Benchmark Senior Living Honors Noelle Aucoin with 2025 Unsung Hero Award
Longtime Leader Honored for Humility, Dedication & Strengthening Services Across 70 Northeast Communities
Benchmark Senior Living, a leading senior living provider in the Northeast, today announced that Noelle Aucoin of Manchester, Conn., Benchmark’s director of quality resident services has been named the recipient of Benchmark’s 2025 Unsung Hero Award. Aucoin was honored at Benchmark’s 23rd Annual Awards Gala on March 5, 2026.
The Unsung Hero Award recognizes a Home Office associate who exemplifies integrity and a genuine service mindset, often working behind the scenes without seeking recognition. Through consistency and quiet influence, they uplift others and strengthen the organization as a whole.
Aucoin has been with Benchmark for more than 14 years, including almost 12 years as director of quality resident services in which she partners with leaders across Benchmark’s 70 communities to uphold the organization’s high standards. Known for holding herself – and others – to a high bar of excellence, she plays a critical role in ensuring quality and consistency across the organization.
Over the past year, Aucoin stepped up beyond her traditional responsibilities to support key organizational initiatives, embracing unfamiliar and demanding challenges without hesitation. Through proactive problem-solving and mentorship, she brought clarity and structure to complex situations– helping position Benchmark for continued long-term success.
As her nominator shared, “She never complains, never seeks recognition, and never loses sight of the bigger picture. Her quiet dedication, resilience, and positive attitude make a meaningful difference every single day.”
Company founder, chairman and CEO Tom Grape added, “The compassion and dedication our associates bring to their work each day are truly inspiring and a powerful expression of our purpose – transforming lives through human connection. That commitment is felt across all 70 communities we serve, and our annual awards gala is an opportunity to celebrate that impact. I couldn’t be prouder of this year’s honorees.”
Aucoin has a master’s in psychology from Southern Connecticut University and a bachelor’s in psychology from Saint Michael’s College.
