Join us in celebrating three members of the UMC Leadership Team!
Coming out of our summer board meetings, United Methodist Communities is excited to officially share several leadership updates. Mark Lenhard, UMC President & CEO, announced the promotion of Cindy Jacques, David Glenn, and Gary Engelstad, effective June 5, 2023. These changes come in recognition of the teammates’ hard work and dedication to advancing UMC’s mission and in support of their future efforts spearheading the organization’s culture, programs, and philanthropic growth.
David Glenn, Senior Vice President for People and Culture
David Glenn has served UMC for nine years as Vice President of Human Resources and has proven himself to be a strong leader in the realms of benefits, wage adjustments, contract negotiations, and recruitment. He has over 40 years’ experience in generalist and executive human resources, maintains a SHRM-SCP certification, and holds an M.B.A. in Management from Monmouth University. From delicately navigating union agreements to personally orchestrating appreciation breakfasts for front-line staff, Dave is passionate about each and every layer of the UMC teammate experience. He also shares his industry knowledge as speaker for LeadingAge, Commissioner for the United Methodist Association, and a Peer Reviewer and Survey Team Leader for the Association’s EAGLE Accreditation Program, helping other nonprofit providers foster cultures of collaboration and service.
“I am very grateful for this recognition of my tenure in leadership here at UMC. My new title brings focus to the fact that our people (teammates) are crucial to UMC’s success, and I am committed to finding creative ways to create and sustain a culture that engages and values every one of them,” Dave commented. As Senior Vice President for People and Culture, he will continue to infuse UMC’s mission, vision, and values into our ministry’s recruitment, retention, and daily operations. Mark Lenhard added, “Dave’s new role strengthens his already solid reputation inside and outside of our organization and celebrates his continued journey to create a healthy and enjoyable teammate culture.”
Cindy Jacques, Senior Vice President for Programs and Services
Cindy Jacques began her career with UMC in 2000 and has most recently served on the senior leadership team as Vice President of Housing and Community Initiatives. Her promotion to Senior Vice President for Programs and Services celebrates her institutional knowledge and formalizes her leadership, guiding not only Senior Housing and HomeWorks, but also, as Mark explained, “managing forward-thinking service initiatives related to the people, programs, and processes of UMC, and new ways of thinking about the traditional business practices of our service industry.”
Her background as a certified social worker and certified assisted living administrator, countless training hours in dementia care and mental health counseling, and historical, knowledge of UMC’s operations perfectly position her for this expanded role. “I have always considered the success of UMC, in all of its many aspects, as my personal responsibility and primary objective,” Cindy commented. “This promotion wonderfully expresses that commitment. I am grateful and look forward to working together with Mark Lenhard and the entire leadership team to bring the programs and services that are most helpful and progressive for older adults to fruition.”
Gary Engelstad, Director of Transformational Opportunities
Gary has been a core member of the UMC Foundation team for eight years. His 20 years of experience in senior living sales, philanthropy, community outreach, and volunteer programming lend themselves to his work cultivating and stewarding Foundation donors. “We are very blessed with a supportive group of donors and volunteers at our communities, and I look forward to further strengthening those relationships through this exciting new role.”
Gary’s promotion to Director of Transformational Opportunities comes as the Foundation repositions and refocuses on new and enhanced strategies for growth. In his new role, he will continue to work closely with Marketing & Communications to resource and educate internal and external supporters and take leadership over the areas of major and planned giving. Gary’s work will help donors realize their visions and turn their talents and treasures into transformational, impactful abundant life.
