Meet Our Staff
Staff Profiles from Greensboro’s premier retirement community, Well-Spring.
For the Love of BOOKS
The sun was shining just right when it hit the skylight in the Hornaday Library. This is a perfect vibe to draw in Well-Spring residents, to explore the many reads available to them. You may find a morning paper and a cozy chair amidst all of the fiction that runs on every wall. This library, one of four at Well-Spring, is filled with a great variety of choices. The previously loved books in this room are all recent hard-cover reads that were donated by the many book lovers on campus.
“I was chosen, you could say,” Hank Hackett, Library Committee Chair says about becoming head of the group, taking over from Sherry Alloway. “I worked in the Guilford College Library in the 1970s, when they converted from the Dewey Decimal to Library of Congress system.” The collection of books is mostly recently published and all are donated by residents. The majority of the Hornaday collection is fiction. The exceptions are the sections with large-print non-fiction, Well-Spring collection (by and about Well-Spring residents), grief/loss, and short stories (housed in the carousel).
After the books are donated, they are processed. Gale Whitnell, one of the 22 members of the committee, who is in charge of this task, says, “I love being around books and always have. I’ve worked both in a library and a bookstore and sold books online. You could say I am bookish!” The resident library works similar to a classic public library but this operation is far from old-school. Gale explains they use an app called Libib (in place since 2017) which scans the bar code located on every published book. This app acts as a digital space for cataloging and managing books among other media. For Well-Spring residents, it offers a current list of the book collection. Stephanie Cashwell is the keeper of the Libib account for Well-Spring. With her technical skills and the team’s love for books, they make this process seem very easy to be accountable for the hundreds of books they have. “Our committee is a well-oiled machine. We each have a job and do it well,” Hank adds.
Lea Lenning, resident and former elementary school teacher says, “I’ve always loved books so I joined the Library Committee when Betty Williams was processing non-fiction books by herself. Judy Hyman was chair and proposed that, if I had decent handwritten printing, I’d be of great help. Betty taught me everything I know about how to hand print the labels, spines and the library circulation card found inside the book.”
Other contributors are Harriet Jones (paperback library and employee library), who submits book reviews for the monthly Library section of Currents, as well as Nancy Balderacchi (fiction). Hank and Lea (nonfiction) are also contributors to this page. These submissions often spark interest to stroll and browse the charming little room that holds something for everyone.
DID YOU KNOW… Well-Spring has nearly 3,000+ books available for residents? More resources:
Hornaday Library: Fiction (Floor 2) • Non-fiction Library, with desktop magnifier (Floor 2)
• Paperback Library: Take and go, return or add (Floor 1)
• Assisted Living Library: Fiction and non-ficton
• Employee Library cart (staff area) Each season, a new theme is introduced in the hall outside to highlight related book. Cash donations allow the team to purchase large-print books
A Resident Book Club is available and is separate from Library Committee.
Food Restrictions? Dining Team to the Rescue
Two years ago, when Well-Spring’s new leader entered the kitchen, all hands were on deck preparing, cooking, innovating and serving as a new team. Todd Dumke, Director of Dining Services, is committed to his role – creating not simply great food but a wonderful dining experience for everyone – even those with restrictions.
Culinarily, a few things have evolved since grandmother’s garden and how our body metabolizes certain foods. Being newly diagnosed or told you should avoid certain foods can be overwhelming to most, and at times feel like you have experienced a major loss. Fortunately, the Well-Spring Dining team is more than equipped to help guide residents and offer delicious solutions.
“One size doesn’t fit all anymore,” Todd explains. “We have to evolve with the ever-changing needs of our residents and accommodate their individual allergies, restrictions and sensitivities.”
How is this done in a large life plan community? The process starts with a food consultation. Todd and select members of his team will review the needs and restrictions of the resident, helping them understand the process and all the food options available to suit them. A customized menu is then sent directly to the resident to select their meals one week in advance. “Whether it’s dairy, gluten or any number of adjustments, we make it happen,” he says.
