Laurel Lake Retirement Community, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community situated in Hudson, Ohio, offers an active lifestyle for older adults.
This year, the organization took ownership of itself, paving the way for greater autonomy in decision-making. Laurel Lake now has the freedom to chart its own course, which is leading to a major construction and renovation project this coming year.
Smart Business reached out to David A. Oster, executive director of Laurel Lake, to learn more about the nonprofit’s future now that it has regained autonomy.
SB: What do you feel Laurel Lake does well that other nonprofits could benefit from?
DO: We’re fortunate to have a wealth of professional expertise within our own Laurel Lake resident body and we tap into this reserve to remain at the top of the market in Northeast Ohio. Three residents are voting members of our board of directors and one serves on the executive committee. It’s true engagement and not just lip service.
The expertise and ability of Laurel Lake’s own residents, working hand in hand with our management team and staff, is an unbeatable combination. Being in the senior living industry for 27 years, I have personally seen how a majority of organizations avoid truly involving the resident population in the decisions that affect their lives and those of future residents. Laurel Lake takes the opposite approach.
SB: What worries you most as executive director of Laurel Lake?
DO: To be honest, I have few worries now that Laurel Lake is independently owned and operated once again. On Jan. 1, 2014, Laurel Lake essentially purchased itself from its parent company and we are now a stand-alone organization. As such, we can take quick, decisive action at the local level to maintain Laurel Lake’s position as a top-ranking community in Northeast Ohio’s highly competitive senior housing market, and to utilize our greatest asset, our residents. We are also much better equipped now to deal with staffing issues, due in large part to the streamlining of our hiring process and staff training programs.
SB: What challenges does Laurel Lake face when it comes to hiring and retaining staff? How is the organization dealing with that challenge?
DO: Laurel Lake has a very low turnover rate compared to the industry. Our staff treats residents and each other with dignity and respect; if not, they don’t stay.
Many of our recent management appointments have come from within the Laurel Lake family. I knew, along with my directors, that we had some naturally talented individuals who just needed some mentoring and technical training because they already had the communication style and personality to become good leaders. I don’t worry about degrees to fill positions. Anyone with the right work ethic, experience and ability to take constructive criticism has the potential for promotion at Laurel Lake.
SB: How does Laurel Lake work with the business community to achieve its mission?
DO: For 25 years, Laurel Lake has partnered with many local businesses and nonprofit organizations to fulfill its mission in the greater community.
We host Rotary Club meetings on a weekly basis and are actively involved with three local chambers of commerce. We buy local whenever possible. We partner with University Circle Inc. and other organizations to provide free continuing education programs to Laurel Lake residents and the public, and offer internships and service learning opportunities to many of the region’s top schools and universities.
Many of our community benefit dollars are spent from ideas driven by the local ministerial association and other not-for-profit organizations, including our Parish Nurse program and Personal Health Partners, a robust wellness program for low-income residents living in federally subsidized housing projects. We’ve also partnered very successfully with regional waste management authorities to implement green practices and become a more sustainable community.
SB: What has been Laurel Lake’s greatest success during the past five years and what will be its greatest challenge through the next five years?
DO: Without question, gaining our independence has been Laurel Lake’s greatest success. Our greatest and most exciting challenge going forward will be the launch of the Town Center expansion in 2015, a major construction and renovation project that will meet the changing needs of Laurel Lake residents and maintain our status as a regional leader in active retirement living.
This multiphase, multiyear project will transform Laurel Lake’s current 100,000-square-foot commons into an amenity-rich new Town Center by expanding and renovating Laurel Lake’s Aquatic & Fitness Center, our salon/spa, medical offices and therapy center, and adding a new casual dining bistro, pub, gift shop, art studio and more.
