Linda Perry is the much loved and very busy office manager at Wesley at Tehaleh. Her road to Wesley is a fascinating story!
Although Linda was an only child, she was not the only child in her home in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in Africa. She and her mother lived with her grandparents. Her grandfather had two wives, and each wife had ten children. In those days, polygamy was a sign of prosperity. Linda’s grandmother’s last child was born the same year she was, making Linda the same age as her aunt!
Going international
When Linda was 12, her biological father invited her to come to America to live with him and attend school. He had secured a scholarship for her at Breck, a private school near his home in Minneapolis. Wanting to get to know her father, Linda accepted his offer. Speaking only French and never having boarded an airplane, Linda flew alone to Boston to be reunited with her father. From there, she was treated to her first American road trip as they drove from Boston to Minneapolis.
Linda relays that Côte d’Ivoire boasts three seasons: warm and dry [November to March], hot and dry [March to May], and hot and wet [June to October]. Temperatures average between 77 degrees and 89.6 degrees. The African climate Linda was used to bore little resemblance to that of Minneapolis. She had never seen snow. Besides learning English, she also needed to learn Minnesota survival skills! In 1996, the family moved to Washington State. Linda attended Kent Meridian High School, earned a Business Administration degree from the University of Puget Sound, and plans to earn a master’s degree when time allows. She became a U.S. citizen in 2000.
When Linda met Richard Perry, she recognized they shared a deep faith. She also appreciated his 6’5” height because – at 5’11” – she could continue to wear heels! Unfortunately, after just three dates, Linda was off to Switzerland to fulfill her promise to live with her mother and stepfather for a year.
After a whirlwind courtship, largely via Facetime, Richard proposed. Linda accepted. Their engagement party was in Switzerland, and they married in Bellevue, WA, in 2013.
Life at Wesley
This background gives Linda a unique foundation for her position at Wesley – and a perspective centered in faith.
“I like that I am able to be make a difference in achieving the mission of the organization,” says Linda. “I also like positively impacting residents, their families, and staff by tapping into my faith in Jesus Christ. It is a privilege and honor to share time with older adults who have lived amazing lives, hear their stories and meet their families. I am grateful, just as many of my colleagues are, that residents choose to spend this season of their lives with us at Wesley. I’ve come to truly love the senior living industry.”
In addition to her daily duties managing business office operations, Linda handles accounts payable and receivable services, Front Desk and guest services, new employee orientation and onboarding, resident services, and notary services.
Opportunities to grow
“Wesley has given me many opportunities to learn and grow,” says Linda. “The organization has invested in my training, and I am grateful.”
An example of that investment is the LeadingAge Leadership Institute. “I am currently enrolled,” says Linda. “This investment from Wesley helps to confirm my reasons for being part of this organization. I like what I do, and I like my coworkers.”
As a member of Wesley’s first class of Lean Champions, Linda is a process improvement agent for Wesley at Tehaleh.
“Lean Champions act as teachers, educating the entire organization on the importance of Lean,” says Linda. “We are also facilitators, helping to address organizational challenges and keep Lean initiatives on schedule. As a Lean Champion and now a Lean Advisor for my campus, I use Lean methodologies to continuously improve any process through the elimination of waste in everything we do. It all benefits the residents.
“One of our main projects this year is the Memory Care Brunch & Learn Series,” continues Linda. “These are quarterly sessions with the families of The Arbor memory care residents. We invite industry experts to educate the families on different topics and encourage discussions and dialogue. Our theme is ‘Learning & Building Community’. We want to provide opportunities for families and caregivers to learn more about how to navigate life with a loved one with dementia. They can also build relationships with other families who are in the same season of life.”
The right choice
In choosing Wesley three years ago, Linda knew from about Wesley’s mission and the faith in which the organization operates. “I wanted to be a part of this mission,” she says.
What Linda has also come to learn is that Wesley evolves just as much for staff as it does for residents.
“I admire that Wesley is an organization that seeks and continues to grow in its operations by adapting various programs. The newest change is that Wesley will now cover 75 percent of healthcare premiums for dependents. This is a big value add for employees,” says Linda.
And of course, there are the day-to-day interactions with co-workers.
“I think there is a healthy balance of fun and seriousness to working at Wesley,” says Linda. “We have fun during all team meetings: may it be with harvest parties, an Italian soda bar to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, to Christmas parties, etc. I think the staff really strives to get to know each other on a deeper level so we can all care for each other. It’s nice to know that you are missed when you are out of the office for a few days or for your coworkers to reach out to see if you need anything when you are ill.”
Today, Linda and Richard live in Puyallup with their three sons: Jehu (9), Titus (8) and Noel (4). Richard is an accomplished musician who plays nearly every instrument imaginable. He has published two Christmas albums and a Christian jazz album.
Asked what brings her joy, Linda recounted a sweet story of one of her sons recently asking, “Mommy, can I pray for you?”
With contributions by J. Bohrmann