CMSS is proud to introduce Board Member Leslie Knight. Leslie retired at the end of 2017 after an impressive career, including 43 years working at LeadingAge, a national association of non-profit providers of aging services. At LeadingAge Leslie was the Vice President of Member and State Relations, where she served on the organization’s leadership team and worked with member and state organizations nationwide.
Leslie’s work with LeadingAge gives her a unique perspective on non-profits in the field of aging. In overseeing Member Relations, Leslie grew to know an array of organizations in the aging space, including the challenges they face and the missions that set them apart from for-profit providers. Leslie received her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Iowa. In addition to her service on the CMSS Board of Directors, Leslie serves on the Board of Lorenzo’s House.
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Q: Can you tell us about when and how you first heard about CMSS and what initially interested you about the organization?
CMSS has been a long-standing member of LeadingAge, the DC-based national organization of non-profit aging services organizations. In 1985, I established the first regional LeadingAge office in Chicago, and the first member organization I visited was CMSS. I felt welcomed to Chicago by Jeanne Heid-Grubman, who worked there then and is now the VP of Memory Care. The fact that CMSS was an urban community serving moderate- and low-income seniors interested me since those populations have been woefully underserved.
Q: In your career, you spent so much of your time working and communicating with non-profit organizations. What unique challenges do you find non-profits face in the field of aging?
Non-profits have a voluntary Board of Directors or Trustees that provide oversight and strategic guidance. This presents a unique challenge for non-profits to recruit and retain excellent Board members who bring expertise, talent, and vision to the organization. The Board can be a defining part of an organization, and ensuring the right stewards participate is important.
Non-profits also face the unique and continuous challenge of fundraising. To fulfill their mission, non-profit organizations provide services and programs to fulfill their mission and must make up for the gap that exists between the cost of providing services and the price of those services.
Q: Your professional background is impressive, as you remained with one organization for 43 years. Can you tell us how the field of aging has changed since the beginning of your career?
In some ways, the aging of our society has not changed. For example, I think ageism is alive and well today. It still surprises me how our society devalues older individuals. However, there have been changes among aging service providers. For example, until recently, almost all non-profit aging providers were religiously sponsored. Now, there has been a move away from those religious affiliations, and these providers are becoming non-sectarian, like CMSS.
I have noticed more recent trends, including non-profit organizations selling their long-term care communities. This is mainly due to the cost of operating a nursing home community and the low government reimbursement rate. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic and healthcare staffing issues are exacerbating the challenge of managing and maintaining these facilities as a non-profit.
I have also noticed more women in leadership positions for aging care providers. When I started, CEOs and other executive leadership were predominantly men. Now, these positions in this field are predominantly held by women. Additionally, the field has grown in professionalism. There was a time when many community operators were retired ministers or people who were dedicated to the mission but didn’t necessarily have the leadership skills of a CEO. That has changed, now there is always an expectation that executives have those management, business, and leadership skills.
Q: How has your academic and professional background informed your leadership on the CMSS Board?
I have always been interested in the topic of aging. My grandmother lived with my family for most of my childhood and adolescence. When she needed to leave our home to live in a nursing home, it was exceptionally hard on our family.
In college, I studied English Literature, which helped broaden my thinking. Societal issues like aging and caring for aging individuals were part of many subjects in my liberal arts education. After college, I wanted to find work that was mission-driven.
When I first started at LeadingAge (then it was called the American Association of Homes for the Aging), there were only five people on staff. It was a fantastic learning opportunity because everyone had to do everything. I gained experience in the field working to help to organize state associations, and writing a regular newsletter, which eventually got me interested in photography, and regularly participated in board meetings and strategic planning sessions for state affiliates and member communities. I was lucky to get to do so much on-the-job learning. Over the years, I visited hundreds of diverse senior communities across the country. I was proud to act as a connector helping people in the field meet and learn from each other.
A highlight of my career was coordinating relief efforts for LeadingAge members in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. We raised $1.8 million, and I was able to distribute those funds to provide relief for older adults.
Q: We greatly appreciate your leadership on our Board. Could you share which CMSS programs and initiatives you are most enthusiastic about and what you are eagerly anticipating for the organization?
I am honored to be a member of the CMSS Board of Directors, and I think all of our current programs are very exciting. I am looking forward to seeing how we expand all of our programs in the future. I am especially excited about the services that we are able to provide out in the community, like through SASI Home Care. Programs that meet people where they are, in their homes, have a real potential for growth.
Q: While we know you spend some of your time these days supporting CMSS and Lorenzo’s House, what else are you doing as you enjoy your retirement?
My number one passion is traveling, and I’ve been fortunate to have been able to traveling the past few years. My freedom to travel has been such a gift. Also, I am very blessed to have a cottage in southwest Michigan in Harbor Country, and one of my greatest joys is taking photos of the Lake Michigan sunset. I love to do yoga, go for walks, and swim. Most importantly I cherish the time I spend with family and friends. Work defines who we are for so much of our lives, so retirement is an amazing change.
