By Meghan Streit

THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

As the executive director of Monarch Landing, Patty Luessenhop leads a team that she describes as “passionate” about what they do.

Luessenhop says when people move to Monarch Landing, they get “a lot more than just the bricks and mortar of their apartment home.” Luessenhop and her staff have built a full-service retirement community with a wide range of resources and amenities—from on-site health care to custom interior design services.

“You’re not just moving into an apartment at Monarch Landing, you’re moving into a lifestyle,” Luessenhop says. “There’s an insatiable desire to serve here.”

A seasoned professional takes the helm
With more than 20 years of experience in the senior housing and health care industries, Luessenhop comes to Monarch Landing as a seasoned professional.

Before joining Erickson, Luessenhop held various posts with other Chicago—area retirement communities. She says she was attracted to a career with Erickson because of the company’s reputation for innovation and the quality of people that she met.

“I could just see that this is an organization that was built around integrity,”  Luessenhop recalls.

Luessenhop has worked  as Monarch Landing’s executive director since it opened in June 2005, so she’s had the opportunity to hand-pick her entire staff and watch the community grow from the ground up. Since that time, the Naperville retirement campus has grown to nearly 200 residents and 150 employees that resemble a large family.

Dedicated leader sets ambitious goals
While Monarch Landing’s list of accomplishments under Luessenhop’s leadership is long, the dedicated director has ambitious goals for growth in 2008. She plans to expand the Center for Continuous Learning, double the number of resident clubs and committees, and add additional fitness and wellness programs, among other goals for the upcoming year.