MEET OUR Board Of Directors

Vera Lampe is CEO of Bethany Methodist Corporation, directly overseeing our two business lines of Chestnut Square at The Glen (an independent senior living community) and Partners in Healthcare (private duty caregiver services).

Her professional life has been devoted to senior care, and for the past 16 years, she has been a dedicated member of the Bethany Methodist management team, having most recently served as Chestnut Square’s Executive Director for 14 years. 

As CEO, Vera is responsible for business strategy, business development, operations, and the financial performance of the organization and its affiliates.

“I love working with older adults, making a difference in their lives, and learning each of their unique stories. It’s the reason I look forward to coming to work every day,” Vera explains.  “The heartbeat of our mission has always been the shared sense of community between staff, residents, clients, and families.  This organization has held a special place in my heart for a long time, and I’m honored to be serving in this new role and for the opportunities ahead.”

In her free time, she enjoys yoga, traveling with her husband, exploring new cultures, visiting family, and learning new recipes.

Jennifer Christy is Chair of the Bethany Methodist Board of Directors, and for more than two decades has served Bethany in various roles: first as a volunteer and community representative on the Bethany Retirement Community Resident Council; and then as a Bethany board member for over 20 years.

Jennifer began her career as an attorney before transitioning into the non-profit sector. In addition to her work at Bethany, she has served on the boards of the Andersonville South Neighborhood Association, All Saints Episcopal Church in Ravenswood, and as the Development Director of House of the Good Shepherd (a domestic violence recovery program operated by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd).

"I felt a special calling to work on behalf of seniors thanks to the very close relationship I had with my grandmother,” says Jennifer. “The Bethany team we have in Glenview is a special group…I’m truly inspired by their example and I look forward to supporting their work."

Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts in French from The University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University. Her hobbies include traveling, hiking, theater, flower arranging, foreign languages and linguistics. Jennifer and her husband have lived in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood since 1979 and are the proud parents of two adult children.

Jerry Marx brings a wealth of management and leadership experience from his nearly 40 years working at New World Van Lines, a company owned and operated by his family since 1919. Soon after graduating from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Jerry joined the family business as a driver, helping customers relocate all across the U.S.

As his roles—and the company—continued to expand, he has served as General Manager of New World of California; Corporate Operations Manager; President of New World of Georgia (including overseeing three East Coast service centers); and most recently as Chief Operations Officer. Today, the organization has 16 offices across the country with over 750 employees.

Since retiring from his full-time position in 2016, Jerry has enjoyed time with family, golfing, painting and supporting Curt's Café, a restaurant with two Chicago area locations that takes in at-risk youth, ages 16 to 25, and teaches them work and life skills to set them on a path for success.

“Another cause that is close to my heart is senior living and care, driven by my mother-in-law’s positive experience at a retirement community,” says Jerry. “Bethany is doing wonderful work on behalf of older adults, and I’m honored to be joining the Board of Directors as we support this important mission.”

Jane Wuellner has served in various leadership roles at Northwestern University since 2009, including Marketing Manager, Initiative for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN); Associate Director, Dean’s Office Communications (Kellogg School of Management); and most recently as Associate Director Advising at Kellogg (Executive Education). Prior to joining Northwestern, she was a Senior Project Director at Foley Consulting, Inc. and Development Director for the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

Jane has volunteered with the Evanston Township High School Educational Foundation Board; St. Athanasius Pastoral Council, PTA and Capital Campaign Steering Committee; and "Brillianteen" Youth Musical Production Board (Evanston YMCA).

“My enthusiasm to join the Bethany Methodist Board of Directors was inspired by my own experience with grandparents…and now my elderly parents and mother-in-law,” explains Jane. “Their needs are complex and weigh heavily on us, so I am deeply motivated to extend safe and compassionate care to as many older adults as possible to honor their lives and contributions to our world.”

Jane earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Drake University and a Master of Arts in Gerontology from Northeastern Illinois University. She and her husband have three adult children and one grandchild. Her pastimes include traveling, cooking, biking, hiking, agility training with her dog, and volunteering in a choir for older adults with early-stage memory loss.

Bruce Balfe is Secretary-Treasurer of the Bethany Methodist Board of Directors. His professional background includes 41 years with the American Medical Association, where he held the positions of Director of Health Systems Analysis (1967-1973) and Vice President of Strategic Planning (1973-2008).

Since 1995, he has also served on the board of Tuesday’s Child (including 7 years as president), a local non-profit that offers parent/child training programs for families with behaviorally-challenged children. In addition, Bruce has been an active member of the Bethany Methodist Board of Directors since 1992, serving on the Executive Committee and chairing the Finance Committee and Strategic Planning Work Group.

