Baruch Senior Ministries Board of Directors
Members of the Baruch Senior Ministries Board of Directors take their mission very seriously. The aim of the Board of Directors is to glorify God through efforts to ensure that seniors never feel abandoned - no matter what personal circumstances, seniors can always be certain of their hope in the Lord.
Brian Mattila - President
Principal, Buiten & Associates, L.L.C
Brian L. Mattila is a Partner at Buiten & Associates, LLC. He began his insurance career in 1978 after graduating from Ferris State College. He worked as an underwriter for several different insurance companies until joining Buiten & Associates in 1985. Brian specializes in working on commercial business insurance for many different types of clients. He also assists with personal insurance needs such as Homeowners, Automobile, Boats, Life, Health and more.
Chris Murphy - Secretary / Treasurer
CFO, Leisure Living Management
Christopher P. Murphy, Chief Financial Officer and Controller, has served Leisure Living since March 1998. For 13 years prior to that time, he served in the banking industry as Vice President, Controller, Internal Auditor, and Retail Banking Officer with the State Bank of Caledonia and another 3 years with Michigan National Bank in their Retail Banking system. Chris has also been involved in a variety of charitable groups and organizations related to the industry including Secretary and Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Baruch Senior Ministries a non-profit provider of assisted living and specialized care services for seniors.
Chris is a graduate of Davenport University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Finance and holds a graduate degree in Audit Management from the Bank Administration Institute at the University of Wisconsin.
John Lewis - Past President
John Lewis is married to Dawn and has two married sons and 5 grandchildren. He is the President of Wingshadow Ministries, a Christian spiritual retreat center located near Greenville, Michigan. He is also a practicing attorney. He enjoys spending time with family and with his Heavenly Father and enjoys spiritual conversation with friends. He also enjoys studying and teaching and outdoor activities, such as cutting firewood, hiking and hunting.
Bob McIntyre - Member
Bob has been in the Human Resource and training field for over 30 years and has held management positions with Access Point, Foremost Insurance and Cigna. He holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources designation. Bob has a degree in Communications from Western Michigan University and has done graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania. Bob is married to Anne and they have two sons. They attend Ada Bible Church.
Lynne Stahlbusch - Member
Registered Nurse, Pine Rest
Lynne is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse at Pine Rest Christian Hospital. She is also the President of Thirst No More, a ministry to the rural areas in Nigeria, Africa. She has been a member of Leader of Women of the World for 10 years.
Lynne is married to Lon Stahlbusch and have 8 children and 7 grandchildren. They attend Mars Hill Bible Church.
John VanderWilp - Member
Owner, John Wayne Construction Co.
John VanderWilp is married to Renee. He has two married sons, a daughter finishing her last semester at Lee University in Tennessee and another daughter who passed away in November 2010. John and his wife enjoy being grandparents to their first grandchild who will soon be one year old. John is the owner of John/Wayne Construction Co. and does mostly remodeling projects. He is also a Vietnam veteran and is very active in Lowell’s VFW Post. An enjoyable outing for John is anything that involves his family.
Scott Zylstra - Member
Engineer, Cascade Engineering
Scott Zylstra is the Director of Finance for the Industrial & Retail Solutions Division of Cascade Engineering, Inc., a privately held manufacturing company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At Cascade, Scott is responsible for the financial management and part of the leadership team for the group providing products in the furniture, waste and retail industries. Prior to joining Cascade, he spent 7 years at a CPA firm in Los Angeles and 12 years in the Automotive industry in West Michigan. Throughout his life,Scott’s family has been involved in elderly care, culminating with the sale of the family business to Baruch Senior Ministries in 2005.
In addition to his board responsibilities for Baruch, he serves on the boards for CK Technologies, a for-profit manufacturer based in Ohio and Christian Classics Ethereal Library, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide digital access to historical Christian books and music to the world.
Scott graduated from Calvin College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He and his wife Anna and two children live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Thomas J. Nobel - Ex officio
Founder / President, Baruch Senior Ministries
After two years as CEO of Leisure Living Management, Tom wanted to help seniors and their families who had a fear of running out of money and a fear that their loved ones may loose their home. Tom believed there was a better way to assist seniors and families than the current system provided and in 1997 Tom founded Baruch Senior Ministries to help those seniors and their families.
While continuing to work with Baruch, Tom serves as the CEO of Leisure Living Management since starting there in November 1995. Prior to that time, Tom was the Executive Vice President of Hospice of Michigan (1994-1995) and Executive Director and CFO of Hospice of Western Michigan from 1990 until 1994. Before working with Hospice, Tom, a CPA, spent twenty years with the accounting firm of Ernst & Young servicing health care organizations, privately held businesses, and several SEC registered corporations.
Neil Kraay - Ex officio
COO, Leisure Living Management
Neil Kraay has been part of the management team at Leisure Living since 1998. Prior to Leisure Living, Neil spent seventeen years at Amway Corporation engaged in international business development. Neil maintains oversight of the for-profit operations managed by Leisure Living Management including human resources, quality control, identification and development of new business opportunities, working with potential investors and interested partners for various projects and facilitates financing, as well as working various design groups and contractors to ensure timely start and completion of proposed projects.
Connie Clauson - Ex officio
Regional Operations Director, Baruch Senior Ministries, SLS
Connie joined Baruch Senior Ministries in September 2000 as the administrator of FountainView Assisted Living. Prior to Baruch, Connie worked for a large community healthcare system for five years, serving on the Leadership Council, integrating marketing and operation strategies, providing day-to-day oversight/guidance, and serving as the voice of the customers. Twenty additional years in the healthcare industry has prepared Connie for the responsibilities of sales/marketing, operations, training, and fundraising for the Baruch facilities. She has an extensive background in both profit and non-profit environments, with a track record of generating growth and retained earnings.
In 2002, Connie transitioned to Regional Operations Director to service the continued growth of the Baruch Communities.
Shari Dunham - Ex officio
Operations Services Manager, Baruch Senior Ministries, SLS
Shari Dunham, Operations Services Manager for Baruch Senior Ministries, joined its predecessor Leisure Living Management in August 1990.
During her twenty years with the companies, Shari has served as Business Office Manager, Payroll Specialist, Accounts Payable Specialist, Wage and Benefit Administrator, Executive Assistant, and Corporate Services Manager.
In January 2010, Shari transitioned to Operations Services Manager to service the continued growth of Baruch Senior Ministries, and has served as an ex-officio member on the Baruch Baruch Board of Directors since the formation of Baruch Senior Ministries in 1997.
Shari is obtaining her certification and credentialing for National Level Assisted Living Administrator through Senior Living University.