When Peg Black’s youngest son went off to school in 1975, Black decided to get herself a job. Cerenity Senior Care, then known as White Bear Lake Care Center, was in the neighborhood. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ll go over there and get a job until I find something I like better,” Black says. She worked at Cerenity for the next 47 years.
Black started as a nursing assistant, but soon moved into a role in the activities department organizing activities and outings for the elderly residents. “I loved that, that was a great job,” she says. “Down the road, I was also the volunteer coordinator, and I did that for 20 years,” Black says, likening it to having the best of both worlds. “Not only did I work with the residents with activities, but I got outside volunteers to come in and help the residents with activities. It kept me busy in both areas.”
In 2009, Cerenity planned a $17 million renovation and expansion project and Black was tapped to take on the role of development director. “I thought, ‘Well, I haven’t done that before, but I’ll certainly give it a try.’ And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since,” Black says.
The expansion saw the creation of a 40-room transitional care unit for individuals who needed a stepping stone between hospitalization and returning home. “Transitional care wasn’t really heard of until about right around 2000,” Black says. “Transitional care started coming into being and our team of directors and administrators recognized that we need to keep up with the demand, what’s needed in the community, so we’ve always kept moving forward.”
For her part, Black is proud to have been part of the team that made the large scale renovation project possible. “I am most proud of my success in fundraising to enhance Cerenity White Bear Lake campus,” she says. Aside from the transitional care until, the 2009 renovations also included the addition of a therapy gym and pool, a chapel, a cafe and a gift shop. “The addition of our extremely beautiful chapel was really important here,” Black says. “Just giving people full care, including spiritual care.”
Overall, Black says her time with Cerenity kept her connected to White Bear. “White Bear is a small community in many ways, and there’s almost always someone I know coming in through our transitional care unit, or somebody’s mother lives here,” Black says. “We’re an extension of the community and the community is highly supportive of us. We’ve been blessed with major donations from The Manitou Fund and other local family foundations.”
So, what does retirement hold for Black?
“I am going to travel a lot,” she says. “My husband and I like golf, we’re sailors, we like to hike and I’m an avid swimmer.” The newly minted snowbirds plan to live two-thirds of their year out in California, where their youngest son now lives. “Like many folks, we’re going spend a good part of the year somewhere warm.”
