SUSTAINABLE STRENGTH
Sustaining Relationships, Community, & Environment
DEAR OAKWOOD FAMILY,
This year's message draws inspiration from the hymn, "Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower." It reminds us that God's strength isn't limited to the extraordinary; it's present in the everyday connections forged between residents, staff, and volunteers at Oakwood Village.
For over 75 years, God's faithfulness has showered blessings upon Oakwood. Today, as we navigate challenging economic times, workforce fluctuations, and the lingering effects of the pandemic, we trust in God for sustainable strength for Oakwood and the communities we impact.
Our unwavering commitment to our vision, mission, and values remains. We believe God will bless our work and provide hope for the future. The hymn's verse, "Oh keep me watchful, then, and humble," perfectly reflects this time at Oakwood. We are strategically strengthening our volunteer Board of Directors, leadership team, workforce, and volunteer programs to build a brighter tomorrow.
I hope you enjoy this year’s report. It celebrates achievements big and small, and shares stories of faithfulness, strength, and bright hope for tomorrow.
We are so very thankful for the support shown by so many friends, supporters, dedicated team members, and volunteers, as well as, of course, the amazing residents we are privileged to serve.
Join us in cultivating a life where we all thrive together.
Jan Hamilton-Crawford President and Chief Executive Officer
Lynn Schwantes stands with the control panels for the solar panels.
HARNESSING
SOLAR ENERGY
A Sunny Addition to Prairie Ridge
Venturing along the walking path behind Settlers Ridge apartments on a vibrant spring day offers familiar sights: budding plants from the Oakwood resident gardens, children playing at the nearby city park, and the beautiful landscape that Prairie Ridge campus enjoys. This spring, however, there is a new sight to behold if you shift your gaze up and to the north: 222 solar panels, which were installed on the Settlers Ridge rooftop this past winter.
The idea to install solar panels took root several years ago thanks to the work of a previous resident of Prairie Ridge. While technology initially limited the project’s feasibility, the dream remained. In January of 2022, the Prairie Ridge Green Committee formed, and solar panels became their top priority. Members of the
committee worked with Legacy Solar Co-Op to craft a proposal for the Oakwood Foundation. The proposal identified Settlers Ridge’s expansive south-facing roof as the ideal location.
As luck would have it, Settlers Ridge was scheduled to get a new roof in 2022. Lynn Schwantes, Chair of the Green Committee notes, “the coincidence of having a brandnew roof lead to the most optimal conditions for solar panels; the roof has a 30-year life, the panels have a 25–30-year life, so it was the right time.”
After a highly successful capital campaign, planning for the project began in June of 2023 with Legacy Solar assisting with the permitting and contractor selection process. Approvals from Alliant Energy and
the City of Madison followed in November, and Olson Solar spent the coldest months of winter getting the panels ready to soak up the sun come spring.
At peak performance, the solar panels will provide up to 100 kilowatts of electricity — enough to satisfy about half of the electrical demand of the Settlers Ridge common areas, or the equivalent of 19 residential homes.
Over the panels’ 25-year lifetime, the carbon footprint of the Prairie Ridge campus will be reduced by about 100 tons.
While environmental stewardship was the main driver of the solar panel project, the financial stewardship of the Oakwood mission will also see positive impacts through average annual savings of over $17,000 in utility spending — allowing the project to essentially pay for itself by 2032.
By the end of the solar panels’ lifetime, it is estimated that Oakwood will realize a net benefit of nearly $450,000 when factoring in the project cost and estimates of rising energy costs during that time.
On February 6, a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially unveiled this exciting addition to the Prairie Ridge campus. Representatives from Oakwood Village, the Oakwood Foundation, Legacy Solar, and Olson Solar all participated, alongside State Senator Melissa Agard.
Senator Agard commended residents for their advocacy for the environment and future generations, and offered congratulations for their years’ worth of persistence in those efforts paying off.
Senator Melissa Agard and Oakwood President and CEO, Jan Hamilton-Crawford cut the ribbon at the solar panel dedication ceremony.
COMPOSTING
TAKES ROOT AT OAKWOOD
There's no better way to embrace sustainability than by finding new uses for what we throw away. That’s why University Woods resident Claire Box brought a new idea to the Green Committee: composting.
