Loomis Communities
Board of Directors
The Loomis Communities is a nonprofit organization that draws its volunteer Directors from across the country. Our directors bring to Loomis a wide range of professional, financial and human services skills. They are committed to furthering our mission of providing high-quality services and health care to older adults.
Deborah Snow, Chair
Owner, Blue Heron Restaurant and Catering; Teacher of Culinary Arts, Windham Regional Career Center; Member, Women’s Presidents Organization; Development Committee, Food Bank of Western Mass.; Advisory Board, Culinary Program, Franklin County Technical School and Holyoke Community College; Featured in BON APPETIT Magazine, of the top 108 Restaurants in the country and Best Dish ever tasted; Best Chef of Western Mass, Mass Restaurant Association; Former Official Photographer, United Nations Assembly on Aging; Ohio State University/Cambridge College, (BFA/Masters in Management).
Sanford Belden, Vice Chair
Sanford Belden retired in 2006 as the CEO of Community Bank System, a large scale regional financial institution headquartered in Syracuse, New York, with 225 bank branches and a variety of other financial service businesses in four states. He previously served as a senior executive in New York City at a very large international bank, a major national bank headquartered in Minneapolis and with the Farm Credit Banks, one of the Government Sponsored Entities. He holds Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees from Purdue University in economics, held a faculty position at Cornell and earned a mid-career certification from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Belden has also served on over 30 governance boards for both for profit and not for profit entities around the country including the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross in Washington D.C. Regional not for profits include service as a board member of Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Smith College, Kestrel Land Trust, Center for Eco-Technology and Road Scholar and Chair of The Community Foundation of Western Mass, Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity. Sanford and his wife Betsy are residents of Loomis Village.
Frances M. Bancroft
Frances M. Bancroft is a retired learning products specialist with experience in education, communications, and technology organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University and began her career as an engineering intern at Honeywell, Inc. She worked at Philips, Agilent Technologies, Hewlett-Packard and also served as a communications consultant for Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum. Ms. Bancroft has been active in a number of community and volunteer organizations. Her involvement includes co-chairing the Homeless Lunch Program, work on the Nominating Committee and volunteering for the Homeless Writers Program at All Saints Parish in Brookline. She was a tax preparer for the AARP Tax Program in both Newton and Amherst, served as Chair for the Lay-led Worship Committee at the Unitarian/Universalist Society of Newton and was a Group Leader for Experiment in International Living. An active resident of Applewood, Frances is the Vice President of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Nominating Committee, and coordinator for the Meditation Group.
Paul Breen
Paul, now retired, was for many years the Executive Director of Facilities Management & Planning at Mount Holyoke College. Prior to that, he worked in Project Management and was a Field Engineer with Holyoke based Construction Manager Daniel O’Connell’s Sons. Work experience also included time with the Design & Construction team of the Connecticut Water Company based in Clinton, CT. Paul served our country for 28 years as a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard concluding his service having attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He commanded the 104th Civil Engineering Squadron, a unit which was a component of the 104th Fighter Wing based in Westfield, MA. Mr. Breen is a graduate of Merrimack College (B.S. Civil Engineering) and Western New England College (MBA). Paul and his wife Liz reside in Amherst where they enjoy planning and anticipating their RV adventures, almost as much as the trips themselves.
Deborah Buckley
Deborah serves on the Board of the Center Redevelopment Corporation (The Village Commons) and the Holyoke Taxpayers Association. She is a member of the Holyoke Rotary Club and a past Board member of Holyoke Medical Center/Valley Health System, Holyoke Visiting Nurse Association, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Pioneer Valley, Pioneer Valley Red Cross, and the Granby School Committee. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Education from Mt. Holyoke College. Deb resides in Easthampton, MA.
Stephen Corrigan
President and Founder of Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare, Chicopee, MA; Board Member, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, Holyoke YMCA; Finance Committee Chairperson, MNLA (Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Assn.); Past President, MNLA, Volleyball Hall of Fame, Holyoke Rotary Club, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce; Certified Horticulturist (MNLA); Certified Landscape Professional; Recipient of the Louis Oldershaw Community Service Award, Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce – Business Person of the Year, Fifield Community Service Award. Attended STCC, HCC and Western New England University.
Patricia Crutchfield
Served as human resources director for a number of organizations, including the University of Massachusetts. She has also developed and facilitated educational and training programs for organizational and individual development. Patricia was a member of the Massachusetts Board of Education and several local boards; she now serves on the Board of the Kestrel Land Trust, and is a member of the Distribution Committee of the Western Massachusetts Community Foundation. She is a happily retired soul, and creates photography exhibits that support non-profit organizations and social justice activism.
Dr. Tejas Gandhi
Dr. Gandhi serves as Chief Operating Officer for Berkshire Health Systems, previously serving in that role for Baystate Health Systems. Dr. Gandhi holds a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering, and a Masters in Industrial Engineering. Tejas received his Doctorate in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Jeffrey P. Hayden
Jeff is the Vice President of Business and Community Services, Holyoke Community College; formerly the Director of Planning and Development, City of Holyoke; Board Member, Career Point; Board Member, Valley Health Systems; Board Member, Springfield Works; Graduate of Assumption College (B.A. History).
