Leading with Purpose - Jan Lepore-Jentleson (June 2023)

LEADING WITH PURPOSE SOCIAL IMPACT JOURNAL

JUNE 2023

MODELING HOW CAN IMPACT COMMUNITIES

JAN LEPOREJENTLESON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WESTCARE OHIO

FEATURE

JAN LEPOREJENTLESON Jan Lepore-Jentleson is the current and founding executive director of WestCare Ohio, doing business as East End Community Services (EECS). Her primary responsibilities are managing operations and raising funds for her non-profit on Xenia Avenue in the heart of the inner East Dayton neighborhood locally known as the “Twin Towers,” so named for the beautiful Catholic church St. Mary’s, which stands tall with two stately towers.

Twin Towers has always been a strong working-class neighborhood, but like many Rust Belt cities, it was hit hard by global economics and the Great Recession that began in 2007. EECS (or simply “East End”) heavily relies on federal grants, community partnerships, and private donations to offer dozens of programs and services for children and families to break the cycle of generational poverty through education, family support, and the redevelopment of urban neighborhoods.

In addition to her role with WestCare Ohio, Jan is a member of President Dick Steinberg’s Senior Service Advisors team for WestCare Foundation. Jan noted, "I think I was asked to be part of that group because I bring a unique perspective due to our neighborhoodbased approach. We leverage strong community relationships to impact the conditions that set people up for failure and strive to reverse those conditions and set people up for success. Dick and our CEO,

Ken

Ortbals,

are

interested

in

deepening

community relationships for all WestCare entities. I have been doing that in Dayton my entire career. I want to help other WestCare leaders do the same."

Jan received her undergraduate degree at the University of Dayton in Ohio, where she was immersed in programs centered around community building and servant leadership. Her educational experiences primed her for a professional

career

building

supportive,

caring

communities. Following graduation, Jan went to the Dayton city government to direct the Horizons '76 project with teams composed of city and county officials, business leaders, community members, and faculty and students from the University of Dayton. These sessions – coinciding with our nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976 – envisioned what Dayton could look like 25 years later at the beginning of a new millennium.

Following that experience, Jan entered the private sector and became a product manager and planner for NCR Corporation, headquartered in Dayton. After eight years, she felt the calling to return to government, so she accepted an opportunity with Dayton City Hall and served as manager for the Department of Neighborhood Development,

which

included

housing

inspection,

zoning, building inspection, and plan review. While overseeing 90 staff, Jan learned a great deal about management, and over 13 years, she worked to reinvent the department to make it work better for Dayton's neighborhoods and families. Recalling one afternoon in 1997 when she was discouraged, Jan says, "I remember deciding that I was fed up wasting my time being a bureaucrat, pushing paper and accomplishing little value for the people living in Dayton’s poorest neighborhoods."

So, Jan decided to quit her job and go out into one of the

But as fate would have it, Jan met Dick Steinberg when

more distressed neighborhoods in East Dayton and start

he was in Dayton, and they started talking about a

a new non-profit community development organization

possible merger. Jan says, "One thing led to another,

to address poverty issues and spur change. East End

and we joined WestCare officially on July 1, 2017, and

opened its doors in 1998 to revitalize the city’s Twin

legally became WestCare Ohio. However, we are still

Towers neighborhood and break generational poverty

known and operating as East End Community

cycles. From the beginning, the primary focus has been

Services because we now have a 25-year history as

on children, with programs focusing on accessing quality

that organization."

education,

after-school

programs,

and

youth

development.

It's been quite a journey, but as Jan contemplates retirement, she still has one big project to do before she

After about twenty years into that journey, Dayton was in

leaves the organization she founded: building a new

the thick of the opioid epidemic. EECS was working with

$6M facility and moving the East Dayton community

police and support services to get people into treatment

toward a whole-family approach to wellbeing.

in an era before Medicaid expansion and when there

shares, "Unlike some WestCare organizations, East End

weren’t

were

does community development and education and looks

dropping dead in our community daily. Kids from our

at our community's five social determinants of health to

after-school programs went home, finding their

see the service gaps."

many

providers.

