Kendal at Oberlin Careers

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Kendal at Oberlin Careers

Together, transforming the experience of aging. Kendal senior living career is more than just a job; it’s a rewarding way to grow creatively and intellectually.

Kendal at Oberlin offers competitive pay, great benefits, and a beautiful natural setting with over 100 acres of trees (licensed arboretum), ponds, wetlands, and walkways where friendly relationships between residents and employees are established and flourish. Founded with Quaker principles since our opening in 1993, Kendal at Oberlin is a vital and growing Life Plan Community welcoming older adults of all races, ethnicities, s*xual orientations, secular, and religious backgrounds. Kendal at Oberlin requires staff to be vaccinated and boosted for COVID and influenza.

11/13/2025

For 27 years Toni Merleno has been Kendal at Oberlin’s Director of Human Resources, but like many jobs her responsibilities have evolved over the years. Currently she has responsibility for Hospitality Services and Kendal Early Learning Center and formerly was risk manager for 20 years.

Working with older adults has been a good fit for Toni, which is one reason she has been with Kendal for so many years. “Even when I was young I considered myself an ‘old soul’ born 50 years too late! I have always been drawn to older adults. I find they have lived such diverse rich lives with an abundance of wisdom/experiences to share if we just make the time to listen to them,” she says.

The other main reason for her tenure at Kendal is its Quaker values. “They have guided our Oberlin community to a great level of success that stands out in the entire Kendal family of affiliates. These values also have made a huge impression on me personally, and I will always cherish the opportunity to serve and work here as well as the privilege to know our wonderful staff and residents,” Toni says.

Those values were key to Kendal community’s success during the pandemic, she says. “No one was laid off and it was great to see such positive attitudes among staff members doing cleaning/sanitizing areas, testing, and many other needed jobs.”

As Toni nears retirement, though a date has not been determined, she thinks about how Kendal residents have navigated their transition. “I am a self-confessed workaholic and retirement for me will probably mean finding another job. My attitude has been shaped by seeing how our residents move here and then pick up activities of service: volunteering thousands of hours annually at a variety of nonprofits in the county, pursuing their passions for music, art and writing, and continuing their learning via Oberlin College and other academics. As we say, retirees come to Kendal at Oberlin to live and thrive and not to sit around and fade away,” she says

Toni’s interests include reading and writing – “I have an idea for a novel I’ve been playing with mentally for the past three decades” and studying the Bible. She is also a closet accordionist and loves music.

08/29/2025

Kendal staff members who take on new responsibilities and grow in their professional careers are fondly called “Homegrown Tomatoes,” and Blair Loudermelt, who celebrates her 26th anniversary this month at Kendal, is certainly a good example of one.

In high school Blair was hired as a server in the Friends Corner dining room, and after graduating passed the STNA class and worked as a PRN STNA before returning to Dining Services, where she moved up the ladder. In 2019 she was offered the Accounts Payable/Payroll Coordinator position, which she currently holds.

“What I like best about working here is the relationships I have formed over the years with both staff and residents. The conversations with residents and hearing their stories is always great,” she says. “I know not to use the excuse ‘I’m getting old’ when doing something. Seeing and working with the residents at Kendal and how much they still get out and live life makes me realize there is so much more left in life and you can do anything with that time.”

Blair married her high school sweetheart Steve and the couple has two adult sons, Austin, 23, and Aiden, 19, and two Shih-Tzus, Zoey and Lucy.

“I love to spend time with my family and friends. We enjoy going on 4-wheeling trips together to different locations. On occasion we like to make a trip to a casino and take our chance with the slots. When I am alone I enjoy the quiet by working on a puzzle with a glass of wine,” Blair says.

And if time permits, she enjoys taking a break at work and walking walk around the perimeter.

08/26/2025

If your passion is teaching preschoolers consider bringing that passion to Kendal Early Learning Center (ELC), a Step Up to Quality, five-star-rated program (the highest rating) with accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

ELC currently has two full-time openings: Lead Teacher and Assistant Teacher.

The center, housed in Kendal’s main building and serving up to 30 students, features unique intergenerational programming that gives children the opportunity to learn and grow alongside the beloved Grandfriends who live at Kendal. The center has an outdoor classroom certified by both Wild School Site (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) and Nature Explore, and teachers utilize Kendal’s 100+ acres that are designated as The John Bartram Arboretum.

