Saratoga County's Women of Influence 2024

Saratoga County’s

2024 WOMEN of Influence

Brought

Saratoga County’s Women of Influence through the years...

2008

Marianne Barker

Julie Bonacio

Kari Cushing

Marie Glotzbach

Susan Halstead

Terry Lee

Margie Rotchford

Dee Sarno

Linda Toohey

Dottie Nixon

2009

Elizabeth Alexander

Susan Dake

Karen Deandrea

Krystle Nowhitney

Benita Zahn

2010

Karen Dake

Francine Dingman

Sandy Foster

Barbara Glaser

Natalie Sillery

2011

Michelle Larkin

Sara Mannix

Rabbi Motzkin

Cindy Munter

Mary C. Powers

Jamie Williams

2012

Sue Commanda

Stephanie Ferradino

Mary Gavin

Valeri Muratori

Melissa Ward

Melissa Zeiker

2013

Joanne DiMarco

Cynthia Hollowood

Meg Kelly

Michele Riggi

Holly Schwarz-Lawton

Theresa Skaine

Robin Solomon

2014

Colleen Carlson

Karen Flewelling

Kathleen Fyfe

Jessica Patriccione

Heather Straughter

Amy Sutton

2015

Paula Fidalgo

Kim Klopstock

Tara Pleat

Amy Raimo

Patty Riggi

Nancy Trimbur

2016

Shelly Amato

Libby Coreno

Gayle Lasalle

Jane Mastaitis

Laura Obrien

Miyo Reed

Christianne Smith

2017

Lisa Breen

Robin Dalton

Teddy Foster

Karen Heggen

Jane Kromm

Lynette Whaley

2018

Angela Amedio

Laura DiRado

Patty Laudicina

Michele Madigan

Cindy Phillips

Dora Lee Stanley

2019

Maggie Fronk

Bo Goliber

Dr. Renee Goodemote

Megan Harris-Pero

Elizabeth Sobol

2020

Rev. Kate Forer

June MacClelland

Molly McMaster

Morgoslepov

Kathy McNeice

Lisa Moser

Shelby Schneider

2021

Lisa Avila

Catherine Hover

Dr. Katrin Ramsey

Elizabeth Schlegel

Mary Solomons

Kate Towne

2022

Lt. Laura Emanatian

Michele Funiciello

Lisa Mitzen

Heidi Owen West

Laura Perretta

2023

Samantha Bosshart

Stephanie Collins

Sister Charla Commins

Linda Kranick

Deneen Palmateer

Maddy Zanetti

2024

Sabrina Houser

Maria Moran

Trina Lucas

Sybil Newell

Judith Boyd Nelson

PUBLISHER OF:

Simply Saratoga • Saratoga Bride Saratoga Family • Welcome Home

Equicurean • Saratoga Christmas and of course... Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

2254 Route 50 South

Saratoga Springs, New York 12866

Phone: 518-581-2480

Fax: 518-581-2487

saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Publisher/Editor

Chad Beatty

Marketing Director

Chris Bushee

Advertising Jim Daley

Cindy Durfey

Distribution

Kim Beatty

Graphic Design

Kelly Schoonbeck

Advertising Design

Ana Sosa

Articles Written By Megin Potter

Photography Super Source Media Studios

Sabrina Houser pg. 4

Maria Moran pg. 9

Trina Lucas pg. 13

Sybil Newell pg. 18

Judith Boyd Nelson pg. 24

Sabrina Houser

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER

PHOTOS BY LINDSEY FISH, SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS

Guided by Unbreakable Bonds

At a time when much of the country’s focus seems to be on what divides us, Sabrina Houser emphasizes the importance

Through others, Sabrina Houser rediscovers herself. The daughter of two immigrants (who were raised in Italy but who met in America), Sabrina and her older sister grew up speaking Italian as their first language in Saratoga Springs.

In 1996, while earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from SUNY Geneseo, Sabrina saw a flyer for Big Brothers Big Sisters and decided to try mentoring, which is how she met her “little sister” Erin.

“Erin changed everything I believed about childhood and family. She taught me so much about the world and the importance of laughing through it. She made me the woman I am today and sparked my career (a 20-year labor of love),” said Sabrina.

One month after meeting Erin, Sabrina began working with Big Brothers

Big Sisters (BBBS) making matches between “Bigs” and “Littles”.