Claire had already been composting at Oakwood through a Sun Prairiebased company called Green Box. Sara Roberts, the Green Committee's new chair, liked the idea and got to work with Claire. Together with the members of the Green Committee, Claire and Sara envisioned a program that would empower University Woods residents to reduce their environmental footprint. In July of 2023, bins from Green Box made their way to Oakwood’s campuses — the result of a true team effort.
"This is a pretty environmentally conscious group,” Sara explains.
Residents pay a fee for participation, with the per-resident fee decreasing as more residents sign up. They can use their own bin for collection or get one from Green Box. The large bins are located outside of the independent living buildings for resident use, and Green Box picks up and replaces them with empty ones on a weekly basis.
The impact of the composting program goes far beyond reducing landfill waste. Food scraps, a major contributor to climate change due to their release of methane gas, are now being transformed into a valuable resource.
The nutrient-rich soil that results from composting is often called “black gold,” as it is a highly prized fertilizer for plants.
"We're happy that we're trying to do our very small bit for the environment," Sara beams.
What’s more, the Green Committee collaborated with the Oakwood Culinary Services department to divert additional food waste. An eco-minded and generous donor to the Oakwood Foundation made a donation to get a Green Box bin for Culinary so that food waste from Oakwood’s main kitchens could be diverted away from landfills.
Claire Box gathers compost scraps to empty into the Green Box bins.
Laurie Sachtjen, Oakwood’s Senior Director of Culinary Services, has happily embraced composting in her department.
“I think it’s fantastic!” Laurie remarks. “It’s a great way to have an impact, especially with the volume of food waste we produce.”
Enthusiasm for composting was shared by the Green Committee at the Prairie Ridge campus, who have also partnered with Green Box. Green Committee Chair Lynn Schwantes reports that Prairie Ridge now has
30 composters, and they diverted more than 2,000 pounds of waste from the landfill in the second half of 2023!
Despite the success, launching the program wasn’t as easy as it may seem. Challenges included how to recruit residents, how to track participation, and how to charge residents for the service without adding strain to the Oakwood Finance Department. Sara and Claire decided to huddle with the Finance department, and settled on a 6-month billing cycle that would streamline logistics for Finance.
“We’re happy that we’re trying to do our very small bit for the environment.”
– SARA ROBERTS
“Compliance with composting guidelines was a concern, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Sara says.
One other example: the committee had purchased liners for individual kitchens, but not everyone used them. Despite these initial anxieties, residents have embraced composting with a remarkable sense of responsibility. Today, the University Woods program boasts an impressive 56 active composters and have composted over 5,400 pounds of food waste to date.
For Sara, who spent her career as a nurse working with nonprofits, the Green Committee is a perfect fit.
"When I retired, I was searching for an environmental thing to do," Sara explains. "The people here are fabulous — the committee members are so engaged."
Filled with passionate individuals like Sara, Claire, and Lynn, Oakwood Village is proving that age is just a number when it comes to making a positive impact on the planet.
From Scraps to Soil
More than 7,400lbs of food waste has been collectively composted through the program from July – December 2023. There are 86 households and counting that are participating in the composting program.
7,400lbs
IN 6 MONTHS
Compost contributions in 2023 weighed more than the average hippo.
7,000lbs
RECYCLING
WITH WALLY BRINKMANN
Prairie Ridge Green Committee member, Wally Brinkmann, is passionate about eco-friendly initiatives. Though Oakwood campuses have long had trash and recycling receptacles for residents and staff, Wally noticed that things weren’t being properly sorted for recycling. So she took charge.
She created 23 user-friendly instructive bulletin boards to hang in each trash room of the Prairie Ridge independent living buildings. The boards help guide residents through which items can be recycled (and which can’t), and which bins to put items in.
The boards are user-friendly and have garnered praise from residents, who are grateful for Wally’s efforts.
ILLUMINATING
A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Not long ago, Garth Stroble noticed Oakwood was in the dark about their lighting.
“I’d noticed all of the lights in the hallways of our buildings were always on, even in the middle of the night.” Garth, a Prairie Ridge resident, explains. “So I mentioned it at a Green Committee meeting. I thought we should look at ways to reduce lighting without impacting residents.”
With support from the committee, Garth walked the campus and made notes about all the lighting. He brought his notes to campus leadership to discuss changes that would be actionable and cost effective.