Todd is not alone in keeping his customers on the top shelf. His leadership keeps the “can do” attitude front and center from preparation to plate. He reminds his team regularly whose dining room they are in and that they are creating meals for the residents in their home. Todd explains his team must be committed to this vision. He is thankful they understand the level of quality as well as the necessary adaptations. Todd also stays ahead of the curve by ensuring the general dining menus are detailed so guests know what they are eating every time.
“Our team produces over 400 meals per day,” Todd says. “It is a tough target to hit perfection each time. That is why we depend on the residents’ feedback, whether it’s a special customization or a general dish that appears too salty. We encourage our guests to let us know immediately so we can evaluate the issue, correct it and raise the bar.”
When Todd is not leading his team, you can find him reading restaurant publications and cuisine feeds that help keep him up to date with food trends and connected to industry chefs. “I love what I do and that includes rolling with the changes.”
“Although I identify as a “foodie” and love interesting cuisine, I also have a relatively rare allergy to peppercorns — a staple in most kitchens. Todd and his team have always made it their priority to serve me food that was never bland, but always made pepper free. I also get the privilege of discussing the flavor choices with Todd — adding intellectual spice to the meal as well.” – Moses Goldberg, Well-Spring, Resident
LeGrande Iseley, Horticulture Supervisor
With his passion for landscaping and plants, horticulture supervisor ensures community’s beauty
LeGrande Iseley has a passion for plants. Early on, he remembers admiring his grandmother’s interest in Daffodils and Peonies and how she enjoyed the colors and textures. When he was in high school he was called on to help out a neighbor at her nursery, Gethsemane Gardens. Already accustomed to the outdoors on his family dairy and tobacco farm in McLeansville, LeGrande fit right in. While at the nursery, he learned a lot and that afternoon led to five years of doing something he not only enjoyed but got paid to do. During this time, he received his North Carolina Plantsman license.
While working during the day, LeGrande decided to attend Rockingham Community College (RCC) a few nights a week to get his horticulture degree. This is where his professor Mr. Dwight Tally, head of Horticulture at RCC noticed LeGrande’s keen sense of identifying plants – all 200 of the species with the leaves on and without. He offered LeGrande a teaching role there, which he accepted.
LeGrande had a natural sense of knowing what to do when it came to landscaping and floral arrangements and had consistent work keeping his hands in the dirt. Chinqua-Penn Plantation in Reidsville was yet another opportunity to showcase his sprouting talents. This property ranked high among North Carolina’s finest well-preserved early 20th-century homes. When it eventually closed, there was something even more special on the horizon for LeGrande.
Dwight, his professor and now friend, was always seeking jobs for his RCC students and spotted one available at a newly opened life plan community. In 1997, LeGrande met Well-Spring and came on board to initially work on irrigation, under then-supervisor, Tony Belk. Things were different on campus then as assessments were being made to overhaul the plant choices and ground coverings to identify and eliminate invasive species such as ivy, mint and even crepe myrtles. There was a lot on the list and LeGrande was very much a part of the changes. He worked with Tony until he retired in 2013, when he passed the torch to the well-deserving plant master. LeGrande to this day holds the title of Horticulture Supervisor at Well-Spring.
When asked about his job evolving, he says there was a significant shift when the grass mowing responsibilities were outsourced allowing his team time to focus solely on the needs of the residents and beautifying their properties. LeGrande works with each resident upon moving in regardless of their property style. He also offers patio options to those living in apartments. He carefully listens to their needs and works with each resident closely on solutions that suit them. This shift has given the community freedom to choose their floral arrangements under the direction of the in-house expert.“ I learn from the residents as much as I advise them. It’s a great partnership,” he says.
At Well-Spring, LeGrande says his favorite part of the job is how delighted the residents are. “The comments that come from our community are the reward for me.” He develops very special relationships, and they can often last decades like the one with Bettie Williams. LeGrande has known Bettie since he arrived in 1997 and she is now over 100. LeGrande recalls, “I still remember her first address on Wildflower long ago before she moved to her current apartment. She just loved trying new things.”