Through the years, her responsibilities grew, and by 2010, Sabrina had

“I’m not special,” she said. “Most business owners and nonprofit organizations do everything themselves. It creates a ton of burnout. That’s definitely something I experienced. I spent so much time putting out fires I myself created because I can’t say, ‘no’.”

As the CEO/CFO, Sabrina countered holding two big job titles with a growing desire to do something different.

“Kids need to see people that look like them in all walks of life. It’s important for girls to see women in all sorts of roles. Representation does matter.”

“Around year 15, I started to feel the itch to move on but I knew I couldn’t do what I was doing for BBBS anywhere else because I needed to believe in it as much as I did that, so I pushed those thoughts away,” she said.

Just as she told herself, ‘Sabrina, you’re in this until you’re dust’ signs kept popping up that it actually could be time to move on.

The biggest sign – the growing demands of motherhood.

The Child Guides

Just as Erin’s amazing spirit and wonderful drive was the spark that ignited Sabrina’s passion (and has continued to enrich her life since that very first meeting) Sabrina’s relationship with her two children, Anna and Cole, and the love of her life, Cory, triggered a change in Sabrina’s career path once again.

To accomplish this next phase, this burnt-out young mother took on even more responsibility and work. A 2015 Albany Business Review 40 Under 40 honoree, in 2016, Sabrina launched Capital CFO+, a business management company focusing on five critical service areas: accounting, business management, marketing, nonprofit management, and administration. Believing that outsourcing promotes

innovation, Sabrina hopes Capital CFO+ can help prevent other organizations from feeling overburdened and overstressed like she once did.

By 2020, Sabrina finally relinquished her duties at BBBS. Now, she oversees Capital CFO+’s 30-40 employees from her home office so she can spend more time with her family and “Pearl Rose”, their 7-year-old Pitbull/Pug/Coonhound mixed breed dog.

“I added more work to my plate because I wasn’t ready to walk away but starting my own company has been incredible and being with them has become the most important part of my life. To be present and be home when they’re home, that’s been the reason for all of it. It’s my ‘why’, for sure,” said Sabrina.

Beyond Work/Life Balance

Creating balance between work and life isn’t easy, and looks different for every woman.

Even when she’s on vacation, Sabrina said she can’t rest and relax until after cleaning out her inbox. Since 2011, she’s also written a blog, Childhood Take 2, chronicling her musings on motherhood. Since 2022, Sabrina has served on the board of Saratoga Arts, and on the Steering Committee of the Saratoga Educational Equity Network (SEEN) within the Saratoga Springs City School District.

“Kids need to see people that look like them in all walks of life. It’s important for girls to see women in all sorts of roles. Representation does matter,” said Sabrina.

Whether mentoring, being a mom, or running a business, Sabrina said her advice is to feel the fear - then bravely forge ahead anyway.

“I’ve been scared by every decision I’ve made and whether it’s right, or not, but you can’t be paralyzed by fear, you have to push through it. All the decisions are scary, you choose the bigger life, push through fear, and try to be yourself along the way.”

Maria Moran

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER

PHOTOS BY LINDSEY FISH, SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS UNLESS NOTED

Earning Considerable Interest from Worthwhile Investments

Calculating kindness into every equation, Maria Moran proves that from tenacity blossoms the resourcefulness

Mathematics and community make sense to Maria Moran. As Comptroller for the Town of Wilton, she balances a structurally sound budget with the joys of investing in the community.

Born into a line of willful women, Maria learned from her maternal grandmother (who broke from tradition to work full-time while raising children on her own).

Profoundly impacted by her example, Maria understood the importance of a stable financial footing early on, and never felt intimidated while pursuing her interest in accounting.

“Things had already started to change when I was entering the workforce and more women were definitely integrating into the field then,” she said. “We were there, making an impact, and being part of this amazing

No longer limited to the domestic realm, women like Maria persevered in professions that had typically been considered unusual for her gender. Maria said she felt fortunate to be among a generation of women encouraged by the “You-Can-Have-It-All” messaging pervasive in the 1980’s.

Maria Moran, Comptroller Nancy Riely, Secretary to the Supervisor Town of Wilton Supervisor John Lant Lisa Muller, Bookeeper

“With the examples of strong women in my family history and with societal changes at the time, I did not feel held back at all, I was able to excel, and succeed. Not once did I consider being a woman in this field as a shortcoming,” she said.

