrees. “The most important thing I do is be a friend for someone to turn to. For example, yesterday I was walking the community, trying to get people to come out for lunch. One resident said, ‘No, I’m just too tired. But I love that I can come down here and chat with you.’ She feels comforted knowing she always has a place outside her apartment to be, and a friendly person to talk to.”

Engaging Events with a Tailored Touch

Engagement at Coterie requires a personalized approach, and one way Jasmin and Melissa promote social well-being in their communities is by planning the calendar of monthly events. Filled with programs, excursions, classes, and soirees, each calendar offers a wide variety of functions that are thoughtfully tailored to residents' interests.

“I’m thrilled when I sit down with residents and have a conversation about where they’re from, what they did when they were younger, what they enjoy, and what they don't,” says Melissa. “I get my phone out and we look things up – ‘You want to visit the New York Public Library? Oh look, they do tours!’ And we’ll add that to next month’s calendar.”

Melissa and a Coterie resident enjoying a riverboat tour.

This means on nearly any given day, residents are enjoying something that may have started as a simple suggestion. They visit some of the city’s most revered cultural institutions, including Broadway, The Met, and The Guggenheim, and go on outings to iconic restaurants, parks, bookshops, and galleries.

Similarly, Coterie Cathedral Hill residents enjoy the unique lifestyle of the Bay Area. Many join excursions to spots like Golden Gate Park, the SF Symphony, Chinatown, and Pier 39. A large and loyal group participates in classes led by an instructor from the San Francisco Ballet. Trips to the Mitchell Katz winery are popular events, as are discussions led by local experts such as a film critic from the San Francisco Chronicle and de Young Museum art lecturers.

Music is another cornerstone of life at Coterie Cathedral Hill – enhanced by Jasmin's expertise. With a master’s degree in music therapy and abundant connections to the local music scene, Jasmin deftly curates the community’s music calendar. “We get jazz trios, country singers, rock and roll groups – the residents love it all. It gets very crowded in the lounge during showtimes.”

Jasmin performs for residents at Karl’s Lounge.

Every so often, Jasmin finds the opportunity to step into the limelight herself. “Occasionally, I'll perform at happy hour. I play guitar and sing songs from the ’20s through the ’70s, which is my usual repertoire. It's a special treat for the residents, and they seem to really enjoy it.”

Polished, Professional, and Always Personal

Jasmin and Melissa’s responsibilities go far beyond event planning – they also hire and mentor their teams of coordinators and specialists, as well as provide them with essential dementia training. This is particularly meaningful to Jasmin, who served as a memory care director before joining Coterie.

“I work very closely with the memory care team, because I think it’s so important that residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia have an exceptional, high-quality experience,” Jasmin says.

And then there are those essential skills – both professional and interpersonal – that don’t always make it onto a job description but are key to an engagement team’s success.

Melissa states, “I think being a good listener is crucial – to be able to sit and be present with a resident, even with so much going on around you. And to that end, you have to be organized too, because there are just so many balls in the air at once.”

Jasmin points out that Coterie's standout quality is its deep commitment to caring for others. “People here just seem to care more, and you can really feel it. My engagement team is incredible – they're literal angels. They just care so much about the residents and the people around them. I've never had colleagues like them.”