“I will get notes saying how much the residents enjoy their flowers and plants,” he says. “For instance, Mrs. Halyburton knows a lot about plants as well as Mrs. Hunt who has commandeered the raised bed in the Assisted Living courtyard. They have been really fun to work with.”
The late Betty McNairy was chair of the Landscape Committee. She was a favorite of LeGrande’s and such a joy to be around. “She loved Cleome, Hosta and native plants like Trillium and Celandine Poppy,” he recalls.
LeGrand is always learning. He works closely with both Landscape and Resident Garden committees to stay close to what matters to him – the Well-Spring residents and his overall knowledge and growth.
Misti Ridenour, Executive Director
‘I was not giving up!’
Longtime Well-Spring team member makes history by becoming first female executive director
In May 1993, Misti Ridenour came to Well-Spring to interview for a job. But no one was home.
Not in our Garden Homes, Apartments and Villas. … not even in the Human Resources offices. You see, Well-Spring had not yet opened or welcomed its first residents. After much searching, she eventually found the first employees in a makeshift office. She had persisted and didn’t give up until she found the people she had come to see.
It wasn’t the first time she had persisted.
In working toward a master’s degree in Sociology, Misti focused her thesis and studies in Gerontology as much as possible. At the time, Gerontology was new, and a degree in the field was not something yet offered. Even so, Misti knew she wanted to work with older adults.
“Growing up, I had many interactions with seniors, and I found that they had so much to teach us!” she remembers. “I just love hearing their stories and believe we can learn so much from each other. When other kids were playing together, I was often interacting with the adults.”
Misti’s father is a Methodist minister who studied at Duke Divinity School. So as Misti was growing up, the Ridenours had ties to the area. While Misti spent her early years in Burlington, she mainly grew up in western Maryland and West Virginia. When she began looking for graduate schools, she researched areas where she knew she might want to stay after graduation. And she remembered that her family always liked central North Carolina and its pleasant climate – and that, just maybe, her parents might want to retire there one day. With that in mind, UNCG then became a top choice. Her careful and intuitive planning worked out well – Misti’s parents and younger brothers and their families eventually relocated here, too!
And just like that, a position had become available at the soon-to-open Well-Spring. Misti was originally hired as a part-time social worker. “There were no computers yet in Health Care,” she recalled. “I was taking policies home to type up because the state was coming to license us on June 15, and it needed to get done.”
A few years later, Misti obtained the necessary licensure to position herself for a new opportunity and was promoted to Nursing Home Administrator. Over time, her path continued at Well-Spring, most recently as Director of Health Services.
This past June, Misti became the first woman to be Executive Director of Well-Spring’s flagship life plan community in Greensboro. “My work is a mission and a calling, and I am honored to have this opportunity. I truly love Well-Spring and the services that we provide and continue to evolve, so that we touch even more lives.”
Many Well-Spring residents – and colleagues – are familiar with Misti’s canine companion, Ribbon, who has been part of Misti’s life since spring 2021. Ribbon comes to work with Misti on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and loves making new friends with residents, team members and visitors.
Misti loves animals. Specifically, ones that cluck. Misti’s chicken-raising days started when a neighbor’s flock often ignored the property lines and came to visit. And roost!
“They make a lot of noise when they lay eggs,” Misti says, “and it was my father who first realized what the noise was and told me to look for eggs. It was like an Easter egg hunt every morning.” After meeting those chickens, she knew when she next house-hunted, she wanted space for more animals of her own. Now, several years later, she has seven chickens, all of which have names and produce very fine eggs. “I just love to watch them, how they scratch, and take dirt baths. It’s very relaxing.”
Misti’s quite handy around the house, too. When not tending her farm, she enjoys being hands-on with house needs. She’s built a deck with her father and brother and even tackled roofing. “I have two brothers, but when Dad needed help, I was the helper,” Misti recalls. Just like with her day job, she’s not afraid to try to learn things This is why she also enjoys being a preceptor and training future nursing home administrators.