In 1988, Maria earned her Bachelors of Science Accounting from St. John’s University, and subsequently earned the Certified Public Accountant and Governmental Financial Manager designations. By the mid-1990s however, Maria decided to take time away from her career to be home with her children.

“It was my personal choice and what made sense to me,” she said. Married to her husband Joe for nearly 35 years, her family is the joy of her life, said Maria. Joe is a retired NYPD Sergeant who served in the rescue and recovery efforts following the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Their oldest daughter, Marlena, is mother to her three-year-old daughter and has taken on a leadership role in her career as a teacher, supporting other teachers with math instruction and tech integration in Albany; Catherine is a remarkably compassionate hospice care registered nurse and new mother to her own daughter; and Dominque, like her mother, went through the rigor of earning a CPA and has become an “unstoppable force” earning additional certifications and a Masters of Forensic Accounting degree.

“You can use your accounting degree to do really good work in the community,” said Maria.

Dispelling the myth that accounting can be boring, Maria serves as the NYS CPA Board Vice Chair, and together with the entire Board, works to increase interest in the CPA designation and encouraging students to pursue accounting degrees. Working to expand the population of CPAs can help prevent the financial repercussions of having fewer accountants burdened with heavier workloads and thus, having to charge higher fees to provide essential financial services.

Photo provided

Photo provided

"With the examples of strong women in my family history and with societal changes at the time, I did not feel held back at all, I was able to excel, and succeed."

“It is an incredible honor to work with other CPA’s to help ensure that public trust is always at the forefront of the mission of a certified public accountant,” said Maria.

The Exponential Potential of Positivity

In 2006, the Moran family moved to Saratoga County from Long Island. “This is the place to be. Saratoga County is thriving. It’s grown exponentially in the past years and is a great place to do business. That is a testament to consistently strong and effective County leadership,” said Maria.

Maria worked for the Office of the State Comptroller for a decade, which is where her focus in governmental accounting began.

“Having strong bonds with other women at OSC has helped me to advance in the field,” said Maria. “It was a privilege to have received that mentorship, and a joy to pass it on here in my role as Comptroller for the Town of Wilton.”

Concerned with public safety and wellness beyond finance, Maria said through her work she has felt more connected to the community where she loves to get out into nature, hiking and snowshoeing the trails. Especially gratifying has been her role in the recent procurement of two dual-port electric vehicle charging stations (placed at Gavin Park and the Town Hall building), she said.

Knowledgeable, patient, and approachable, Maria heads the Town’s accounting department with enthusiasm and an understanding ear, developing an environment that promotes engaging discourse with colleagues including Supervisor John Lant, the Town Board, Town Bookkeeper Lisa Muller, and Human Resources and Confidential Secretary to the Supervisor, Nancy Riely.

“The Town has been, and continues to be, very fortunate to be directed by Boards who place a premium on a conservative fiscal budget, while providing programs and resources to serve our community,” she said. “Supervisor John Lant and the entire Town Board work to ensure that community needs are met while maintaining the status of a no-tax town – not an easy feat.”

“The Board identifies initiatives to serve the community and is the ultimate decision-maker. I watch for the outcomes and monitor the effectiveness of programs.”

Deeming her role as simply a small part of a much larger process, Maria said that employees from all departments work very well together.

“We are a professional group and all of us are committed to serving our community.”

Photos provided

Trina Lucas

Purpose & Passion

By designing events and marketing that unite people toward a shared mission, Trina Lucas creates dynamic platforms where purpose and passion blend to make

Katrina “Trina” Lucas moved to downtown Albany in 1995 and quickly found herself drawn to Saratoga. Everyone she met and connected with lived here, so it only made sense to relocate up the Northway. She jumped all-in to her new community, joined the Junior League of Schenectady and Saratoga and said “yes” to every volunteer opportunity.

Fast forward eight years… her boyfriend, Dave, proposed after being offered a job in Washington, D.C. The couple married at St. Clement’s and Trina reluctantly left Saratoga. Living in another city she had loved since childhood, she took every chance to get involved again there, embracing her Alexandria/DC community too. And then came Sofie.

