RiverWoods Durham Retirement Community

Resident Governance

A Community Created by Residents for Residents

From our early days, RiverWoods was different. As an organization created by residents, we take resident participation seriously, and residents have a strong voice in how their community evolves.

Our residents co-create community with the staff and leadership. They always have a say in what’s going on through the Resident Council, the resident representatives on the Board of Trustees, and our staff and leadership’s open-door policy.

Our Mission Statement

The Mission of RiverWoods, a not-for-profit charitable organization, is to maintain creative and secure continuing care communities that enrich the freedom of senior living while easing the challenges of aging.

A Caring Community: The Three-Legged Stool

Our Board, residents, and staff work together to form a three-legged stool in the creation of our organization and our practices.

Board of Trustees

RiverWoods Exeter has a volunteer Board of Trustees, comprised of local professionals from industries connected to our Mission such as finance, health care, and human resources. Three residents hold voting seats on the Board, ensuring their full participation. The Board works in the partnership with the Executive Director and senior management team to provide strategic direction for RiverWoods’ future and sound financial oversight.

Resident-Driven

The Resident Council’s role is to understand the concerns and represent the interests of the residents to the leadership and administration. Residents selected for the Council are chosen on by their peers, and three members of the Council also serve as voting members on the Board of Trustees.

Resident-run enterprises include three Country Stores, three libraries, two journalistic enterprises (The RiverWoods Reporter, and The RiverWords Quarterly) and RiverWoods TV.

Our Residents serve on dozens of committees and interest groups, including the Finance Committee, Voter Information Committee, Benevolent Fund, Employee Appreciation, Education, Fitness, Welcoming, and many more.

The RiverWoods Staff

Our staff is known for their exceptional care, personal touch, and commitment to the residents. Whether their job is to cook, clean, mow lawns, fix appliances, paint, build, check medications, or serve meals — every employee’s primary responsibility is to care for our residents and ensure they live their best possible life.

Staff members work with residents on a variety of social, civic, and charitable projects. Our staff-to-resident ratio is exceptionally high — RiverWoods employs more than 600 staff for 620 residents. But it’s not about the numbers — it’s about the people who work at Riverwoods who are dedicated and sincere. They adhere to a framework of core values known as The RiverWoods Way, which guides our behavior and decisions.

RiverWoods has always delivered.

There's a trust between residents and staff - they always do what they've promised.

The RiverWoods Core Values

  • Respect for the Individual We honor our differences.
  • Not for Self It’s not about me; it’s about we.
  • Authenticity Be genuine, lead with your heart.
  • Mutuality We are in this together.
  • Sustainability Use our resources wisely, forever.