BLUE BELL, Pennsylvania—Griswold, the fast-growing non-medical home care franchise with more than 170 locations, announced its newest board member, Lori R. Griswold.
In 1982, Dr. Jean Griswold founded Griswold as one of the country’s first non-medical home care companies, providing quality home care to the elderly, disabled adults and individuals recovering from illness. Under Jean's guidance, Lori served as executive vice president of the company for many years until 2009. She was also executive director of the predecessor to the non-profit Jean Griswold Foundation, the Special Care Foundation.
A nationally-known policy analyst and gerontologist, Lori has worked with and advocated for older and disabled persons in a variety of positions and settings for nearly four decades. She has a BA in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master's in gerontology from the Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University. She currently serves as an advocate and consultant to help clients, colleagues, friends, and family navigate the long-term care maze when needing assistance with home care, hospice, facility or other health care needs.
“I am honored and humbled to join such a talented group of professionals to continue bringing Jean’s vision to life,” said Lori. “With the rapid growth and exciting developments in the world of home care, Griswold is poised to make a large impact on the industry. I’m looking forward to developing fresh ideas and strategies to help the company grow in a meaningful way.”
In addition to her experience at Griswold, Lori's past professional career includes roles as a consultant for the Department of Justice/U.S. Attorney's Office, SE Pennsylvania Region; executive director of the Special Care Foundation; long-time member of the PA Intragovernmental Council on Long-Term Care; researcher for the National Institute on Aging at UCLA; and visiting scientist in Sweden assessing the quality of life for persons 85 and over.
“Throughout her tenure with Griswold, Lori helped build the company to where it is today,” said Griswold CEO Michael Slupecki. “She was influential in developing the regulatory framework for home care throughout the country. This isn’t just someone with the Griswold name—this is someone who can truly add value when it comes to home care, education, compliance, historical perspectives, long-term franchisee relationships and more. Connecting back to the Griswold family is great, but having somebody with her stature and strength within the industry is an honor. We are incredibly excited to have her on our Board.”
Lori also has a long history of involvement in federal/national, state and local advocacy and policy organizations and boards. She has worked with Fortune 500 and government agencies on pre-retirement planning and has authored various articles, book chapters, and grant applications. She has received a variety of awards, including the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 under 40,” “Top 100 Professionals to Watch” and the “50 Best Women in Business.”
Vicki Hoak, CEO of Home Care Association of America, is an industry veteran and a = long-time advocate for the home-based care industry. She has two decades of experience working with Lori in the industry.
“We are thrilled to see Lori’s return to the home care space,” said Hoak. “Her participation will be invaluable because of her strong understanding of the value of in-home care. I worked alongside Lori many years ago when Pennsylvania was developing licensing for home care, and her collaborative spirit was instrumental then, as it will be now as our industry faces both challenges and opportunities in the years ahead.”
John Pouschine, a primary board member and owner of the private equity firm Pouschine Cook Capital Management acquired Griswold in 2012, said he believes Lori's unique background will help drive important initiatives within the Griswold system.
“Dr. Lori Griswold is an incredible addition because she brings a relevant regulatory background to discussions at the board level,” Pouschine said. “Better than anyone, she will be able to guide the board and franchisees as they continue to evolve during this pivotal time in the home care industry.”
Now, as a member of the board, Lori will leverage her decades of industry experience to help Griswold continue expansion in line with its recent brand evolution.
“Overall, we are thrilled Lori is willing to put time and energy back into the company, and it is really a testament to the mission Jean started all those years ago,” said Slupecki. “Lori’s expertise and wisdom will be invaluable as we navigate the future of Griswold going forward.”
