Sarah graduated with honors from Iowa State University with a degree in Child and Family Services and a minor in Gerontology. Sarah’s experience in senior living goes back 25 years, with a particular emphasis on the provision of care to individuals with dementia. Her experience includes admissions, care planning, staff education, family education, staff assimilation and development, support group facilitation, program development, quality assurance and performance improvement, and developing interventions for residents with behavioral concerns. Sarah provides input on a variety of systems and care practices in our communities. Sarah’s primary role as Montessori Education Director is to assist our communities with the development and implementation of the Montessori Inspired Lifestyle® in all our locations. As a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer®, Sarah teaches an Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Seminar, the course required for individuals to apply to obtain a Certified Dementia Practitioner® credential. In 2003, the Greater Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association awarded Sarah the “Someone to Stand by You” Award for her advocacy for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease. Sarah was also awarded the Distinguished Educator of the Year in 2016 by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners for her outstanding work in staff education.