Jan

says,

"People

Jan

parents dead in their bathtubs. It was tragic."

Among those service offerings is a unique partnership To make matters worse, East End (like many other non-

with Dayton's Ruskin Elementary School. Children

profits) was having significant financial challenges and

enrolled in East End’s Miracle Makers program spend 90

was considering eliminating employee benefits to keep

minutes every day after school working on homework,

the doors open. Jan knew that if they did that, they

then 90 minutes doing activities like learning to play the

wouldn't be able to hire competent, dedicated people to

violin, taking a photography class, or creating an

meet the community's needs. “It was probably the worst

invention of their own within the Maker Space.

period I've ever experienced professionally,” Jan said.

Jan standing in front of one of the dilapidated homes that was torn down as part of East End's community revitalization project over a decade ago.

Mayor, city commissioners, East End Board members, and Jan (in black and white) cutting ribbon on the first 40 new homes to be built in the neighborhood in 50 years (2010)

After school, elementary to high school students can

Over a decade later, these homes will soon be offered to

participate in programming geared toward character

the residents for ownership. These tax credit projects

development in the Youth Center within EECS’ building,

helped change the whole nature of the neighborhood,

help cook a meal for themselves and friends, and plan

but because other neighborhood areas are still poor,

field trips to nearby colleges. For parents and adults

East End is looking to do more work in affordable

with backgrounds ranging from Dayton natives, Latino

housing. She noted, "We understand that children do

transplants, and Middle Eastern refugees, the center

best when living in decent, affordable homes and

assists with resume writing, employment soft skills, and

safe, supportive neighborhoods."

credential-focused

job

training.

These

are

crucial

services as the employers that offer on-site training

Now as part of Jan’s ambitious whole-family initiative,

grow even fewer and further between. East End has

East End will be retraining all their staff to become family

provided offerings such as forklift training, OSHA safety

coaches, recognizing that there are a lot of institutional

training, and asbestos abatement treatment training,

barriers and racism that have developed over the years

enabling many in the area to get new jobs.

that make it very difficult for families to lift themselves out of poverty.

When reflecting on what specific accomplishment she is most proud of, Jan notes, "Between 2010 and 2013, we

Jan says, "Our job is to help them navigate those

tore down about 120 blighted, vacant residential

systems and solve their crisis, ask them to define

structures within a 16 square block area around the

their goals, and then help them achieve them. So,

neighborhood public school and replaced them with

we're

84 new, single-family, affordable, three- and four-

approach

bedroom homes that are to this day 100% occupied."

poverty."

trying to

a

whole

break

the

different cycle

empowerment of

generational

Jan has been working with a team of people, including

When asked how she personally defines success, Jan had

the former president of the University of Dayton, who's

some inspiring words to share, "The work we do is

taken an active interest in this work. She says, "This

successful when individuals realize they can do it

team aims to transform East End's work so that the

themselves. So, our role is to find ways to help people

families we serve eventually don't need us anymore.

in poverty build confidence. They've struggled with

We're trying to prevent the conditions that set people up

trauma for years, and the effects have been passed

for addiction, continued generational poverty, mental

down from generation to generation. They don't

health issues, and incarceration. Let's target those

believe they can do it."

conditions and fix things for people and families early on so that they don't get trapped in these negative

"We have a saying: 'You might not be able to do it yet, but

cycles that affect and prevent the development of their

you will be able to in the future.' So, success is seeing that

well-being over time."

light come on when a child figures out he can do well on a standardized test. Success is seeing an adult have the

Jan has also volunteered her time and served as a board

confidence and the willingness to change. Success is

member or officer for several organizations, including:

helping folks recognize that they have the power to lift

Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County;

themselves out of poverty and rid the negative thoughts

Dayton Children’s Medical Center Community

about a lack of hope. It's not about the organization but

Advisory Board for Community Health and Advocacy;

the people we are there to help."

The Widow’s Home; Montgomery County Affordable Housing;

When asked to describe her leadership style, Jan said,

United Way of the Greater Dayton Area; and

"Some would call it laissez-faire or consensus-based.