Trina’s daughter was the inspiration for sofiEvents, a boutique firm specializing in event marketing, sponsorship management and public relations. Having her own business allowed Trina to spend more time with her incredibly curious firecracker of a kid, she said. “My greatest joy is my

In 2010, Dave’s job brought the Lucas family back to Saratoga and Trina wasted no time diving back into the community. Now 14 years later, married for 19 and raising a teenager, Trina has contributed to the success of countless fundraising events and nonprofit marketing campaigns, lending her time and talent whenever possible.

Double H 2022.

Photo credit - Joe Putrock

Leading with Authenticity

Over a thirty-year career, Trina has honed the art of crafting language to convey powerful messages.

“I’ve always been very direct, sometimes too direct. Whether good or bad, people know what I’m thinking,” she said. “I’ve just learned to do it a bit more carefully, more graciously, with age.”

Being open, outgoing and outspoken served Trina well as she earned her political science degree from Binghamton University, diving into campus, local and state politics, and moving into nonprofit development and marketing leadership roles with the American Cancer Society and Seton Health Foundation, among others. In the midst of that experience, she earned her Accreditation in Public Relations. The sound advice she offered when scripting speeches for politicians, dignitaries and actors while working with the National Hospice Foundation is the same she’d give to anyone.

“When you speak up or communicate in writing, less is more. Keep it simple, tight,” Trina said. “Your message will have far more impact.”

Employing Social Graces

Organizing events and securing the vital funds to meet an organization’s mission is a delicate balancing act. It requires polished, persuasive messages and a certain number of social graces.

Trina’s introduction to Saratoga’s upscale events was more than 28 years ago when she met Saratoga Trunk’s Natalie Sillery. Natalie was dressing ladies for an American Cancer Society benefit and Trina was pulled in by a former colleague. The two became dear friends and Natalie recruited Trina for more philanthropic fashion shows, resulting in her involvement on various event committees beyond work. Trina also wrote Saratoga TODAY’s society section for several summers, and later provided event coverage for The Saratoga Social before it was acquired by Saratoga Living.

In recent years, Trina has helped organize galas and events for Double H Ranch, Yaddo, Dake Foundation for Children, Baller Dream Foundation, and the Saratoga Senior Center, among others.

“Galas have shifted significantly through the years. What used to be a more formal occasion has come to simply be an organization’s most high-profile, signature evening,” said Trina. “Sit-down dinners have given way to hearty stations, and gowns and tuxedos have been traded for party dresses and suits, if that. Events have shifted for their supporters and the times.”

“Strong nonprofits need a variety of activities to draw a wide range of donors. There’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for fundraising event success. The key is to know your audience and know that a single event cannot be all things to all people. The only thing it truly needs to be is mission-driven,” said Trina.

“It’s also important to remember that events are just a small piece of an organization’s fundraising effort. They may be the most visible, and they certainly shine a spotlight on the mission and its supporters, but ultimately, events don’t raise as much money as individual gifts and annual funds. What they raise best is awareness.”

Leading with “Yes”

Staying focused on the mission builds the resilience you need when you’re working with donors and prospects who are bound to say “no” sometimes. Whether volunteering or working professionally, Trina’s secret is to lead with “yes”.

“My parents taught me that if you can help, you do. We’re meant to leave things a little better than we found them. Say ‘yes’ to the opportunities that can stretch you while making a difference for others. Embrace the mission. Be all in. Because anything worth doing is worth doing right.”

Mardi Gras 2019

Photo provided

Trina - First Night Alexandria 2009

Photo credit - Mike Geisinger

The Academies Spring Gathering 2024

Photo credit - iSmile Studios

“My parents taught me that if you can help, you do. We’re meant to leave things a little better than we found them”

It’s no surprise that Trina practices what she preaches. She was the PTO President and on various event committees at St. Clement’s Regional Catholic School for six years; handled communications for the Maple Avenue Parent Network; and for the past two years has been Treasurer of the Albany Academies Parent Association, in addition to co-chairing the school’s gala event this spring.

“Every school relies on volunteers. If you’re there, whether for a year or eight, raise your hand. The mission of any school a child attends should be the parents’ too,” Trina said.

“We’re the lucky ones in the end. We get to help move things forward, supporting the teachers, enhancing programs for the students. And ultimately, children still learn what they live. Seeing parents involved and helping sticks with them. So, when they’re asked to volunteer one day, they’ll quickly say ‘yes’ too.”

