LeadingAge Minnesota Honors Several Leaders with Prestigious Awards

Posted on September 20, 2024 by Ben Hansen

LeadingAge Minnesota this week honored key leaders in the aging services field during our 2024 Annual Meeting.

Two Lifetime Achievement Awards Presented

LeadingAge MN was honored to present two Lifetime Achievement awards, a rare occurrence given that we’ve only presented this award nine times in our history prior to this week. This prestigious award recognizes outgoing visionary leaders in the senior care services sector. The award honors individuals who have had a major impact on older adult services in Minnesota. It is presented to leaders who have inspired others and contributed to the formation, goals, governance, and initiatives of LeadingAge Minnesota.

Honoring Two Extraordinary Leaders

The two Lifetime Achievement award recipients were Dan Lindh, longtime President and CEO of Presbyterian Homes & Services, and Jon Lundberg, recently retired President and CEO of Ebenezer Senior Living.

Lindh, who is set to retire in 2025, has been with Presbyterian Homes & Services since 1976, and was named president and CEO in 1997. It’s hard to overstate the impact Lindh has had on PHS and the wider senior care services field. Under Lindh’s leadership, PHS has grown from one location serving 200 older adults to over 60 locations serving more than 27,000 older adults, making them the fourth-largest nonprofit provider of senior housing and services in the U.S.

The hallmark of Lindh’s pioneer leadership has been not only his sharp business acumen and a deep commitment to the mission of PHS, but a humility that drove him to prioritize the good of others above himself. One colleague noted: “Dan never made us feel that we were ‘not in his league’, even though we all knew that he was the smartest, hardest working, kindest senior care professional any of us ever met.” 

Lundberg has been with Ebenezer Senior Living since 2007, when he joined the organization as Chief Operating Officer. After assuming the role of President and CEO in 2017, Lundberg had a profound impact on Ebenezer and the wider aging services sector. Under his leadership, Ebenezer more than tripled its HOA sites and saw an increase in managed sites as well. But Lundberg’s leadership extended beyond numerical growth.

Many of Lundberg’s peers shared a common refrain when asked about his leadership: “Calm, collected, unflappable even in the midst of chaos.” During his tenure, Lundberg certainly faced his fair share of challenging and chaotic circumstances. From navigating the COVID-19 pandemic to leading through the political and social division following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Lundberg has been shown to be a resilient and capable leader in times of crisis. Through it all, Lundberg focused on caring for his staff so they could continue providing comprehensive services and compassionate care to the older adults served by Ebenezer.

Honorary Lifetime Memberships

LeadingAge MN was also pleased to present five honorary lifetime memberships to the following individuals:

• Shirley Barnes, retired CEO of Crest View Senior Communities
• Marvin Plakut, retired President and CEO of Episcopal Homes
• Barbara Klick, retired CEO of Sholom
• Dan Lindh, retiring President and CEO of Presbyterian Homes & Services
• Jon Lundberg, retired President and CEO of Ebenezer Senior Living