Constance Peters, executive director of Magnolia Crossing, leads the Clovis senior living community with a focus on empathy, active listening and empowering her team. Images courtesy of Magnolia Crossing
For Constance Peters, executive director of Magnolia Crossing, leadership in senior care comes down to empathy, listening and giving her team room to lead.
Peters, 45, moved to Fresno from Philadelphia in 2012 and began working in Clovis soon after. She became a Clovis resident in 2023 after years of working with seniors in the community. With a bachelor’s degree in health administration and a master’s degree in public administration, Peters now leads Magnolia Crossing, a nonprofit providing personal care and supportive services to seniors who need help with activities of daily living.
She recently spoke about the experiences that shaped her leadership, the importance of aging close to home and the accomplishments she is most proud of.
What experience most shaped your approach to leadership and senior care?
A special time in my career as a leader was when my resident whose family said was very sociable, became completely withdrawn after losing her cherished cat when she moved into Magnolia Crossing. I figured out a solution that could help, and I got a fake cat that looks so real. It was a simple problem solving filled with compassion and I was able to model empathy to my team.
How do you balance Magnolia Crossing’s social mission with operating a business?
I align the revenue stream as a tool to achieve our core values. I apply a mission driven budgeting by prioritizing my resident’s care first, in every financial choice. Mixing various pay structures to accommodate seniors of all income levels.
What have you learned about leadership since taking the role?
Active listening. Having empathy and acknowledging every concern. Thinking outside the box, how to remove unforeseen obstacles that could slow my team. I pretty much let my team lead, to give me ideas and higher energy to projects. So much so that my staff feels comfortable sharing hard truth to me.
What is your leadership philosophy?
Empowerment, setting clear expectations and leading by example
What accomplishment at Magnolia Crossing are you most proud of?
First time double award win in the 2026 Best of Central California Contest with the Fresno Bee. (Best Assisted Living and Best Memory Care). Also, first time in the history of the organization to get to a 100% occupancy.
What is the benefit of seniors remaining close to home as they age?
Family support is easier, they are able to maintain their trusted primary care physicians, they are able to maintain their familiar social network. For instance, I have a 105-year-old resident who gets visited by former neighbors’ club members and she loves to share those memories with the staff.
What do you consider your biggest success?
Advancing from the position of resident care coordinator to an executive director within a space of three years. That was mind-blowing growth.
What was the best advice you ever received?
That life is all about managing expectations and listening more than I speak
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
MedTech/caregiver. I developed more empathy and compassion working as a medtech
What do you do in your spare time?
Reading non-fiction books and spending quality time with my family.