“I value Bethany’s commitment to its mission of serving the full range of needs of the elderly—with compassion, excellence, and community involvement,” says Bruce. “While there are many organizations that provide similar services, very few offer the level of quality and dedication that is demonstrated here.” Bruce earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Hartwick College and a Master of Arts in Economics from The State University of New York. His hobbies include boating, traveling, gardening and spending time with his wife, six adult children and four grandchildren.

Keith Reed is an attorney with extensive experience in the areas of labor and employment law, with an emphasis on union election campaigns and collective bargaining. A partner at Seyfarth Shaw for 40 years, Keith later served as senior counsel at Baker McKenzie before retiring in 2012.

He is the co-author of numerous legal publications and has participated in many hearings and proceedings before labor arbitrators, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and other federal and state administrative agencies. His professional affiliations include the American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, and Illinois Association of Hospital Attorneys.

In addition to practicing law, Keith has been a dedicated member of the Bethany Methodist Board of Directors for 30 years, and has also been active in the leadership of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Union League Club, and Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette. “I’m very excited to be continuing my work with Bethany,” he explains. “We have a strong and talented team in Glenview from top to bottom.”

Keith attended The University of Iowa where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Juris Doctor degree. He enjoys playing tennis, golf, spending time with his family and four grandchildren, and playing the piano for the North Shore Senior Center “Senior Stompers,” a rousing Dixieland band that travels throughout Chicago’s northern suburbs…with frequent performances at Chestnut Square!

Maureen Farrell brings 45 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with nursing and education as the cornerstones of her impressive career. She has served as a staff nurse, nurse manager and educator at hospitals throughout the Chicago area, and later joined the staff of Moraine Valley Community College where she served as a Nursing faculty member, Nursing Department Coordinator and Assistant Dean of Off-Campus Sites. Maureen has also worked at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a Nursing Staff Development Educator.

Giving back to the community has been another passion throughout Maureen’s life, and she has served as Chair of the Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Policy Committee, and as a board member of Illinois Citizens for Better Care (ICBC), an organization that advocates for people living in nursing homes and helps to find financial and social services to support them.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Bethany Methodist Board of Directors,” says Maureen. “On a personal level, my parents were recently residents at a senior living community similar to Chestnut Square, so I really value the importance of creating an environment that is both warm and welcoming, and also fiscally responsible.”

Maureen earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Nursing from St. Xavier University. She and her husband have two adult sons and a daughter-in-law, and her hobbies include traveling, politics, volunteering, biking and book clubs.

Rev. Scort Christy is Pastor of Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Evanston, and each Sunday, he leads three successive worship services, one each in English, Hindi and Gujarati. He has also served at Elmwood Park United Methodist Church. His passion for ministry includes evangelism, outreach and nurture, with an emphasis on home/hospital visits, youth ministry programs, and assisting immigrants.

Prior to joining the ministry, Scort worked in the corporate world for 18 years at various financial institutions, with a specialty in senior project management. His strong background in finance, IT and management will be an invaluable addition to the two business lines of Bethany Methodist.

“I was very interested in joining the BMC Board of Directors because of its mission and the clear passion of the staff,” he explains. “Above all, I’m always seeking new ways in which I can serve older adults and other vulnerable populations. Bethany has a wonderful reputation in the senior housing and healthcare industry, and I look forward to supporting their good work.”

Scort earned a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a Master’s in Business Administration from North Park University, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Northeastern Illinois University. He enjoys traveling, sports and spending time with his extended family. He and his wife, Joyas, live in Evanston and are the proud parents of three children who all live in the Chicago area.

Janice Maloney has nearly 30 years of experience in the planning, development and financing of senior living communities and has worked with aging service providers across the country. She has served as a manager at KPMG, a partner at UNICUS, and since 2004, as one of the founding principals at Sawgrass Partners, LLC, a senior living development and advisory firm.

Her strengths include coordinating the development and/or repositioning of senior living campuses, preparing financial projections and forecasts, preparing financial feasibility studies, facilitating the development of strategic plans, conducting market demand analyses, and conducting primary market research.

“Having been involved with non-profit senior living and care organizations my whole career, I have a deep respect for the work that Bethany Methodist does,” says Janice. “A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to be involved in the planning phase for Chestnut Square, and it is a privilege to serve on the board and see the community they have created. As a resident of Glenview, I am proud to know that there is such a wonderful option for older adults in the area.”

Janice earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Health Care Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. Janice and her husband enjoy golfing and spoiling their two dogs, Blackjack and Keno.