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Piedmont Senior Resources (PSR) added three new employees to its staff in March. They include Director of Nutrition and Transportation Geoff Angle, Human Resources Director Lucy Klaus and Ombudsman Jennifer Wall. PSR’s Executive Director Justine Young said she is pleased with the new additions to the staff.

“I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot with the quality of these new employees,” she said.

PSR’s new Director of Nutrition and Transportation Geoff Angle, who lives in Farmville, previously worked as an executive for the Boy Scouts of America Heart of Virginia Council in Richmond. He felt that serving the elderly population in PSR’s seven-county service area would be a good fit.

“I recently turned 50 and decided it was time for a change,” he said. “I also wanted to concentrate my efforts closer to home. It came down to who I would serve…These are the people who need help — especially in a rural area. PSR helps restore dignity to the lives of elderly clients, and that’s really important.”

Currently in the learning stage for his new job, Angle is making plans.

“Initially I want to streamline operations and expand services,” he noted. “PSR is in a really good spot thanks to the efforts of Jordan Miles, Brandon Akers and Nikki Dean who worked tirelessly to build it up. My plan is to build on that.”

WALL JOINS STAFF FROM SEC 

PSR’s second new hire, Jennifer Wall, who recently retired from a communications specialist position at Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC), will fill the ombudsman position. She noted that her grandmother started one of the first nursing homes in Virginia.

“After retiring from SEC, I still felt the need to contribute to the community,” Wall said. “I was seeking a rewarding position like the one I found at PSR. I’ve always enjoyed serving others…I grew up surrounded by older adults. I’ve always admired PSR and the amazing work it does to engage and empower older adults. This job seemed like a natural for me.”

Young explained the importance of the ombudsman position.

“An ombudsman is a patient advocate for anyone in long-term care in an assisted living facility or receiving long-term care at home,” she said. “That includes about 1,500 individuals in the seven counties we serve.”

Another important facet of the ombudsman’s job is helping families of older adults navigate the unfamiliar territory of long-term care.

“The ombudsman helps family members who don’t know how to deal with an aging parent in a system that’s not helping them,” Young added.

In cases of elder abuse, PSR works with Social Services to address the problem.

“As ombudsman, I look forward to uplifting the elderly,” Wall said. “I want them to know they have a resource.”

HELP FROM CHRISTMAS MOTHER CHAIR

PSR’s third new hire, Human Resources Director Lucy Klaus, is a retired human resource professional with 25 years of experience in the field. She and her husband moved from New York to Cumberland County when she retired. Currently the chairperson of the Cumberland Christmas Mother program, Klaus felt a need to contribute more to the community she now calls home.

“My love is in the field of human resources,” Klaus said. “I was impressed at the ways PSR helped the older population and also liked the positive atmosphere there. I came out of a 20-plus year retirement to take this job.”

At PSR, Klaus plans to work closely with the staff.

“PSR has a very motivated staff of about 54 employees,” she said. “This is already a great place to work. I plan to make it the absolute best place to work — I want to develop the staff to be the best they can be.”

Young is looking forward to working with PSR’s new slate of employees.

“I’m excited about the quality of these new employees,” she said. “I believe they’ll take PSR to a whole new level.”