From there, Wade Little, Facilities Services Director, contacted Renew Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that promotes renewable energy across the state. Renew Wisconsin connected Wade with WIER Energy Group, a lighting solutions company out of Illinois, who then conducted an audit of the lighting at both Oakwood campuses.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Wade states. “We’re saving energy and we’re saving money. It’s good for our finances and it’s good for the environment.”
Once he reviewed the proposal from WIER, Wade wrote a grant request to the Oakwood Foundation for the project. David Mossner, Executive Director of the Oakwood Foundation, is excited about the prospects of the new lighting.
“Oakwood donors have embraced projects like this before,” David says. “This project will conserve energy and save money. Because it’s paid for with gifts, Oakwood will benefit from the savings shortly after this project goes live.”
“If it’s not already LED, it will be,” Wade explains.
In addition, controls will be installed on the circuits to make them dimmable, and some will be able to be controlled remotely. WIER will also be installing two electric vehicle charging stations on the campus, bringing the total number of charging stations on the campus to four.
The project’s two-month timeline will see more than 300 old fixtures replaced with new LEDs. Don’t worry, the Green Committee is thinking green all the way. They are working to repurpose the old fixtures whenever it is possible. This project is a win-win for sustainability and efficiency, all completed within the year!
"I joined the Green Committee to find ways Oakwood can reduce our carbon footprint," Garth shares. "And this project is doing just that."
Garth Stroble reviews the proposal from WIER Energy Group.
“I joined the Green Committee to find ways Oakwood can reduce our carbon footprint.”
– GARTH STROBLE
The Future is Bright
LED lamps and tubes not only consume a fraction of the energy consumed by older lighting technologies like incandescent lamps, they can last almost five times as long. LEDs also contain no mercury. By doing nothing more than investing in this lighting upgrade, Oakwood is helping future generations enjoy our planet. ENERGY USE REDUCTION 86%
TOTAL SAVINGS $909,806 OVER 20 YEARS ANNUAL SAVINGS $36,126
WELLNESS
WITHIN
New Support Stations for Staff
Often in a healthcare setting, the emotional and spiritual well-being of healthcare professionals can seem like an invisible issue. Oakwood Village is taking steps to make it tangible and bring much-needed support directly to their dedicated staff. Enter the Staff Support Stations — a week-long initiative on each campus that is designed to promote resilience, teach positive coping mechanisms, and offer invaluable self-care practices.
Inspired by a similar program at Texas Children’s Hospital, Chaplain Nicole Espe saw a need for this at Oakwood. The stations go beyond words; they offer interactive activities that cater to the different aspects of well-being.
“Spiritual and emotional support is so invisible to people,” Nicole states.
“And this makes it visible.”
There are three primary categories of support that the stations center on: emotional, self-care, and relational. These stations provide safe spaces for staff to navigate challenging emotions, process experiences, and find healing during difficult times.
Serving residents starts with serving the individuals who care for them.
“For us as chaplains, there is no delineation between staff care and
resident care.” Reverend Tyler Whatley, Oakwood’s Director of Spiritual Care, says. “A spiritually and emotionally healthy workforce will inevitably provide the best care and service to residents.”
"Healthcare professionals often neglect their own well-being." Nicole states. "Through the self-care stations, staff learn various self-care techniques, from stress-busting physical activities to mindfulness practices, ensuring they remain healthy and empowered."
Recognizing the importance of community, relational care stations foster connections between staff members, building a strong support network that enhances resilience and provides a sense of belonging.
The positive response has been overwhelming. Staff members express gratitude for “being thought of” and appreciate the visible affirmation of their value. They see it as a concrete way to acknowledge the ofteninvisible emotional labor they perform.
“Serving staff IS serving residents,” Nicole explains, echoing Rev. Tyler’s sentiments. “Residents benefit from staff who are supported.”
This initiative signifies a shift towards a more holistic approach to staff support at Oakwood. It acknowledges that serving residents starts with serving the individuals who care for them. By prioritizing staff well-being, Oakwood fosters a sustainable environment
where everyone thrives — staff, residents, and the entire community.
As Nicole puts it, “This is about helping people navigate the waters or just being in the boat with them while they figure it out; giving them some light.”
Let’s all shine a light on the emotional and spiritual well-being of our valuable healthcare professionals.