“I really enjoy learning,” Misti says, “so when I have students, I’m not just seeing them learn, I’m refreshing my skills and sometimes learning new things, as well.”
“I was not giving up!” Misti says of her first adventurous day here on campus. And Well-Spring is grateful she hasn’t, while looking forward to Misti leading the Well-Spring community to even greater heights and successes.
Todd Dumke, Director of Dining Services
Culinary curiosity as a youngster launches chef on path that leads to Well-Spring
By Ann Davis-Rowe
For Todd Dumke, Well-Spring’s new Director of Dining Services, a career in cooking got off to an inauspicious start.
One of Todd’s earliest recipes – written when he was about 6 or 7 and living in Ohio – was for eggs. Two eggs. In a pot. In their shells. No water. This recipe was about as successful as you can imagine. Picture black smoke billowing about the kitchen.
Todd’s culinary talents grew by leaps and bounds, however, and he is now Well-Spring’s new Director of Dining Services, the first new person in that role in over 26 years.
But first he had to learn – and gain the tremendous experience that has now landed him his coveted role at Well-Spring.
After a move to the Triangle and his parents’ separation, Todd began cooking “out of self-defense” while his hard-working mother also put herself through going back to school. By 17, he was living back in Ohio with his father, and he had his first kitchen job – like so many others do – as a dishwasher. He loved watching the cooks, how they almost danced around each other in the busy kitchen, all while wielding knives and hot pans. There would be a rail full of tickets, life would be frantic, and then all would be calm after the experts efficiently fed their happy guests.
Todd started college and soon realized he wanted something different than the traditional educational path. His father said, “Find something you love and find someone to pay you to do it.” Until he decided what that was, Todd joined the Ohio National Guard as an infantryman. There, he moved toward a dual associates degree in culinary arts and hotel restaurant management from Owens College in Toledo. A year into his degree, someone retired from the mess in his unit, and he put in a request to transfer into the kitchen.
“I traded in my machine gun for a spoon.”
Todd served in the Ohio National Guard for eight years, and then life brought him back to North Carolina. Here, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in culinary management from the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham – nearly 20 years after earning his dual associates. His diverse career background includes country clubs, private clubs, fine and casual dining and collegiate food service – most recently at Duke University. This diverse background has given him plenty of training in French and Italian cooking, and some of Todd’s favorite cuisines include Southwestern, Cajun/Creole and Southern regional.
When working at the four-star Siena Hotel and Carolina Inn, both in Chapel Hill, during the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, Todd became especially focused on local and seasonal produce. He had always helped with the family garden growing up, so he had a special affinity for the freshest ingredients. While purchasing for the inn, he was approached by the woman running a local produce distribution company. Many local farmers had taken advantage of government grants to stop growing tobacco and start growing food, but there wasn’t a good way for them to get this food to consumers. Eastern Carolina Organics filled that gap, and Todd was so interested by what this one-woman shop was doing, he became their operations manager for seven years, helping to grow it – and their farmers’ – success exponentially. His day-to-day work with ECO sometimes included building coolers and running forklifts. Sometimes, he could even multi-task by studying lines for church skits while driving delivery trucks.
Todd and his wife, Laura, are searching for the perfect plot of land on which to build their own garden here in the Triad. They share a love of gardening and landscaping, as well as traveling and taking in live concerts (fun fact: Todd has attended well over 150 concerts of all types in his life). Todd and Laura were planning their wedding when COVID hit, so they went ahead and had a much smaller celebration to make things official. They share their home with a 13-year-old – or a senior citizen, depending on how you look at it – beagle, Clyde.
And as of May, Todd is overseeing and growing Well-Spring’s already renowned dining program.
Chef Todd said the more he learned about Well•Spring, the more interested he was in coming to work here. And luckily for Well-Spring, he has learned a trick or two since those eggs in elementary school. He’s already begun showing those tricks off here in all our dining venues. His passion for local produce and seasonal cooking is leading to new partnerships and new opportunities.
We can’t wait to see what he cooks up next!