New Office to Hold Non-Profit Accountable for “Change We Want to See in the World”

COLUMBUS, Ohio– National Church Residences has created a new Office of Employee Engagement that will focus on culture, leadership, equity and inclusion. This is the not-for-profit’s clear statement it will hold itself accountable for an employee culture open and inclusive to all.

Danielle Willis, formerly senior vice president of Human Resources for the organization, will lead the new office as senior vice president of employee engagement and chief diversity officer. Julie Fox, formerly vice president of education, will serve as vice president of engagement and leadership development.

“While we have always been very intentional in treating the 42,000 seniors we serve and our 2,800 employees with the utmost dignity and respect, our employees are looking to us to elevate our commitment to their experience,” said Mark Ricketts, president and CEO, National Church Residences. “We will hold our organization accountable to the immediate change we want to see in the world, and this new Office of Employee Engagement, under Danielle and Julie’s leadership, demonstrates our commitment to value each employee’s voice and experience.”

The office will oversee the development of policies and practices to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, servant leadership and career development.  A dashboard will measure progress on management and leadership diversity, employee retention and referrals, career readiness and staff mobility.

“This new office is the direct result of input we received from employees, our newly formed Anti-Racism Task Force and our board of directors,” Willis said. “From the frontline staff to the board, we intend to deliberately build and sustain a diverse, thriving, equitable and inclusive culture that values all employees regardless of race, color, religion or creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identification, age or disability.”

“By focusing resources to develop career pathways and servant leadership development programs we will intentionally seek a diverse population of future leaders within our organization,” Fox added. “We will be able to capitalize on our employees’ unique strengths, innovative ideas and passion through a cross functional focus that supports our teams and fosters unity.”

About National Church Residences
National Church Residences serves more than 42,000 seniors through its array of housing and health care services. The not-for-profit organization is driven by a vision of advancing better living for all seniors, enabling them to remain home for life. With 340 communities in 25 states, it is the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of affordable senior housing and the largest manager of service coordinators. The organization also offers residential senior communities, home and community-based services, as well as permanent supportive housing for the formerly homeless and disabled. For more information, visit us at NationalChurchResidences.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.