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 adu

lts 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.

04/16/2026

This month Brian Milligan celebrates his 14th anniversary as a PRN driver for Kendal.

He loves the versatility of his job. Some weeks Brian works 10 hours, other times 30, some days he’s behind the wheel of a bus, other times a medical transport or Prius. Some trips take him to local stores, others to Cleveland concerts. “Never a dull moment,” he says.

But the past part of the job, Brain will tell you, are his passengers.

“People attach themselves to me, and I attach myself to them. They’re like family to me,” Brian says.

The feeling is mutual, say residents like Mary Joy Leaper, who last year nominated Brian for a LeadingAge Ohio Stars Award.

“I was new to Kendal, to Oberlin, to Ohio; everything was new, including being without a car,” Mary Joy wrote. “Brian did all he could to make me feel comfortable on my first shopping trip on the Kendal bus, explaining at every step what the routine was. Now, he always remembers that I need a small shopping cart and goes out of his way to find one for me.

Brian does this for every Kendal resident he serves; he is unfailingly friendly, attentive, willing, and caring. ‘I’m here for you,’ Brian said the first time I got on the bus. Those words could be considered his ‘theme song,’ and I have witnessed him living them many times.”

Mary Joy’s nomination moved the LeadingAge evaluators so much that they chose Brian to be given the first-ever Changemaker Award.

Brian lives about 45 minutes from Kendal in Medina County with his wife Linda. They foster dogs and enjoy month-long trips in their RV. Next up, is Savannah, Georgia and other stops along the East Coast.

02/23/2026

Diane Thomson’s job in Kendal’s Laundry Services is quite physical, and that suits her just fine. “I’m not meant to be behind a desk,” says Diane, who celebrates her third anniversary working at Kendal this month.

Diane and the other two full-time and one part-time employees launder linens, bedding and towels for all residents and personal items for many Stephens Care Center residents. That means sorting, spot treating, washing, drying and then folding or hanging clothes, depending on the resident’s preference. They also do laundry for the kitchen, physical therapy and the Early Learning Center.

“I have to admit sometimes at the end of the day I’m whooped. We move all day” says the 61-year-old laundry operator.

The job, of course, includes going through pockets, where it’s not uncommon to find tissues and the occasional hearing aid, lipstick or keys. “One man kept leaving his wallet in a pocket and I said, ‘I think he’s trying to tip me,” she jokes.

Kendal uses only fragrance-free detergent, wool balls rather than sheets for drying and Dawn detergent and an enzyme remover for stains.

Laundry Supervisor Sally Eber gives tours of the laundry room every couple of months. “Residents love the tour. She shows them everything. Many residents tell us afterwards that if they come into the Stephens Care Center they know they’ll be taken care of,” she says.

Sometimes at lunch she and Sally head to the exercise room for a short workout or outside for a walk, the pair is photographed in action in the fitness center.

Diane lives in nearby Henrietta Township with her partner of many years. And yes, she does the laundry at home but since joining Kendal now does a better job.
Says Diane, “I have a better understanding of laundry and check more.”

01/30/2026

Kendal is delighted to celebrate Ann O’Malley, CFO who will be honored with the Alumnae Award of Excellence at Magnificat High School 's gala this year Please join us in congratulating Ann on this well‑deserved honor. Her impact at Kendal and in the broader community continues to inspire us all. Congratulations, Ann!

12/25/2025

Happy Holidays from Kendal at Oberlin! Here’s to joy, peace, and a bright year ahead.

12/23/2025

Holiday Cheer at Kendal at Oberlin!

Our departments brought their creativity, teamwork, and holiday spirit to this year’s Tree Decorating Contest—and the results were absolutely spectacular. A huge thank‑you to all the departments who participated and helped spread the magic of the holidays throughout our campus.

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.

Address

600 Kendal Drive
Oberlin, OH
44074

Website

https://kao.kendal.org/

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