St Clements 100th - The Platinum Ball Co-Chairs (2018)

Photo provided

Sybil Newell

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER

PHOTOS BY LINDSEY FISH, SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS UNLESS NOTED

Building Foundations for Brighter Futures

An architect of the environments where change happens, Sybil Newell passionately advocates for

When life’s situations exacerbate poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, mental health and other challenges, patchwork support services don’t appropriately address needs.

Thoughtful leaders like Sybil Newell, Executive Director of RISE Housing and Support Services, Inc. however, are mending those gaps.

Inspired Action

A Saratoga resident since a student at Skidmore College, today, Sybil enjoys spending time with her family at Saratoga Spa State Park and listening to inspirational business leadership speakers like Simon Sinek during long walks.

“I’m very much an optimist,” she said. “I’m a ‘the glass is half-full or all-the-way-full’ type of person. I rarely focus on the negative,” she said.

This hasn’t always been the case. Sybil too, has been among those in need. In college, she struggled with her own mental health, experiencing episodes of severe depression, and debilitating anxiety. Then, her therapist said something that just clicked, and Sybil changed her life.

Now she is a passionate and effective advocate for those in need. She has served on numerous boards including the Saratoga/North Country Continuum of Care, and the Saratoga Collaborative to End Homelessness, and has testified before the NYS Assembly’s Mental Hygiene Committee.

“My grandmother grew up in an era when psychological disabilities were not treated well. Families either ignored it (or tried to) while leading relatively normal lives, or people were institutionalized at alarming rates without being given the supports they needed. Many people with psychological disabilities became parents who lacked the ability to care for their children, and problems would trickle down through the family. This really made me passionate about working in the mental health field,” said Sybil.

“If you have the right players in place, you can find the resources that lead to solutions.”

After graduating from Skidmore with a Bachelors of Psychology and Women’s Studies, Sybil earned a Master’s Degree in Community Psychology from Sage Graduate School and began working at Four Winds psychiatric hospital in Saratoga.

“I realized a hospital setting was not where I wanted to be. I wanted to work with people living in the community, helping them live their lives to the fullest.”

Building Big to Build Up Others

At RISE since 2017, Sybil helps others reclaim their own lives while also addressing cracks in the system. By doubling the organization’s annual budget and size of their workforce, building a supportive donor base, and acquiring millions in grant funding, RISE is forging ahead.

“One of the most surprising things is the amount of community needs RISE has been able to step up and try to help solve,” said Sybil. “We’ve identified gaps in service and tried to fill those gaps in a variety of areas.”

After seeing the lack of affordable housing in Saratoga County, last year RISE built 120 units of affordable and supportive housing to serve their community.

In June 2023, RISE and Bonacio Construction opened the Adelphi Street Shelter, a low-barrier, 24-hour shelter for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, and last August, SunRISE Retreat, a short-term, voluntary, mental health crisis residence, opened its doors to the public.

“If you have the right players in place, you can find the resources that lead to solutions,” said Sybil. “If you are determined to do something to help, you can find a way to move the needle, even on issues that seem insurmountable.”

Tearing Down Debilitating Isolation

It is commonly believed that substance abuse recovery services can be more effective in single-sex facilities (because they allow individuals to focus on their own self-care without being distracted by relationships with the opposite sex), said Sybil, but because RISE Above, opening soon in Ballston Spa, will be the first and only residential substance abuse treatment program in Saratoga County, the 20-bed recovery residence will be serving both men and women.

As a woman who has benefited from many great female mentors, at RISE Sybil nurtures an awareness of the particular challenges women face. By building a more diverse Board of Directors, instituting mental health and wellness days, the advent of remote work, and creating a workplace open to children, Sybil has created an environment the staff (comprised of nearly 85% women) finds welcoming. Viewing them with equal importance, Sybil integrates work and family life with her husband of 19 years, Dave, and their three children; Jake, 25, Lucas, 17, and Lily, 16.

“People told me not to go into human services because it was not a very lucrative field. If I wanted a good life, they said, focus on a different field, but this is my dream job. There are avenues for advancement in the field if you have a specific goal and find good mentors. It can be difficult some days, and we do take the stresses home with us, but the amount of satisfaction and fulfillment that comes with being there for someone at the hardest and darkest part of their lives, I wouldn’t give that up for any amount of money,” said Sybil.

