Everyday life at Evergreen Place focuses on the multifaceted approach we employ for our senior. Evergreen Place is maintained by a diligent and caring staff of professionals with operations overseen by our director. Our team of compassionate caregivers consistently and unwaveringly provides direct and respectful communication to our residents.
Jamie Beck, Director
Jamie attributes her love for seniors to the privilege she had growing up with her four grandparents, and the time she was able to spend with them on their farms. After graduating high school and moving away to Champaign, Jamie got her CNA and began work at an assisted living community where she would spend the next 10.5 years caring for seniors, both as a CNA and then an LPN. She knew senior care was her passion as soon as she began her career in healthcare. A liaison position with a hospice company lead Jamie to Evergreen Place, and it was love at first sight. Not only is senior care her passion, but assisted living is where her whole heart is. Now, as the director of Evergreen Place, Jamie feels fulfilled helping to enrich the lives of our residents and providing experiences for them and their families. Her favorite part of the day is socializing with the residents and getting to know more about their personal stories.
She and her husband met in Champaign 16 years ago and still live here today with their four children. They stay busy with the travel sports the kids are involved in and enjoy every minute of it! When they’re at home, they enjoy DIY projects on their 106-year-old farmhouse, which is the original home in their neighborhood!
James Matson, Culinary Services Coordinator
James Matson, our culinary services coordinator, comes to us with more than 30 years of culinary and management experience. From fast-casual to fine dining, there’s nothing he hasn’t had experience cooking. When he’s not pleasing our residents’ taste buds, James enjoys traveling with his wife and two daughters. James has a deep love for his canine companions as well—Doug, Otto, and Wrigley. In the summer he can usually be found in his backyard, poolside. James loves working for Evergreen because of the positive atmosphere the team creates—it’s good to look forward to coming to work every day.
Julie Katterhenry, Wellness Coordinator
Julie, our wellness coordinator, has been a licensed social worker since 1987, and a registered nurse since 1997. Julie’s family recognized her as the “go to” when it came to the care of her mother and father’s medical concerns, as well as her husband’s parents’ healthcare needs. She believes in doing for others as a person would want done for themselves. She is always striving to do the best that she can and will follow through to the end, then revisit the outcome to see if it was done well. She has been practicing nursing for 25 years and has always had a big heart for seniors. She knew at the age of 5 that she eventually wanted to be a nurse and follow in her mother’s footsteps. She enjoys spending her free time with friends, updating her Victorian home, and working in her flower gardens around her yard. Her favorite time away from work is spent with her husband of 36 years, her two adult children, and her granddaughter.
Ryan Grussing, Administrative & Building Services Coordinator
Ryan, our administrative and building services coordinator, started off his time at Evergreen in the culinary department and has since dabbled in just about everything and decided to switch roles when an opportunity arose. He has been in the senior living industry for almost 8 years, and in management for 16 years. He loves serving seniors, whether it’s by cooking for them, maintaining their apartment, or behind-the-scenes office management. Ryan enjoys doing the “little things” that make a big difference to his residents. He’s been called the “yes man” many times, because there’s nothing he won’t do to make our people happy! In his free time, Ryan loves travelling, woodworking, all types of gardening, and remodeling his 1850’s farmhouse and all its outbuildings. When he’s not mowing his 3 acres, he loves spending time with his fiancé, Erin, with whom he has been with for 10 years, as well as their two dogs, Oscar and Okie.
EJ Glick, Life Enrichment Coordinator
EJ Glick grew up in a small town of Elgin in Northeast Iowa. After college, she spent 15 years as a program director at youth camps in Iowa and Wisconsin. She spent the last 15 years teaching physical education in Champaign.
Her life is enriched by her family; her husband Bill, and two adopted sons, as well as friends, church, and pets Jake, the crazy labradoodle, Harry, the cocker spaniel, and Hope, the cat. Her hobbies include raising chickens, gardening, and swimming, and entertaining in her big back yard. She loves gathering around a nice campfire cooking s’ mores. EJ brings enthusiasm and dedication to her role at Evergreen Place and welcomes the opportunity to enrich the residents’ lives.
Sandy Hockman, Community Relations Coordinator
Sandy’s mantra is, “No job title will ever define who an individual is. Rather it is the footprints that you leave on the people you come in contact every day that will define who you really are.”
Having spent three decades in the sales and marketing field, Sandy had the wonderful fortune of being introduced to the assisted living industry nearly eight years ago by a former Heritage employee. Working in an assisted living community is by far, the most rewarding career change she has ever made. Finding solutions for families and their loved ones is gratifying. Engaging with them every day is why this career path is so pleasurable.
Together with her husband of 28 years, Scott, Sandy has a son, Mitchell, who is an Auditor/Accountant in Nashville, TN. She likes to spend time with loved ones, enjoys the thrill of hunting for a bargain, and loves laughter.
