Cheryl L. Jewell, Executive Director
Cheryl grew up on a 300-acre family farm in Southeast Ohio, a part of rural Appalachia. She earned a bachelor of science degree in recreation management and a minor in coaching from Ohio University. Following that, she completed a master of science in recreation management. After 19 years of experience in recreation and athletic facility and program management, she earned a master's degree in healthcare administration. She worked in healthcare for 3 years before joining Love Living at Home in May 2019.
Volunteering has also been an essential part of her life. She has volunteered as a youth women’s basketball coach, Hospicare, Cancer Resource Center, the National Alliance of Mental Illness, where she continues to serve as a board member, and the SPCA of Tompkins County.
She has lived in the beautiful area of Ithaca, NY, for 18 years. She enjoys everything Ithaca has to offer from culture, size of the community, and of course, outdoor recreation, including hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and other outdoor activities with her rescue foxhound, Charlie.
Cassie Besemer, Assistant Director
Cassie resides in Trumansburg with her husband and their two sons. She earned an associate degree in human services from Tompkins Cortland Community College in May 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Keuka College in May 2022. She previously worked as a certified nursing assistant with Cayuga Medical Center and Cayuga Ridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. In her free time, Cassie enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time at the lake with her family.
Leslie Schultz, Administrative Assistant
In addition to working for LLH, I am a research support specialist at Cornell University in the Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging (CITRA). In that role, I learned about LLH this winter and spring when I worked on a survey sent to members, volunteers, and friends of LLH regarding their experiences with LLH over the last 5 years. This was my first introduction to LLH, and I was delighted to work with Cheryl and some board members. Their commitment to the LLH mission really impressed me and influenced my decision to apply for the administrative assistant position.
Three fun facts about me that relate to home and community are…
1. I have direct experience caring for my grandmother, my great aunt, and my parents as they decided to age in place but needed support to do so.
2. It is my privilege to help launch my son, a recent HS graduate, into the world as an independent and compassionate being.
3 We live in a house where we can offer living space to folks who need it. We provide additional hospitality by giving away food, perishable in coolers, daily to anyone.