Judith Boyd Nelson

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER

PHOTOS BY LINDSEY FISH, SUPER SOURCE MEDIA STUDIOS UNLESS NOTED

Nursing Through the Crisis

In New York, the pandemic hit the elderly hard and early, taking a deadly toll on retirement communities across the state, yet, Saratoga’s Woodlawn Commons

Assisted Living fared better than others thanks to Case Manager Judith Boyd Nelson, RN, and a fabulous group of caregivers doing everything they could to keep the

Nursing is Judith Boyd Nelson’s second career, one she didn’t embark on until she was in her forties. After working for just two years as the Case Manager at Woodlawn Commons in Saratoga’s Wesley Community, however, she deftly redeployed the dynamic observation skills she’d acquired through a lifetime of work to weather a storm that she could’ve never anticipated, sending her on a journey she would never forget. Every day, Judith Boyd Nelson is reminded that life is precious. In 1984, she graduated from SUNY Potsdam as a Spanish major, and in 1989, earned a Master’s Degree from SUNY Stonybrook, before spending 25 years working for the Cengage Group, an academic publisher based in Clifton Park.

In 1997 and again in 2000, Judith and Peter, her husband of 36 years now, travelled to China to adopt their daughters, Sophia and Grace. In 2002, Judith discovered she had advanced stage colorectal cancer. Then, six years later, Peter was diagnosed with a pre-cancerous polyp that required major surgery, the risky Whipple procedure. Fighting through those days was the shot in the arm Judith needed to choose a different path. In 2011, Judith graduated from SUNY Adirondack as a Registered Nurse.

“I explored oncology and cardiology, but then I discovered my love of

working with ‘super seniors’, as I call them,” said Judith, a name she uses because of the immense stores of wisdom these people possess. At Woodlawn Commons, Judith oversees the care of as many as 42 senior residents, ages 70 to 100+ years old.

“These men and women have led amazing lives. Many were alive during World War II, on the front lines or supporting their spouses who were away at war,” she said. “These older folks are a resilient crowd.”

Keep on Keeping On

Since early 2020, more than 172,000 nursing home residents across the nation have died of COVID-19, indicates data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Despite these dire statistics, everchanging information, and terrifying headlines, Woodlawn Commons lost only one resident, in 2023, a woman in her 90’s with existing health issues.

Judith credits the facility’s extraordinarily low infection rates to the team work and diligence of a committed staff, taking extraordinary precautions day in and day out, to ensure their own safety and the safety of their residents.

Photo provided

“Carpe Diem! Seize the day is all I can say. Make the most of every day because you just never know.”

“We thought when it first started that it would be a couple of weeks or months, but that it went on for years was unbelievable,” she said. “We did the best we could but it was tough on everybody. During the pandemic, I said a prayer of thanksgiving every event as I left the building, grateful that we made it through another day. It’s some kind of miracle that more people did not get sick.”

In addition to the masking, full PPE procedures, handwashing, and regular testing, these courageous caregivers arranged video calls and window visits for lonely, fearful residents sequestered to their rooms.

“It was a long couple of years, especially working in healthcare,” said Judith, but being at home was an odd feeling, too. Grace, then a student at SUNY Binghamton, had to complete her Junior and Senior year courses virtually. Sophia started a Master’s program at Brown University during the pandemic and her classes were initially online. The family spent a lot of time outdoors, taking long bicycle rides through the country, and numerous walks. Eating lots of ice cream, reading, and online shopping also helped break up the monotony of the seemingly endless days.

The Best Medicine

Today, life at the Woodlawn Commons assisted living residence is back to normal. Residents can once again eat together in the dining room, visit with family, and enjoy jovial milestone celebrations.

“Carpe Diem! Seize the day is all I can say. Make the most of every day because you just never know.”

In June, Judith will be retiring. Looking forward to relaxing, getting a massage, and travelling, she said she’ll miss seeing her fabulous coworkers every day.

“You don’t realize how important that is until you don’t have it. There’s a lot of activity here and residents thrive on that,” said Judith. “When we look back, we realize we can get through tough times and that we did it despite the fact that it went on, and on, and on.”

While the far-reaching impacts of the pandemic are still being discovered, Judith’s experience taught her something she will always remember.

“As much as I’ll miss work, I’m ready for the next chapter. The nice thing about Woodlawn Commons however, is that it is the kind of place you can always visit,” she said.

On Judith’s itinerary now is spending lambing season next spring with family in Ireland. “I’m really pumped up and looking forward to it,” she said.