After 27 Years, Director Maggie Stark Retires

After 27 years as Kendal’s Director of Sales & Marketing, Maggie Stark is retiring, effective April 2, 2021.  The position will be filled by Assistant Marketing Director Terry Kovach, who joined Kendal’s Marketing Department in 1995.  

“There are no words to adequately thank Maggie for her years of dedicated service at Kendal,” says Kendal CEO Barbara Thomas. “She has paved the way for hundreds of residents to call Kendal ‘home’ from more than 35 States, including her mother Blanche who lived at Kendal for 12 years. A part of Maggie’s executive success has been her emphasis on teamwork leading to one of the most stable and successful marketing teams in the Kendal System.

“After conducting an extensive national search, we were very fortunate to have unanimous agreement that Maggie’s successor was our own Terry Kovach. Terry has brought significant knowledge and innovation in technology, leading the way advancing our web presence and digital marketing programs.”

Maggie originally intended to retire in January but moved her departure date forward because “leaving residents, my team and my fellow colleagues during these uncertain times just does not sit right with me.”

Human Resources Director Toni Merleno was not surprised by Maggie’s decision. “That’s our Maggie, always putting others ahead of herself. She will forever be a part of our Kendal family,” Toni says.

As Maggie (pictured right) packs up her office and attends farewell gatherings on Zoom, she’s been putting together some “fun facts” of her tenure at Kendal: She’s welcomed over 700 residents, given 6,240 tours, and driven 310,000 miles to work from her home in Bay Village.  

Terry Kovach and Maggie Stark

“I will really miss the day-to-day camaraderie with staff and residents, the comfort and pure joy of being with ‘family,’” she says.

Speaking of family, Maggie’s retirement plans include enjoying her two granddaughters and traveling – she’s already booked her first Road Scholar trip.

Terry (pictured left), who joined Kendal in 1995, advanced Kendal in new directions with digital marketing and leading Kendal’s “inbound” marketing initiatives.

Author Molly Kavanaugh In the past, Molly Kavanaugh frequently wrote about Kendal at Oberlin for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she was a reporter for 16 years. Now we are happy to have her writing for the Kendal at Oberlin Community.

About Kendal at Oberlin: Kendal is a nonprofit life plan community serving older adults in northeast Ohio. Located about one mile from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and about a 40 minute drive from downtown Cleveland, Kendal offers a vibrant resident-led lifestyle with access to music, art and lifelong learning.