Meet our Board Chair, Richard Lysle, who has spent his entire career in the senior living industry.

What did you want to do as a child?

I was always interested in music, but the circumstances of life led me in another direction. I was not thinking when I started at Kendal that it would lead to a 40 year career in the aging services field!

How did you start a career in senior living?

I started as a high school student washing dishes. My next 33 years at Kendal took me through a journey. I was the Food Services Manager for ten years and then transitioned to Health Services while working towards my NHA license. Then, I served as their Executive Director for a tenure before moving to Foxdale in 2013.

How was your experience working with Quaker organizations?

I have been blessed to have worked for two organizations that are rooted in Quaker values. The culture fits my own personal values. Being a leader in a Quaker organization requires a different mix of skills—you need to be more of a facilitator than a decision maker. It has been a positive experience to have worked in a field where you feel you’re helping people.

How long have you been involved with FSA?

In 1996, while serving as Kendal’s Executive Director, I started to work with FSA. It has been a great support and a valuable source of education for leaders. FSA members want the others to do well. I’ve never asked anyone for anything and been told, “I can’t tell you that. I can’t give you that.”

Have you been able to fulfill any dreams in your retirement?

It has been a full circle moment as I am now retired in my farmhouse with a music studio! Not only do I spend time listening to old albums—Dylan, Neil Young, blues, jazz, bluegrass—but I work on my 15 guitars and tinker around my stereo equipment as a music producer would.