INVESTING IN OUR OWN
Wade Little (center) examines controls with his team.
Peter Thurlow is one of the University Woods Facilities Services Technicians who will be taking the classes.
A New Training Program for Facilities Services
Oakwood is taking a big step forward in investing in its Facilities Services (FS) team with a brand-new training program. This initiative aims to not only improve the department’s efficiency, but also to empower its technicians and boost morale.
The program was born out of a key observation: while the FS techs were dedicated and hardworking, they weren’t being utilized to their full potential.
“We were outsourcing a lot of work — 98% of it, in fact,” Wade Little, Oakwood’s Facilities Services Director says. “This program will allow our team to take on many of these tasks themselves, saving the organization money and giving them a greater sense of ownership.”
Developed in partnership with Madison College, the program offers a comprehensive curriculum covering essential skills in electrical work, appliance repair, HVAC systems, building structures, and plumbing. Classes will be held once per week for four hours over the course of a year, with technicians being tested on each module. As they progress, their pay will increase, reflecting their growing skillset.
This program is designed to be inclusive, with all FS techs, including supervisors, participating. The goal is to foster a collaborative learning environment where the team can share knowledge and build camaraderie.
“It’s about working together, learning together, and feeling a sense of pride in what we do,” Wade explains.
This collaborative approach is expected to have a positive impact on retention rates within the department, ensuring the team’s strength and sustainability.
The excitement surrounding the program is palpable. The FS techs are eager to get started and develop their capabilities. University Woods FS Tech Peter Thurlow has been at Oakwood for almost eight years and is looking forward to the program.
“I was thrilled when Wade announced this program,” Peter explains. “The opportunity to advance my career here at Oakwood is very exciting!”
Funding for the program comes from a combination of internal resources from the Oakwood Foundation and
a Fast Forward worker training grant from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
This initiative builds on similar experiences from Wade’s past.
“We’ve seen the positive impact of this type of training before,” Wade says.
“It’s the key to building a sustainable FS team, and we’re confident it will be a game-changer for Oakwood.”
The program kicks off this year, and its success promises to empower the FS techs, improve departmental efficiency, and ultimately contribute to a more positive and productive work environment at Oakwood.
FS Tech Michael Kieffer will be participating in the training classes.
Wade provides instruction to his team.
“It’s about working together, learning together, and feeling a sense of pride in what we do.”
– WADE LITTLE
SUPPORTING
37th Largest Employer in Dane County
Total
556 EMPLOYEES
406 FULL TIME
150 PART TIME
As of 2023, nearly 75% of Oakwood employees are full time.
Prairie Ridge
233 EMPLOYEES
University Woods
306 EMPLOYEES
Oakwood Preferred Services
17 EMPLOYEES
Support Where it Matters Most
The Oakwood Foundation has established funds to support our employees in various ways.
Oakwood Education Grants
Oakwood encourages employees to pursue continuing education in order develop the skills and knowledge to better serve our community of older adults. Thanks to donor gifts, Oakwood is excited to provide educational support to all eligible employees.
Oakwood Education Grants are available to full and part-time employees who have a minimum of six months of service at Oakwood. Eligible employees may apply for as much as $3,000 per year by submitting a brief application and providing a copy of the tuition bill or invoice.
In 2023, $40,717 was awarded to 23 employees through Oakwood Education Grants.
Employee Emergency Aid Fund
Requests to the Employee Emergency Aid Fund may be made to assist with health or hardship situations faced by an employee or their spouse or child; additionally, the fund can be drawn from in cases of a disaster (fire, flood, or a natural disaster) that impacts an employee’s primary residence.
In total, $19,770 from the Foundation’s Employee Emergency Aid Fund was distributed to employees in 2023.
Your generous gifts to the Employee Education Fund and the Employee Emergency Aid Fund ensures that money will be available when staff members need our help.
Thank you for your support.
Saying "Thank You”
Healthcare needs dedicated caregivers like those working throughout Oakwood’s two campuses.
Thanks to the generous support of donors, the Oakwood Foundation was able to distribute more than $309,585 in gifts to employees in 2023.
In total, 686 Oakwood employees received checks ranging from $25 to $800 based upon their length of service and hours worked. Thank you for your service to older adults!