“The entire Kendal campus is very community driven, including the students, staff, and Grandfriends. It’s not your typical preschool atmosphere; it’s a Kendal family that is created to educate students,” says ELC teacher Emily Hoffman.

Both positions require a minimum of three years' experience working with children 2-5 years old. The Lead Teacher must have a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or Special Education, and the Assistant Teacher must have a high school diploma or GED with a current CDA (Child Development Associate) credential.
Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Planning and adapting a creative curriculum based on what most preschoolers should know and be able to do.
• Assessing children's development and learning through collecting samples of children's drawings and writings and adding to the children's portfolios.
• Paying attention to and supporting children's interests, skills and knowledge.
• Learn and support all KELC curricula such as Conscious Discipline by setting clear limits for children's behavior and explain reasons.
Along with competitive wages, Kendal’s benefits package includes medical, dental, vision and life insurance, paid vacations, sick days, holidays and personal days, retirement plans, college tuition bonus program, fitness center and more.

https://hubs.ly/Q03FxphY0

08/13/2025

Kendal at Oberlin’s sales and marketing team is a small but mighty group of people, and the newest person to join the team is Kevin Rasnick.

“Since I was hired end of June, my impressions of Kendal are hard to put into words. Staff and residents alike have been so friendly and welcoming. Even though everyone has a unique background we all share the same values in terms of how we treat each other and how we care about Kendal,” Kevin says.

Kevin’s career has included several sales position in radio and TV. His most recent job was director of the Huron County Chamber of Commerce. He says he is interested in working with older adults because “they have unique stories to share and there is much to learn from their experiences.”

He lives in nearby Norwalk with Betsy, his wife of 19 years, and their 7-year old twin boys Brycen and Carson.
“We have a black lab named Sammy, a pet turtle named Maui and a tropical fish tank. I am an avid Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Cavaliers and Ohio State Buckeyes fan. My family and I like to go on walks, and I golf when I can,” he says.

The other members of the sales and marketing team are: Terry Kovach, director; Kelly Corcoran, marketing manager; JoDee Palmer, assistant: and Molly Kavanaugh, writer.

“I’ve been really enjoying my time here at Kendal and am excited to see what the future holds with my awesome coworkers and all the great residents,” he says.

07/23/2025

Ken Menefee joined Kendal’s Facility Services staff 15 years, first as PRN, then parttime and finally fulltime. Today he is the Maintenance Manager and that keeps him busy on multiple fronts. He supervises all three shifts of the maintenance department, assigns work requests from residents and staff, works with outside contractors on projects that can’t be handled in-house, conducts Life Safety drills, and much more.

The job is a good fit for him.

“What I like most is helping people. I wasn’t aware of that about myself until I began working here and realized that I get a good feeling when I’m able to solve a problem for someone. I also enjoy working with the Facility Services management and staff, as well as the great group on the Maintenance team. They are extremely knowledgeable, skilled and talented and make my job much easier than it would be with a less skilled staff,” Ken says.

Working at Kendal has also taught Kim to be more patient, considerate and understanding. “At 64 years old, I see my not-too-distant future in our residents. I have also learned the importance of aging with dignity. And with our residents, I have learned that life doesn’t stop at a certain age,” he says, adding, “Our residents are some of the most active older adults I have ever known.”

Ken and his wife Glenda have been married for 45 years, and have three adult children and five grandchildren

“We spent a great deal of time attending the grandkids soccer and baseball/softball games. In more recent years, we have become hopeless ‘dog people’ – we currently have two rescues, Foxy, a Corgi, and Sugar, a mixed breed dog. I’m pretty certain the dogs are more spoiled than the children ever were. A great deal of the exercise I get these days is from taking the dogs on long walks.”

The Amherst couple enjoys rafting on the New River in West Virginia and over the years have gained the expertise to tackle the Upper Gauley River during the annual dam release “considered to be the most extreme whitewater rafting you can find in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River,” he says.

