In search of
Creative
Compassionate
Leadership

Envisioned and supported by the John D. Brubaker Family Foundation, Mindhaven is a nonprofit organization focused on reimagining the experience of memory loss by providing support for patients and their care partners alongside empathetic clinical care at a unique, community-oriented location in Greater Chicago. We are seeking our first Executive Director, who will lead the organization with purpose, compassion, and integrity, and help us rewrite the story of memory care.

Mindhaven honors the legacy of John D. “Jake” Brubaker, a successful businessman and philanthropist in Rockford, Illinois, who passed away from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease in 2020. While Jake received excellent medical care, his family members also gained firsthand understanding of the difficulties facing memory loss patients and their loved ones. These range from a lack of emotional support for the individuals who serve as care partners to gaps in services that interrupt and prevent a holistic, integrated continuum of patient care. In response, the foundation’s trustees began to imagine a new kind of memory care center focused on providing that continuity and support while also engaging the broader community.

A new model of care

We envision Mindhaven as a warm, welcoming setting unlike the sterile, uninviting spaces encountered throughout many care networks. The location will be staffed by clinicians, administrative staff, volunteers, and front-line navigators who facilitate interactions among patients, care partners, and staff. Embedded in the local community and open to all, Mindhaven will include:

A garden that serves as the centerpiece of the location—a calm, contemplative, restorative place that honors Jake’slove of nature

A clinic where providers interact with patients and care partners in a comfortable, familial environment

Nests where patients and care partners can relax and rejuvenate

Convening spaces where visitors participate in programs ranging from art therapy and exercise classes, to concerts and interactive health and wellness workshops

A public café that offers light refreshments in a friendly atmosphere

Unlike any other

Mindhaven will be a memory care center unlike any other—a one-stop shop that merges the best of the clinical world with the best of the caring world and brings that combination to the heart of the community.

About the
Executive Director Position

At this pivotal moment in the design and planning, Mindhaven’s Board of Directors is seeking an Executive Director to bring this vision to fruition. As the first full-time role at Mindhaven, this will be an empathetic leader who recognizes the dignity, humility, and purpose in serving individuals impacted by memory disorders through an organization that strives to make their lives productive, full, and manageable.

The Executive Director will have the opportunity to play an integral role in building and shaping the future of Mindhaven. The ideal candidate will be a tested leader with unique and relevant experience making risk and reward decisions to give novel ideas a proper launch. The Executive Director will collaborate closely with the Board to realize and expand their vision, form meaningful community partnerships, hire and support equally committed staff members, establish and maintain our relationship with a clinical partner, support sociological and public health research initiatives, design and manage a business plan, and serve as the face of Mindhaven in the community. A personal or professional connection to memory disorders is particularly preferred.

In short, we seek a resourceful and imaginative individual who is eager to dream big—and has the proven skills to make those dreams happen.

Qualities We Seek:

Care, empathy, and compassion through your professional, volunteer, or personal journey

Experience launching and seeing through a complex new venture, preferably including a clinical component

Demonstrated initiative and independence, balanced with an understanding of when to seek advice and support from trusted stakeholders

Exquisite attention to detail and first-rate problem solving skills

Negotiation and management skills developed by mentoring successful teams, effectively engaging external partners, and encouraging the lively exchange of ideas

A personal sensibility that will contribute to a warm and welcoming atmosphere

Responsibilities of the Role:

Maintain regular and open communication with Mindhaven’s Board of Directors, partners, and consultants

Develop and execute a business plan, timetable, and budget

Lead the design of a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy that encompasses staffing, volunteers, and patient demographics

Hire and support staff and contractors

Establish a productive working relationship to support and retain a clinical partner and their team

Collaborate with research partners investigating social 
determiners of health, care outcomes, and other sociological inquiries

Assemble relevant community and service partners ranging from art therapists and nutritionists to exercise specialists and social workers who can build and participate in the success of Mindhaven

Foster relationships that can result in philanthropic 
and volunteer contributions to Mindhaven

Implement data and information systems to support and maintain the integrity of individuals who visit and receive care at Mindhaven

A Unique Opportunity

Offering competitive salary and benefits, the Board of Directors aims to create a welcoming and fulfilling opportunity for a uniquely suited individual. The first Mindhaven site may well serve as a prototype for other locations in the future, and our Executive Director will play a critical role in launching this 
one-of-a-kind organization.

Board members Jay Baker, Erin Beto, and Steven Brubaker are deeply and personally invested in the success of this extraordinary endeavor, and the John D. Brubaker Family Foundation has committed to funding the first phase of Mindhaven’s operations. We look forward to collaborating closely while allowing the Executive Director ample independence to bring our shared vision to life.

Join us as we rewrite the story of memory care.