Our leadership: dedicated, innovative, mission-driven

You never know where you might find Therapeutic Arts Manager Madeline Ludtke. She travels between all seven 2Life campuses providing art therapy for residents, so she is always in motion. But you will certainly know she is around when you see “Art the Cart,” the supply wagon decorated with Madeline’s trademark googly eyes that travels with her everywhere. In fact, all Madeline’s supplies are decorated with googly eyes. “I just like to hide them everywhere and make people laugh,” she says.

Bringing joy to residents comes naturally to Madeline, who believes that everyone has the potential to be creative. As an art therapist, she helps people access that creativity in an atmosphere she describes as “failure free.”

Madeline discovered art therapy when she took a life-changing trip to Thailand after graduating with a BFA degree from the University of Wisconsin. “I volunteered with a program that was doing art workshops for different marginalized communities around the city of Chiang Mai. Every day we would travel to a different organization and do art with people of all ages and backgrounds—orphaned kids, children with disabilities, seniors, or survivors of trafficking. It was very rewarding, and that’s what introduced me to the idea of using art for wellness and healing.”

From there, Madeline earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and art therapy from Lesley University. She has been an expressive arts therapist at 2Life since 2023, using various modalities to reach as many people as possible—including those who may otherwise seem unreachable.

According to Debbi Cutler, Director of Health and Aging Programs, “Many people, for a variety of reasons, have difficulty connecting with others or verbally communicating. But with expressive therapy, they're learning together, creating together, and having fun together. So it provides a great coping mechanism.”

Madeline hones her own artistic skills by creating mixed media collages, paintings, and illustrations. But she says that her most inspiring creations are the connections she has forged with residents.

“The coolest part of my job is working with people who maybe didn't do art before moving to 2Life, and then they try it and find joy in doing that. As people age and perhaps develop dementia, certain language abilities or memories may start to fade, but the ability to be creative does not. It’s still there. It's so powerful to use the expressive arts to access that. You get to see people come alive.”

The Maintenance Supervisor for Golda Meir House and Leland House, Kenny Mercado, comes pretty close to working magic. “I don’t know how he does it,” says Executive Director Myra Marshall, “but Kenny seems to be able to be everywhere, all at once. He's on the go, literally and figuratively, all the time.”

It's curiosity that drives Kenny. Even as a child, he was good with tools and liked to figure out how things worked. After high school, he became a Master HVAC Technician and Sheet Metal Worker.

At 2Life, Kenny often fixes things that would otherwise need the costly attention of an outside vendor. “Kenny is by far the best diagnostician and problem solver that I’ve ever had here in my 12 years,” adds Myra. “If he doesn’t immediately know the answer, he’s going to be on it until he figures it out.”

“There's always something to learn,” says Kenny. That applies to relationships as well as buildings. “I love people, and it doesn’t matter how old they are. They are still very funny and interesting.” he says. “I’ll always make time to talk to residents. Many times, they teach me something that I didn't know. I treat them all like they're my grandparents. They're great!” Residents appreciate Kenny so much, they’re constantly bringing him chocolate, so his colleagues always know where to go to find good snacks.

Developing connections may be the one time when Kenny slows down. If residents are dealing with hearing, vision, or memory loss, Kenny patiently reassures them that he is there to help. “Even before I start working, I sit down with them for a few minutes and talk. The best part of my job is interacting with the people here—and at the end of the day feeling like I accomplished something.”

Accomplishment means a lot to Kenny. “I grew up in Waltham, in the Prospect Hill housing project—the streets. Because of where I'm from, I always had to prove myself.” Kenny admits that earlier in life he “turned left when I should’ve turned right. But when I had kids, I changed my life. I wanted to do good, as opposed to always thinking it's me against the world.” Today, he says, “I'm happy to wake up in the morning. I'm thankful for everything, and I want to make my time here seem like it was for something, and not just a paycheck.”

As 2Life’s Assistant Controller and Manager of Budget, Audit, and Reporting, Kathryn Bethel is what you would call a “numbers person.” But since joining 2Life in 2021, her vision has expanded.

“As a CPA, a lot of times you’re looking at spreadsheets or numbers all day. Here, our office is in one of the residential buildings. When you come into work you're seeing residents go about their day-to-day. You might have a small conversation in the hallway, peek into a classroom, or see the residents’ paintings and realize how amazingly talented they are. You see the impact your work is having on people’s lives. It reminds you of the ‘why’.”

For Kathryn, the “why” was a desire to be part of a mission she believed in. After having built a successful career at one of the nation’s leading accounting firms, Kathryn heard about an opening at 2Life, and was intrigued by the idea of working for a mission-driven nonprofit. “Being able to help seniors live in wonderful communities is a much better way to spend your day than doing something for the for-profit side.”

There are many practical accounting requirements and deadlines that 2Life must meet to operate effectively—for example, the preparation and reporting of consolidated financial statements. It’s a complicated process because beneath the 2Life Communities parent structure are numerous separate 501(c)(3) corporations, as well as limited liability corporations and for-profit corporations. Meeting their individual requirements is a critical part of Kathryn’s job.

Diane Leeming, 2Life’s Director of Finance and Controller, says that Kathryn has been instrumental in streamlining these functions. “Whether it’s from an audit perspective or a budget perspective, Kathryn is phenomenal with tying things up with accuracy, and her technical abilities are great.”

Beyond the balance sheets, Kathryn finds balance in her own life by doing yoga, and spending time outdoors. You can often find her paddleboarding on the Charles River in Newton. “It's so calming. You don't have to paddle very far to feel like you are someplace much farther away.”

Perhaps that balanced perspective helps Kathryn remain easygoing, approachable, and ready to embrace any challenge. Diane Leeming appreciates that “Kathryn’s growth mindset is helping to set us up for the future.” For Kathryn, it’s about focusing on the big picture. “We have to meet our deliverables and deadlines so we can continue to provide services. But it's never about the tasks themselves. It has to be about growth, because the need is so great.”