Walker Methodist is a faith-based nonprofit senior living organization that's been serving older adults since 1945. We provide housing, healthcare, rehabilitation, and services to seniors and the people who support them.
Life. And all the living that goes with it. Enhancing the lives of older adults through a culture of care, respect, and service.
As the leading senior services provider, Walker Methodist offers the best place to live and work.
Walker Methodist owns, operates, and manages 20 senior living communities and provides housing, healthcare, rehabilitation, and services to seniors and the people who support them.
Additionally, Walker Methodist inspires people in the field of older adult services by establishing careers that create environments that enhance the lives of the people we serve.
Walker Methodist’s executive leadership is a passionate team of professionals committed to the mission, vision, and values of Walker Methodist; to enhancing the ways older adults can live their lives; and to opening up the field of older adult services through inspiring careers and mentorship. Together, with all members of the Walker Methodist team, a positive difference is being made in how older adults experience life. Get to know each of them personally through their biographies below.
Scott Riddle, Chief Executive Officer and President, leads all aspects of Walker Methodist's operations, mission, vision, and strategy.
As Chief Executive Officer and President, Scott leads the development of organizational strategies, as well as oversees the creation and implementation of the organization’s mission, vision and direction. He joined the organization as Chief Financial Officer in April 2013 and was named Chief Executive Officer and President in 2014.
Prior to joining Walker Methodist, Scott worked as the Vice President of Finance at Ecumen. His professional experience includes Finance roles at International Multifoods and Northwest Airlines and in diverse industries such as consumer auto rental and medical device, among others. He holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bethel College. He volunteers his time as a Member of the Board on the Finance Committee for Aging Services of Minnesota.
Russ joined the leadership team in January 2017. Russ was most recently CFO with Bloom Health Corporation and formerly with International Dairy Queen as Vice President of Financial Services. He holds a Bachelors of Business and Public Relations in Accounting from the University of North Dakota.
He leads all financial aspects of Walker Methodist including internal and external reporting, budgeting and financial analysis, cash & investment management, revenue cycle management, audits, and risk management. In addition, Russ oversees the Environmental Services and Informational Technology teams.
In his free time, Russ enjoys running, tending to his perennial garden, as well as spending time with his wife Karen and their three sons at home or up at the family cabin. He is also an active volunteer for the Eden Prairie Boys Basketball Association and serves on the Stewardship Council at Pax Christi Catholic Community.
As Chief Operating Officer, Anneliese Peterson leads the operations and services provided by Walker Methodist’s housing communities. This includes providing expertise and vision for each community in their effort to offer the highest quality customer service.
Before joining Walker Methodist in 2013, Anneliese worked at Sunrise Senior Living for 11 years. In her positions with Sunrise, she served in roles in human resources, later becoming the Executive Director for numerous communities and served as the Regional Director of Operations in Minnesota.
Anneliese currently volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Association on their Walk to End Alzheimer’s and Development Committees. She is also very involved with LeadingAge MN and has served as a past co-chair of the Housing Cabinet and as a member of the Quality Council.
Anneliese holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa and has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Organizational Communication from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Sarah Wandschneider is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Walker Methodist and has been part of our team since April 2015.
As Chief Human Resources Officer, Sarah leads her team in supporting Walker Methodist through a consultative, innovative, and adaptable approach to ensure solutions are in alignment with our mission, vision, and values.
Sarah is known for building solid business relationships throughout the organization from the Board to the leadership team and front-line team members. Prior to her time at Walker Methodist, Sarah worked at Affinity Plus Credit Union, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and C.H. Robinson. Sarah has a Bachelor of Science from University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and a Masters of Arts from Ottawa University, Kansas.
Beverly Ransford, Vice President of Quality and Clinical Services, joined the team at Walker Methodist in 2020. Having served as a Director of Nursing, Director of Clinical Services, and Quality Assurance Consultant, Bev has brought a wealth of industry knowledge to the Walker Methodist team.
Among her notable achievements, Bev served as a member of the Minnesota Directors of Nursing/Administration Association, and she was the 2005 recipient of the University of Minnesota School of Nursing’s John A. Hartford Award for Excellence in Gerontological Nursing.
Bev has earned degrees and certifications from Minneapolis Community College, American Nurses Credentialing Center, and University of St. Francis.
We celebrated 75 years of serving seniors in 2020. Learn more...
Walker Methodist is proud of its deep roots dating back to 1876. Predecessors to today’s Walker Methodist are Bethany Home and Harriet Walker Maternity Hospital.