OUR IMPACT
Back to Health, Back to Home
Skilled Nursing Facilities across both campuses discharged 1,033 patients in 2023. Of those, 91% of patients were non-residents.
46 Oakwood Residents
363
Non-Residents discharged in 2023 from University Woods Hebron Oaks Rehab
581
Non-Residents discharged in 2023 from Prairie Ridge HRC Skilled Nursing Facility discharged from HRC
Oakwood Residents
43 discharged from Hebron
Making Better Charitable Care Possible
In 2023, Oakwood provided $3,229,607 in unreimbursed care and services to older adults.
Your gifts to the Oakwood Foundation make the care and services possible for those who outlive their resources.
This total includes care provided to skilled nursing Medicaid patients, assisting living residents in the Family Care program, residents living at Oakwood under the HUD voucher program, and special contracts.
The number represents the difference between Oakwood’s actual reimbursements through these programs for providing services vs. income Oakwood could have realized by charging market rate.
You provide critical help every day at Oakwood, whether it’s through gifts, support, programming,
training, and employee education and appreciation, or when extraordinary times necessitate extra assistance.
In 2022 and 2023, Oakwood contended with high costs due to hiring staff through temp agencies. Thanks to you and many generous donors, the Foundation used the Continuing Care Endowment Fund to help Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries cover a larger amount of unreimbursed care.
The Foundation Board of Directors approved a grant of $3,200,000 in 2023 to address areas of need while the organization strives to become better financial stewards.
In 2024, the Oakwood Foundation anticipates continuing to help with the cost of unreimbursed care closer to previous levels of support.
Medicaid is the State of Wisconsin’s healthcare funding source for the indigent. Family Care is a Medicaid program which provides long-term care and services to help frail elders.
“Special contracts” refer to situations where Oakwood takes on the cost of care for an individual who has outlived their financial resources and is not eligible for public funding support.
Total Unreimbursed Care and Services
Organizations who received a gift of support in 2023 include:
Bethel Food Pantry
Briarpatch Youth Services
Grace Episcopal Food Pantry
Just Dane
Lakeview Lutheran Food Pantry
Lutheran Disaster Response
Madison Area Jail Ministry
Middleton Outreach Ministry
Porchlight
Oakwood Packers
Open Doors for Refugees
Second Harvest Food Bank
St. Stephen’s Food Pantry
The Beacon
The Road Home
Monthly Ministries
Oakwood supports community nonprofits through our monthly ministry program.
Thanks to the generosity of the Spiritual Life Committees and donors at both campuses, support of area nonprofits through the Monthly Ministry continued to grow in 2023.
The Monthly Ministry program supports primarily local organizations doing great work in the broader community. Oakwood residents determine the nonprofit organizations that benefit from gifts received through our Monthly Ministry program.
Dollars donated annually through Oakwood’s Monthly Ministry Program
Donations Travel Far
The people who live and work at Oakwood care about the well-being of older adults.
This is why so many choose to give to the Oakwood Foundation. Their gifts help Oakwood cover the cost of care for those who have outlived their resources; improve spaces and programs on our two campuses; and help recognize the work of our caring and dedicated staff by funding celebrations and employee appreciation gifts.
Donors improve the care and services offered at Oakwood, support our employees, and help strengthen our organization for the future.
In 2023, donors to the Oakwood Foundation included:
DONORS FROM OUTSIDE OF OAKWOOD
384
UNIVERSITY WOODS RESIDENTS
203
PRAIRIE RIDGE RESIDENTS
217
OAKWOOD STAFF MEMBERS
162
Oakwood is proud to contribute to the health of our State’s economy by doing business locally.
$44.5M spent on vendors in the State of Wisconsin in 2023
PAYMENT FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES*
$186,106 paid by Oakwood to the City of Madison for Municipal Services in 2023
*In 2001, Oakwood agreed to pay the City of Madison an annual Payment for Municipal Services. Oakwood was the first nonprofit senior housing provider in the area to work with the City on this issue; many nonprofit providers in Madison do not make a similar payment.
2024 Community Partners
The Oakwood Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following business partners who have made the decision to support our organization as an Oakwood Community Partner in 2024. Through their generosity, these businesses have expressed a commitment to serving the Oakwood community and provide additional resources to enhance our programs and services. If you know individuals associated with these organizations, please thank them for choosing to support Oakwood as a Community Partner.
