Shelly’s Story

I was leading sales and marketing teams for large retirement communities, one of them being the most watched start-up Continuing Care Retirement Community in the country. I loved my work, but I was often dismayed at what I saw as the limited options for older adults - stay in your home and grow increasingly isolated; move to a retirement community where your autonomy is compromised; or if you have kids, move in with them.

One late evening as I sat on my couch with my computer balanced on my lap, I once again began pondering this challenge of limited choices for older adults. But unlike many times before, my search led me to cohousing and my life changed. It was a simple moment of epiphany: cohousing, more than any conventional option for growing older, no matter what your age, offered the opportunity to proactively live our best lives. With private homes, the ability to meaningfully connect, and all the benefits of living in a tight-knit community planned and managed by the community members themselves, cohousing gave me my answer.

I then had to do something about it. Knowing that I wanted to bring my experience and skills to cohousers, I connected with Katie McCamant of CoHousing Solutions. Katie is the national leader and one of the co-founders of cohousing in the United States. Katie invited me to apply for her 500 Communities Program, and in early 2017 during the program year,I left my career and founded Covision Consulting.

One of my early clients was Skagit Cohousing (now called Skagit Commons), then an early forming community in Anacortes, WA. In a lucky twist of fate, this community turned out to be just what my husband Charles and I were looking for. We joined the group and I took on a lead role on the Marketing and Membership team. Skagit Commons sold out in record time and we moved into our new cohousing home in January 2023. Needless to say, we are over the moon excited to be living the cohousing dream.

I now spend my work days zooming and talking with cohousing groups and people interested in living in cohousing. Each day is different, often filled with challenges and surprises, and always fun. I have learned that cohousing attracts really great people and being able to share my experience and expertise to help groups recruit their members has become the best work I’ve ever had. I’ve been honored to be a frequent contributor to the Cohousing Association’s offerings and I’ve become the “go-to” person for member recruitment. I couldn’t be more pleased with my life as a cohouser.

I’m so pleased to share that I’ve joined the Board of Directors for the National Cohousing Association of the United States. I’m thrilled that this service will be part of my continuing cohousing journey.