Alliance for Nonprofit Executives.

When working with my staff, they have input on almost everything because I don't have all the answers. We know

Her efforts to serve and uplift the Dayton community

that the families we serve have the answers. We just

have earned her honors and recognition, including:

must help them sort it out. It’s the same with the staff.

Community Service Award: Dayton Urban League

They know their jobs better than I know their jobs."

(2009); Appalachian Unsung Hero Award: Sinclair

"My role is to get everybody around the table, have

Community College (2010);

the conversation, get everyone’s perspectives, and

Community Builder Award: The University of Dayton

make the final decision. Everybody has input, and we

Fitz Center for Leadership in Community (2010);

can get into some great debates. Some would call it

Humanitarian Award: NCCJ of Greater Dayton (2012);

“pounding

the

Community Collaborator Award: Legal Aid of

important.

It's

Western Ohio/Volunteer Lawyers Project (2017); and

contributes to generating the best ideas."

table,”

but

that's

transparent,

good.

That's

that

style

and

Special Achievement Alumni Award: The University of Dayton (2018).

Among her leadership role models, Jan cites Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard as a great example, “There were occasionally scenes where he'd have everybody around a table on the Enterprise as alien ships approached and he'd say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I'm open to suggestions.’

I love that! So, it's about leading a group of people I know are passionate about helping our community. I make sure they're heard, but the buck stops with me when we can't decide and come to a consensus."

THE WORK WE DO IS SUCCESSFUL WHEN INDIVIDUALS REALIZE

they can do it themselves.

Jan Lepore-Jentleson

"When asked what she enjoys most about working with

“When

WestCare, Jan shares, “I enjoy the diversity of people and

neighborhood about 25 years ago, we asked the

talking

their

community how we could help. The neighborhood

communities in California, Puerto Rico, Guam, and

leadership at the time said, ‘Our children have no

elsewhere. Unfortunately, we don’t do that enough, but

dreams. They have no thoughts about the future. There

when we do, it is very enriching, and I get a lot of great

is no hope.’ There was no support for changing lives or

ideas from those conversations."

improving overall well-being regarding their educational

with

others

doing

great

work

in

I

started

working

in

Dayton’s

East

End

outcomes, health outcomes, social connectedness, "Also,

being

part

of

this

much

bigger

financial

physical environment, and income."

collaborative with WestCare is vitally important. I did much of the grant writing for East End for over twenty

"So, when you uplift the human spirit, you find a way

years. It got dicey when I knew I had all these mouths to

for people to understand that there's more to life

feed. We always made payroll, but some months were

and that we need their untapped potential as a

tighter than others. Now, the benefits WestCare offers

community, as a neighborhood, and as a society to

enable us to attract great people. That's just enormously

uplift who we are. So, this work East End does is just

important because I’ve got to have the best people on

a different side of the work WestCare has done for

the front lines working with these struggling families."

all these years, and I'm proud to be part of it."

When asked to reflect on WestCare’s motto of “Uplifting

Jan and her husband, Don (whom she describes as

the Human Spirit” and what that means for her, Jan

“amazing and supportive”), have three grown children.

noted, "Before joining WestCare, what it meant was

The oldest, Elizabeth, works in development at a well-

that we were helping children and families live up to

known private school in Dayton. Their son, Adam, was

their God-given potential. But now, understanding

recently married and is very happy in a high-tech data

the role that counseling and therapy play – a big part

analytics role in Chicago. Their youngest, Caroline, is

of what WestCare does – makes the words much

married and the mother of their only grandchild, Emma,

more beautiful. People can become so handicapped by

who is 11.

the burden of generational poverty, and that gets transmitted down, resulting in many of their children

"We have lots of friends as well, and it's just been a

having no aspirations or goals."

wonderful, wonderful journey," said Jan.

Follow WestCare to stay connected to us around the world WestCare @westcare @westcarefoundation WestCare Foundation westcare.com

I am proud of what we have accomplished together and grateful for continued support from the community. Together, we are

helping break the cycle of multi-generational poverty that has crippled our community for far too long.

Jan Lepore-Jentleson