Marguerite (Maggie) Horn
Marguerite (Maggie) Horn was born in Virginia but grew up in Cambridge, Mass. She graduated from UMass-Amherst, magna cum laude, with a degree in European History. Knowing that she was a “Jill of all trades but master of none”, she realized that librarianship was a way to use her wide-ranging interests. So, she received a Master of Science in Library Science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A forty-year career in librarianship followed with varying duties and increasing supervisory responsibilities: Brown University, University of California, Davis, Northern Arizona University, State University of New York. After retiring, Maggie returned to the Pioneer Valley as a resident at Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing. She became involved immediately in the life of the community as: Chair of the Library Committee, Coordinator of Corner Store Volunteers, Editor-in-Chief of Reflections (a quarterly literary publication). Additionally, she became a member of the Massachusetts Life Care Residents Association (MLCRA) which represents residents in CCRCs across Mass. Having served on their Board as Member-at-Large for two years, she is now Recording Secretary. She looks forward to broadening her understanding of the Loomis Communities and bringing her various perspectives to the Loomis Board.
Tom Pratt
Tom is Principle Emeritus of Burkhart, Pizzanelli, P.C. Tom has over 40 years in public accounting. Tom received his B.A. in Accounting from American International College and his Juris Doctor from Western New England University. Tom is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Massachusetts Society of CPAs, the American bar Association, and the Massachusetts Bar Association and Estate Planning Council of Hampden County.
Zac Steigmeyer
Zac is an Assistant Vice President in Commercial Lending with PeoplesBank in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Economics and belongs to the American Bankers Association and the Risk Management Association. Zac played Division 1 Men’s Ice Hockey, and was a National Champion in 2021. He is an assistant coach for women’s ice hockey at Amherst College, and does volunteer work with the Special Olympics and local food pantries. He currently lives in Ludlow, Massachusetts.
Kevin Whitney
Dr. Kevin Whitney, DNP, RN, is President and Chief Operating Officer (PCOO) of Cooley Dickinson Hospital, (CDH) a 140-bed, full-service hospital, which is part of the Mass General Brigham (MGB) Community Division. Kevin became PCOO after serving as interim Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at CDH from May 2024 through March 15, 2025, Previously, Kevin served as Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer for Newton-Wellesley Hospital and as Associate Chief Nurse for Surgical, Orthopedics and Neurosciences at Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition, he held the position of Vice President of Community Operations for the MGB Community Division. Prior to joining MGB, Kevin worked at Emerson Hospital where he served in clinical and leadership roles, including Emergency Department Nursing Director and Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. With nearly 35 years of experience as a dedicated frontline registered nurse and an accomplished health care leader, he is also a nationally registered paramedic. Kevin earned multiple credentials including board certifications in Executive Leadership and Emergency Nursing. These advanced certifications reflect his expertise and commitment to advancing the nursing and healthcare professions and improving patient outcomes. Kevin earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, a Master of Arts, Health Care Administration, from Framingham State University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and an Associate of Science in Paramedic Technology from Northeastern University. He is a member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). In 2024, Kevin received the UMASS Lowell Solomont School of Nursing Alumni Award recognizing his significant contributions to the nursing profession and epitomizing the University’s values of hard work, integrity, compassion, and stewardship. Kevin lives in western Massachusetts with his wife Cindy, also a nurse, who serves as the Clinical Program Manager for MGB TeleNeurology, Newborn and Derrmatology Virtual Consults. They have two adult children and are now proud grandparents.
Max Winters
Max has spent a decade focused exclusively on how the built environment can improve the experience of aging for older adults around the world. He has spoken to audiences on regional and national stages about placemaking for older adults beyond traditional senior living settings, cutting edge environments for people living with dementia and the transformative role of technology in the aging journey. His perspectives and design work have been featured in a variety of industry publications, as well as the New York Times. Max currently is an Advisory Committee member for Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania. He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, daughter, cat, and dog; and splits his remaining time between his church community, live theater, and playing complicated board games.
Katie Allan Zobel
Katie is the founder of Prosper & Bloom, a strategic consulting firm providing leadership coaching for non-profit CEOs, Boards and teams, and is co-founder of the Community Foundation Impact initiative (CFii). Katie was the President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts for 10 years after serving 8 years as Vice President of Philanthropic Services. During her CEO tenure, financial assets and staff size doubled. She led the Foundation through a significant evolution and partnered with the Trustees to develop a new strategic vision centered on increasing equity and opportunity. Earlier in her career, Katie served 10 years as a member of Amherst College’s Development team and was Director of Annual Giving for WGBY (now NEPM). She currently volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth, is a member of the Town of Amherst’s Community Preservation Act Committee and is a Corporator for Florence Bank. Katie holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation from the American College.
Heather Zoeller
Heather Zoeller is the Director of Advisory Services at OnePoint Partners in West Hartford, Connecticut. Heather leads her team in strategic planning and development as well as advisory services to not-for-profit senior living providers. She works closely with senior living clients’ management teams and Boards of Directors to develop and test strategic plans and to make those plans a reality. Heather received a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Community and Clinical Services from University of New Haven and she graduated with “Distinction in Management” honors Bachelor of Science in Management from University of North Carolina at Asheville.