06/17/2025

Kelly Corcoran, who joined Kendal at Oberlin as its Marketing Manager in 2021, is the latest staffer to complete the Kendal Leadership Fellows Program offered by The Kendal Corporation.

“I’m so thankful for being a part of the Fellows Program, where 21 staff from all the Kendal affiliates and different departments came together,” Kelly says.

The Kendal Leadership Fellows program is modeled after the LeadingAge Leadership Academy and develops Kendal staff members into leaders who are grounded in Kendal values, mission, and ideals. The Fellows are provided safe space for introspective thought; taught the values-based leadership tools of self-awareness, feedback, innovation, continuous learning, etc.; and are introduced to an enduring network of talented colleagues.

The Fellows began meeting virtually in October and finally met in person in early June for their graduation at The Kendal Corporation’s headquarters in Delaware, the group is photographed below.

“I’m honored that Kendal at Oberlin allowed me to join this amazing group, and I feel so lucky to have formed cherished friendships with my fellow participants. Meeting everyone face-to-face was such a treat, stepping out of our Zoom boxes to celebrate our year-long adventure. This program not only boosted my professional path but also strengthened my dedication and understanding of Kendal and the Quaker values,” Kelly says.

Kendal has a strong commitment to offering leadership training to its employees. About two dozen Kendal staffers have participated in LeadingAge Ohio’s Leadership Academy, as well as other leadership programs offered by Kendal Corporation, Friends Services Alliance and Lorain County.

“In order to really be an effective organization you need to have people with different characteristics and strengths. These leadership programs help people discover their authentic leadership,” says Ann O’Malley, Chief Financial Officer at Kendal and a coach for LeadingAge Ohio’s Leadership Academy.

Kelly is photographed with Seth Vilensky, Kendal at Oberlin CEO at the graduation.

06/10/2025

Kendal at Oberlin has achieved the highest ranking for being a safe, inclusive and welcoming life plan community for LGBTQ+ individuals, visitors, and staff.

The Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI), a national benchmarking tool and roadmap for U.S. senior housing communities to support efforts of LGBTQ+ inclusion of residents, visitors, and staff, is administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and SAGE.

Kendal is one of just 31 communities to achieve LEI’s top tier as “LGBTQ+ Long-Term Care Equality Leader.” In all, 274 communities participated in the 2025 survey.

“The vision of an inclusive and welcoming community has been part of Kendal’s values for decades and is one of the pillars of our current Strategic Plan. The LEI Survey created an opportunity for self-study of our procedures, messaging, and staff training as they are perceived by the LGBTQ+ community. We are so pleased to be recognized as a Leader in the LEI,” said Seth Vilensky, Chief Executive Officer.

In addition, Kendal was just one of two communities highlighted in the 2025 report.

In 2018, during Kendal’s 25th anniversary celebration, residents announced the formation of an awareness, advocacy and support group for le***an, gay, bis*xual, transgender, and other gender non-conforming residents, staff and allies at Kendal.

Since then, LGBTQ+ & Allies activities at Kendal have included:

Training sessions with related organizations at Oberlin College and in Lorain County;

Letter-writing campaigns to the Ohio governor and legislators advocating for civil rights for LGBTQ+, most recently voicing its opposition to the Ohio Bathroom Bill. This legislation, which went into effect in February, mandates that students in public schools in Ohio be restricted to using restrooms associated with their biological s*x assigned at birth without regard to their gender identity or gender expression. “This letter sent a strong signal that our community wanted to make Ohio a welcoming place for all seniors to spend their retirement years,” CEO Seth said.

Movies, speakers, book clubs and workshops held throughout the year, with added emphasis during June Pride Month;

This year, the LGBTQ+ & Allies established task groups to enhance its advocacy and action.

06/05/2025

“Even though I have only been here a year, it has been a very wild ride,” says Erica Hawkins, who this month celebrates her first anniversary working in Kendal’s Hospitality Services.

The life plan community, which opened in 1993, is in the midst of a major renovation involving its food service areas, including the kitchen and dining areas. Erica, as executive administrative assistant, is front and center.

“Part of my job during renovation has been ensuring that our residents are informed of the changes, so they can be prepared for what this time may bring them. I always tell myself ‘Don’t dwell on things that are out of my immediate control’ and that is how I have been handling this renovation process,” Erica says.

