NEW HOLLAND, Pa. — Three of Pennsylvania’s leading nonprofit, faith-based senior living organizations — Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries of Altoona (ALSM), Liberty Lutheran Services of Ambler and Garden Spot Communities of New Holland — have announced plans to affiliate under the new parent company name Ilumin.
The affiliation is subject to the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and consents, which the three organizations hope to receive by spring of 2022.
The goal of Ilumin is to introduce innovative new services and programs to residents, offer employees more career opportunities, and have a stronger voice in negotiating contracts with healthcare providers.
The three organizations will share an executive leadership team led by Steve Lindsey, current CEO of Garden Spot Communities.
“Ilumin’s new tagline is Life With Purpose,” says Lindsey. “We will create an authentic community for our employees and those we serve, unified by a shared belief that purpose brings meaning to life. Our Lutheran and Mennonite values emphasize faith in action through serving others, and Ilumin will be the embodiment of that.”
Lindsey will be joined at the executive level by current leaders of the three affiliating organizations:
- Joan Myers from Liberty Lutheran will become chief operating officer
- John Barnum from Liberty Lutheran will become chief financial officer
- Lois Dostalik of ForgeWorks / Garden Spot will become chief culture officer
- Scott Miller of Garden Spot will become chief marketing officer
- Steve Jeffrey of Garden Spot will become chief strategy officer
- Chris Reighard of ALSM will become vice president of finance
Ilumin will be headquartered in New Holland. Liberty Lutheran and ALSM will continue to maintain corporate offices in Ambler and Altoona, respectively.
Patricia Savage, CEO of ALSM, and Luanne Fisher, CEO of Liberty Lutheran, will step down from their positions when the affiliation takes effect. Both intend to continue to serve in the nonprofit space.
“Each of our organizations was in strong financial health, enjoyed an excellent reputation in our individual communities, and had been seeking an opportunity to affiliate with the right partners,” says Savage. “As we began to explore a potential affiliation, it became abundantly clear to us that we shared so much in common that affiliating made very good sense.”
When the affiliation takes effect, Ilumin will rank among the 50 largest nonprofit senior living organizations in the nation. It will:
- Report nearly $140 million in revenue
- Serve nearly 40,000 people in 28 counties across Pennsylvania
- Offer more than 2,000 units of senior living on nine campuses as well as a variety of community-based, intergenerational services
- Employ nearly 2,000 team members
The affiliation was approved unanimously by the boards of all three organizations.