Garden Spot Communities has announced that it will affiliate with Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries (ALSM) of Altoona and Liberty Lutheran Services of Ambler under the new parent company name Ilumin. The affiliation is subject to the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and consents, which the three not-for-profit, faith-based senior living organizations hope to receive by spring.

The affiliation is intended to strengthen and benefit all three organizations and their stakeholders. Together, the organizations hope to introduce new services and programs to residents, offer employees more career opportunities, and have a stronger voice in negotiating contracts with health care providers.

The three organizations will share an executive leadership team, led by Steve Lindsey, current CEO of Garden Spot Communities and a thought leader in senior living. Lindsey will be joined at the executive level by current leaders of the three affiliating organizations. From Liberty Lutheran, Joan Myers will become chief operating officer and John Barnum will be chief financial officer. Lois Dostalik of ForgeWorks/Garden Spot will become chief culture officer. Also from Garden Spot, Scott Miller will be chief marketing officer and Steve Jeffrey will be chief strategy officer. Chris Reighard of ALSM will be vice president of finance.

Ilumin will be headquartered in New Holland. Liberty Lutheran and ALSM will continue to maintain corporate offices in Ambler and Altoona, respectively.

Patricia Savage, CEO of ALSM, and Luanne Fisher, CEO of Liberty Lutheran, will step down from their positions when the affiliation takes effect this spring. Both intend to continue to serve in the not-for-profit sector.

Fisher noted that the three organizations engaged in thorough research and analysis when evaluating the potential for affiliation. The affiliation was approved unanimously by the boards of all three organizations.

When the affiliation takes effect, Ilumin will be one of the largest 50 senior living organizations in the country. Its 2,000 team members will serve nearly 40,000 individuals from nine campuses in 28 Pennsylvania counties. It will also offer community-based services for multiple generations. Ilumin anticipates that it will report nearly $140 million in revenue. The new entity, whose tagline will be "Life With Purpose," will be grounded by the common belief that serving individuals and families is a ministry and an outward demonstration of Christ's love. To learn more, visit http://www.iluminliving.org.