Between 1876 and 1930, Harriet Walker, Abby Mendanhall, Charlotte Van Cleve, and Euphemia Overlock established the original Bethany Home for unwed mothers where Walker Methodist Health Center now stands.
Between 1930 and 1945, Bethany Home became The Harriet Walker Maternity Hospital and broadened its services to include married women with limited resources seeking maternity care and older women seeking board and care.
As needs in the community changed, Walker Methodist shifted services to older adults. In 1945, the Walker Methodist Home opened its doors following the merger of the maternity hospital with the Elim Home for the Aged.
Walker Methodist Health Center opened in 1965 and became one of the largest health care communities in Minnesota. To provide a comprehensive array of services, a new housing community, Walker Methodist Place, opened in 1983. Today the Walker Methodist Health Center provides innovative service and healthcare to support the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual wants, needs and dreams of our customers.
The Walker Methodist Foundation was established in 1975 to ensure high quality programs and services are provided for our residents and patients.
The Foundation provides funding to support programs and services for residents and patients and for the capital needs in our housing communities. In addition, our staff is supported through the Foundation with training opportunities and a Pay It Forward Fund - an emergency assistance fund open to all employees. It is our hope to provide a lasting legacy for Walker Methodist for decades to come.
With the opening of the Westwood Ridge in 1987, Walker expanded the continuum of care to include independent living, assisted living, care suites, skilled nursing care, memory care, affordable senior housing, physical therapy and rehabilitation, fitness and wellness programs, and adult day care. We now serve customers at additional sites throughout the Twin Cities at Plaza and River in Anoka, Highview Hills in Lakeville, Care Suites in Edina, Kenzie in St. Anthony, and Lyndale in Minneapolis. 2017 saw the opening of Levande in Cambridge.
To reflect changing consumer expectations and preferences, we adopted a new Mission statement in 2012 to guide the organization's continued service and growth: Life. And all the living that goes with it. This Mission is accompanied by updated values: Respect. Imagination. Collaboration.
We are the leading provider of lifestyle, homes, healthcare and rehabilitative services for older adults and own, operate, and manage 11 senior living communities in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area and Iowa. Our Mission guides our creativity and innovation as we seek opportunities to build programs, service offerings, and residences in the future. Some of our meaningful collaborations include our Dental Clinic, Music & Memory, and being a Struthers Parkinson's Care Network partner. Our Dental Clinic received national recognition with a 2016 Leading Age Innovation Award and honors Walker Methodist’s dedication to providing high-quality geriatric dental care, as well as training healthcare professionals in geriatric dentistry.
At Walker Methodist, we strive to provide superior care to all older adults, regardless of health or needs. With this spirit – and in alignment with our Mission, Vision, and Values – we have partnered with Struthers Parkinson’s Center and provide Memory Cafés.
In response to the growing need for expert Parkinson’s care, the Struthers Parkinson’s Center initiated the development of the Care Network in 2012. This network helps bring expertise of Parkinson’s to independent living, assisted living, and long-term care communities. Our partnership with them allows our communities to gather additional insight into the complexities of Parkinson’s through training and education.
Walker Methodist staff and caregivers are better trained to recognize and understand the complexities and varieties of Parkinson’s disease. As another level of specialized care, our staff can improve communication and create enhanced living experiences for those with Parkinson’s.
Not only are care staff members better prepared to assist those with Parkinson’s, they are also able to provide education, resources, and support to the individuals and their families.
Struthers Parkinson's Center has chosen 13 of our communities to join their Care Network: Highview Hills in Lakeville, Care Suites in Edina, the Health Center in Minneapolis, Havenwood of Buffalo, Havenwood of Burnsville, Havenwood of Maple Grove, Havenwood of Minnetonka, Havenwood of Onalaska, Levande in Cambridge, Place in Minneapolis, Plaza in Anoka, Rushseba Senior Living in Rush City, and Westwood Ridge in West St. Paul.
This addition to Walker Methodist’s offerings is a social outlet. Memory Cafés provide a place for people with memory loss, Alzheimer's, dementia, or related illnesses and their loved ones to gather and connect with others in similar situations.
What started as an Alzheimer Café in the Netherlands in 1997 soon became multiple memory care cafés that expanded throughout Europe and eventually into the United States. With almost 200 cafés in the United States now, they have become a popular place for people to join together and exchange ideas on how to manage and embrace memory loss.
Our goal is for Pastime to be a place for people with memory loss to frequent for fun activities, fellowship, and social time. Pastime is an active and educational environment with a coordinator who handles all activities and communications within the group.
These events also help alleviate isolation. To learn more, read this story from the New York Times.