Her other job duties include menu creation, nutritional information gathering, updating WKAO menu slides and the website, invoicing, looking over payroll and anything else that may arise in a typical day at Kendal feeding hundreds of residents and staff.

Erica’s career has been in administration and food services, and a position at Brethren Care Village in Ashland introduced her to the many career opportunities in a retirement community.

“I knew that Kendal would be exactly what I was looking for, a place to stay and grow in my career,” she says. “My favorite aspect of working with older adults is hearing their stories. You never know what someone has been through, or what path they followed to lead them to where they are now. I love getting to know the residents, hearing their stories, and simply just speaking with them and hearing their wisdom.”

She returned to college after being hired by Kendal and will graduate in April 2026 from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a Bachelor of Business Administration.

When she’s not working or catching up on schoolwork, she enjoys tending to her house plants – 23 currently – and reading – she averages more than 150 books a year. She and her boyfriend enjoy traveling and exploring new places and activities, such as horseback riding in Kentucky.

05/28/2025

For nearly four years Crystal Hall has been Kendal’s Environmental Operations Manager, the top position in Housekeeping, a department she joined 22 years ago this month.

“Obviously, Kendal gives you a lot of opportunities for growth and thrives on watching employees do just that. I hadn't really noticed how many positions I had advanced to until just now writing all of them out – PRN housekeeping, full-time cleaning resident cottages, laundry operator, housekeeping team leader and housekeeping supervisor for Independent Living, which led me to my current position,” she says.

One perk of the job is getting to know Kendal residents and “hearing all the amazing stories they have to share – in 22 years I have heard a lot! I also enjoy all the staff that I have met along the way. They really do become your second family,” she says.

Crystal says working with older adults has taught her that there is “a lot of living left to do no matter what your age is. Although this is a retirement community most residents are still highly active and always involved in some type of project(s) or traveling. Very encouraging,” she says.

Crystal grew up in Oberlin and currently lives in Wellington with her husband Aaron and their 7-year-old son Colton. She enjoys scrapbooking, spending time with family, watching her son practice karate and living in the country.

“Currently I do not use Kendal’s exercise equipment room but before my son was born my husband and I would work out together here on average 5-6 days a week and really enjoyed the equipment they had to offer. Life is too busy now,” Crystal says.

05/01/2025

There are a number of Kendal at Oberlin staff in this post from !

04/20/2025

Just as nature awakens with vibrant colors and new life, we hope your holiday season is filled with warmth and joy. We wish you a very Happy Easter and Passover from all of us at Kendal at Oberlin!

04/11/2025

Kathy Helke, a STNA Care Partner in the Stephens Care Center, is celebrating her 30th anniversary working at Kendal.

“I started working part time as a Nursing Assistant at Kendal 30 yrs ago in the Health Center, which turned to full time weeks later. A few years later I was offered a Restorative Aide position, which was very rewarding. I got to work one on one with the residents’ individual needs,” she says.

Getting to know such interesting residents is one of the benefits of working at Kendal, Kathy says. “What I like best about Kendal is hearing about all their travels and life stories. I learned that aging is just a number, that you should live a healthy lifestyle to the fullest,” she says.

Kathy was born in Oberlin and except for a few years away has lived in Oberlin all her life. “I have a wonderful partner for 44 years, a daughter, two sons and grandkids. I enjoy biking, gardening and shopping at thrift stores,” she says.
Speaking of Stephens Care Center, did you know Kendal offers direct admission to assisted living? The center is staffed 24 hours a day by qualified personnel, and SCC residents enjoy many of the same opportunities that are available to all Kendal residents.

Amenities and services include:
• Private rooms that overlook beautiful gardens
• Chef-prepared meals
• Exceptional creative arts programming, including horticulture, art and music therapy

Explains Kim Preston, Director of Community Outreach:
“A big role I currently have as Outreach director is to meet the needs of older adults in the community beyond Kendal campus by helping them come to the Stephens Care Center for the care they need,” Kim says. “Call me if you know of friends or family who would benefit from care in the Stephens Care Center.”

Address

600 Kendal Drive
Oberlin, OH
44074

Website

https://kao.kendal.org/

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