If your business is interested in joining us as an Oakwood Community Partner, we welcome your support.
Call (608) 230-4441 to learn more!
Gold Partner
Giving at the $10,000 level
Community Partner Giving at the $1,500 level
Alliant Energy Corporation
CliftonLarsonAllen
Coyle Carpet One, LLC
Cress Funeral and Cremation Services
Cricket Design Works
CTW Abbey Carpet & Floor
Econoprint, Inc.
Eppstein Uhen Architects
First Business Bank
Hooper Corporation
Husch Blackwell
M3 Insurance
Mead and Hunt
Monona Plumbing & Fire Protection, Inc.
North American Mechanical, Inc.
Oimoen Electric
Parasol Alliance
Ziegler Capital Management
Oakwood’s Sponsoring Congregations
Oakwood was established by an association of Lutheran churches who believed Madison could, and should, offer quality care and services to older adults. We are grateful for the continued support of our sponsoring congregations.
Advent Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
All Saints Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Bethel Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Bristol Lutheran Church ELCA, Sun Prairie
Burke Lutheran Church ELCA, Sun Prairie
Christ Lutheran Church ELCA, DeForest
Common Grace, Madison
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Hope Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Immanuel Lutheran Church ELCA, Mount Horeb
Immanuel Lutheran Church LC-MS, Madison
Lakeview Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Luther Memorial Church ELCA, Madison
Lutheran Church of the Living Christ LC-MS, Madison
Messiah Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Midvale Community Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Mount Olive Lutheran Church LC-MS, Madison
New Heights Lutheran Church ELCA, Black Earth
Norway Grove Lutheran Church ELCA, DeForest
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church ELCA, Sun Prairie
Peace Lutheran Church ELCA, Waunakee
Spring Prairie Lutheran Church ELCA, DeForest
St. James Lutheran Church ELCA, Verona
St. John’s Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
St. John’s Lutheran Church ELCA, Prairie du Sac
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church ELCA, Middleton
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
St. Martin’s Lutheran Church ELCA, Cross Plains
St. Paul Lutheran Church LC-MS, Madison
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church LC-MS, Arlington
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church ELCA, Monona
The Church, Fitchburg
Trinity Lutheran Church ELCA, Madison
Two Steeples Parish, Blue Mounds and Mount Horeb
United in Christ Lutheran Church ELCA, Morrisonville
Vermont Lutheran Church ELCA, Black Earth
West Middleton Lutheran Church ELCA, Verona
Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries Board of Directors
Peder Moren, Chair
Chairman and Founding Member, Food Fight Restaurant Group
Jill Derr, Vice Chair
Chief Financial Officer and Director of Client Financial Organization, Resonant Capital Advisors
Tom Hanson, Treasurer Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Retired), Alliant Energy Corporation
Dan Stein, Secretary President (Retired), Second Harvest Foodbank
Curtis Bush
Clinical Associate Professor (Retired), University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Family Medicine
Dorothy Edwards Faculty Director, University of Wisconsin-Madison Collaborative Center for Health Equity
Barbara Gessner Professor (Retired), University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing
Kevin Hayden Chief Executive Officer (Retired), Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin
Sarah Kruger (Ex-Officio) Clinical Professor (Retired), University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing
Tom Rivers Agency Services Manager (Retired), American Family Insurance
Kelly Sitkin Chief Development Officer, American Brain Tumor Association
Calvin Williams Instructor (Retired), Madison College
CORE VALUES
Compassion
We care deeply about the people we serve and the people whom we work with on a daily basis to create a community of caring.
Faith
As a Lutheran organization, faith is a core value. Faith goes beyond religion; it is a deep honoring of the human spirit.
Inclusion
We strive to consider different perspectives to create fair, welcoming, and accessible experiences for all people.
Dedication
We view our work as a calling. We are here for each other.
Integrity
Oakwood is built on trust. Our teams work to be transparent and fair.
CAREERS
People Thrive Here
Oakwood consists of two vibrant communities of exceptional people who share, listen, and grow together. We are united in the belief that every interaction matters. We focus first and foremost on the wellness of our residents. We recognize that the quality of our care rests on the quality of our staff, so we empower staff to do their work well and lend a hand when it’s needed. As a nonprofit organization, we reinvest in our community with the goal of being the best in our industry.