LYNSI O’DELL: FROM SIX BUCKS TO AN AMERICAN HOUSE LIFER.

Lynsi O’Dell announced she was an open book and that tears may be coming. That proved to be true for the American House Holland Community Relations Director as she sat down to share her story.
“I was a teen mom at 17 and didn’t go to college until I was 32. My ex-husband and I were married for almost 20 years. We have five children.”

Her refreshingly candid outlook on life makes Lynsi instantly likable. Her path to the senior living industry is unlike most others.

“I started out as a teacher. I taught year-round in Jenison until my classroom was eliminated. Two weeks before school was supposed to start, my best friend, who worked in memory care, called me and said come work with us.”

Luckily for Lynsi, she had some experience in cognitive impairment and early intervention so she was a good fit. “When I started in memory care, it was just so rewarding. I know that sounds like a cliché, but I mean it. I have children and didn’t want to put them in day care because I knew no one could raise them like I could. The same goes for putting a loved one in a senior living community. When a resident and their family make the decision, it’s emotional and they have to trust me.”

Lynsi started on the floor at American House as a Resident Assistant. She had experience in sales and marketing before she went to college. Lynsi did what she had to do, mostly second shift work so she and her husband didn’t have to pay for childcare. She kept climbing the ladder but when she divorced, she had six bucks in her bank account.

This is when the tears appeared in Lynsi’s eyes. “American House has afforded me so many opportunities. It’s why I’m so loyal. I’m so grateful they’ve treated me so well.”

Dale Watchowski, President and CEO of American House, happened to stop in one day when Lynsi was working in the Kentwood community. “It was during the pandemic and it was a very difficult time. Dale asked me why I stayed on. I explained to him my situation and he actually had tears in his eyes. He said, “’Lynsi, you’ll have a job at American House as long as you want to be here.’”

She took a deep breath remembering the moment.

“You just don’t find that these days. A lot of people in corporate America don’t care about their people. We’re all a number and we’re all replaceable, but it runs deeper than that at American House.” Lynsi loves her job and the residents.

“I’m a very intense person and sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. But my first priority is the care of the residents. When something isn’t right, it really bothers me. If you don’t deliver what you promise, you’re letting a lot of people down. We never want to do that here. That’s our mission. It’s hard not getting emotionally involved.”

Lynsi recently did 14 move-ins by herself, but she isn’t one to take credit for her hard work. In true American House fashion, Alex Germain-Robin, Chief Operations Officer, and Shea Krause, Senior Vice-President Sales & Marketing, reached out to tell her what an amazing job she was doing.

“Yes, it was wonderful to be recognized and I appreciate Alex and Shea very much. But everything we do here is a team effort. Everyone has a piece to the puzzle. But make no mistake, I’m an American House lifer.”