Spotlight:  Julie Murray

June 22, 2008

Age: 39

New title: Director of real estate development for Ecumen, a nonprofit senior housing, services and development company.

What do you do in your new job? I help owners develop senior housing that is scaled to meet the market demand and provide homes and choice for seniors.

Education: Bachelor's degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management, Texas Tech University, 1990

Family: Husband, Pat, and two daughters: Lauren, 3, and Kayla, 2

Hobbies: Golf, tennis, travel, reading

Previous job: Regional manager of Greystone Communities in Texas

First job you had: Cashier at Ranger Stadium in Arlington, Texas, when I was 15

Other than your current position, what's your dream job? Own and operate a resort that caters to seniors somewhere warm and sunny.

Why do you do what you do? My grandmother was my favorite person ever, perfect in my eyes, and through that relationship I developed a love for seniors. I love to give back to them by helping to develop wonderful places to live that improve and enrich their lives.

How did you choose this line of work? My first career postcollege was on a cruise ship. It didn't take long for me to know that I preferred working with seniors and felt good about helping them.

Who do you most admire and why? My grandmother. She took all the struggles life dealt her -- which were a lot -- and still came through with a positive, can-do, loving attitude. She raised five children basically on her own after outliving two husbands. More than anything, she always made me feel special and loved, and that is a special gift.

Advice: Try to leave work at work so your family knows that when you are home with them you are truly theirs.

Name one thing that you would rather do than go to work Monday morning? Play with my girls ... but not every Monday morning!

Describe the perfect retirement: Health, free time, family close, something productive and challenging to fill the days, warm weather, no cooking and no cleaning. ... I am trying to build places now where all of this and more will be possible.

AIMEE BLANCHETTE