The Eden Alternative Board of Directors continues to gain perspective and expertise, adding four new Board members in the past few months. Learn about them here!
Dan Swiatkiewicz -Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Christian Living Communities and Cappella Living Solutions
What led you to The Eden Alternative?
Our organization Christian Living Communities is very invested in Eden. I had wanted to attend Eden when I first started, but I started just a few days before COVID. I signed up for one of the first CEAT classes when we started again then went on to become an Eden Educator.
What’s your superpower? Name one strength you look forward to sharing through this new role.
My sense of humor. I take my responsibilities seriously, but I try to make things lighter during stressful times. In my role on the Eden board I look forward to using my strengths of providing thoughtful insights while also helping us all to laugh.
What excites or inspires you about The Eden Alternative?
I firmly believe that for us to continue to bridge the many gaps in our field and overcome negative perceptions is to continue to break down our institutional practices. Until we can truly to an entirely person directed approach to care we will continue to struggle in overcoming the many gaps we face. The Eden Alternative is at the heart of this being possible and being reality.
What is your most cherished simple pleasure?
Time with my puppy Scully.
What excites you about being on the Board?
Being a part of moving the organization forward and hopefully see the organization make an even greater impact on our field and the elders we serve. I am honored to have this opportunity and I am excited to see closer up the impact Eden is making in the lives of others.
Nathan Jones – CEO/Founder of Dash Media
What led you to The Eden Alternative?
Two of my closest friends/mentors are Jack York and Deke Cateau. They both always spoke very highly of Eden. When I worked for Jack at iN2L, I attended Eden and really enjoyed the energy from the attendees.
What’s your superpower? Name one strength you look forward to sharing through this new role.
My company, Dash Media, focuses on storytelling. I am a videographer and social media expert and our team has helped reach over 200 million people on social media. Beyond that, I was raised by a football coach, which was my first job in my career, so if anyone needs to dissect a football play, I’m your guy.
What excites or inspires you about The Eden Alternative?
A.G. Rhodes was our first customer at Dash media. In just about every interview or conversation I do with Sonya Williams and other team members at A.G. Rhodes, they credit Eden to the quality of care they are able to provide. This is what excites me.
What is your most cherished simple pleasure?
Going on a walk to the baseball field with my wife and dog, throwing the ball with the dog, and stopping to grab a Pup Cup and Great American Cookie on the walk back home.
What excites you about being on the Board?
Collaborating with other leaders who are passionate about improving the lives of older adults to help grow the mission of Eden Alternative.
Patricia Roe – Leader for Communications, Public Relations and Fund Development for Sherbrooke Community Centre
What led you to The Eden Alternative?
In the 90’s I was a member of the leadership team at Sherbrooke and we were in the early stages of rethinking our philosophy and moving to a better way of caring for residents. We started by developing Principles of Care individuality, normalcy and reality. Along with those basic principles we needed a better understanding of how to fundamentally change the culture of a home built in the 60’s.
As we were transforming the building where people would live and changing the organizational culture, we knew there would be challenges ahead. However, we were committed to creating a more normal living environment where Elders could live full and abundant lives. At that time, one of our nurses introduced us to Dr. Thomas book, A life worth Living. And we were off on the adventure of a life time.
What’s your superpower? Name one strength you look forward to sharing through this new role.
I’d say, I have a good sense of humour. Being able to laugh when all seems lost, helps you and those around you to survive and grow. I think I am creative and can see possibilities. I can take an idea and make it happen, sometimes asking for forgiveness rather than permission. I have the ability to convey my vision so that others can get as excited about a project as I am.
What excites or inspires you about The Eden Alternative?
In the late 90s, My dad was living with Alzheimer’s and he had to move to a nursing home. My mother had no choice as she could no longer care for him at home. He ended up in a four bed ward with strangers. My mother felt guilty leaving him there and going home to their condo across the street. Although mom saw him every day he was scared and lonely and after 60 years in a loving marriage, he believed mom had left him. I just could not accept that he and the other residents had to live like that. I wanted to see the change I was involved in at Sherbrooke spread to other homes.
As an Eden mentor, if I could not immediately change his situation, although we tried, I was determined to help make change where I had influence. To date, I am still working on culture change and creating a human habitat that my dad would have thrived in. I wish he had lived to experience a home where he was respected, loved and could live with dignity. He lived a life of community service he deserved better. I wish he had lived to experience a place where he could sing, laugh, be with his wife and invite his kids for dinner. Eden helped Sherbrooke create that kind of place.
What is your most cherished simple pleasure?
Time with my dear husband William and laughing with him about our life and 53 years of marriage. Being with my grandchildren, my son and his wife, my nieces and nephews, my siblings and my dear friends.
A good book, a British tv murder mystery, politics, travel, art, wine club, my yard and music make me happy. There are a million things, those are some of the most important.
What excites you about being on the Board?
Meeting the people who make Eden tick. Being at the centre of an organization that has been instrumental in changing the lives of so many people.
Guiding the culture change that says it can be different, who doesn’t want to be involved in that. It is a privilege to be part of the organization and philosophy that has shaped my work life and made going to work feel like coming home.
Alexander Lu – Executive Director of HPS Investment Partners
What led you to The Eden Alternative?
When I was living on the Upper West Side in New York, I volunteered at a residence for seniors on Amsterdam and 74th. I had a Frenchie named Daphne at the time who loved visiting the elders on the weekends. That experience and reading some works by Dr. Bill Thomas led me to take an Eden Associate training course for fun up in New Hampshire.
I remember feeling so inspired being around these passionate healthcare professionals, and believing that the future of eldercare is a bright one. For me, the Eden principles just seemed like a no-brainer. I mean, who wants to be lonely, helpless, or bored? I certainly wouldn’t, nor would I want my loved ones to be. And so, fast forward to today, it really is a dream come true to be a part of this storied organization. The best is yet to come!
What’s your superpower? Name one strength you look forward to sharing through this new role.
Great question… one thing I’m known for at the office is being analytically rigorous.
What excites or inspires you about The Eden Alternative?
The thought leadership, of course, and the proven, measurable results.
What is your most cherished simple pleasure?
The first thing that comes to mind is eating cold watermelon on a hot summer’s day.
What excites you about being on the Board?
A chance to explore the investment case for culture change.
