Phoebe Ministries Appoints Ronald L. Rider as Trustee Emeritus
Allentown, PA – Ronald L. Rider was honored as a Trustee Emeritus for the Phoebe Ministries Governing Board at a recent meeting.
Over the last 27 years Rider served on the boards of both the Phoebe Berks Health Care Center and Phoebe Berks Village. He also served on the Berks County Strategic Advisory Council. Most recently Rider served on the Phoebe Ministries Board of Trustees from 2002-2008, and 2009-2016, acting as chair from 2005-2008.
“Our ministry has been blessed in so many ways through Ron Rider’s volunteer service,” says Lisa Fichera, COO of Phoebe Ministries. “His faith, grace, and kindness to others have touched the lives of our residents, their families, volunteers and our employees.”
Phoebe leadership always found that Rider was willing to accept added responsibilities and leadership positions to further the mission of the organization. Rider says “The more I did, the more I wanted to do.”
“As a past Chair of the Phoebe Ministries Governing Board, and through a number of volunteer leadership positions at Phoebe, he led many initiatives that will forever enrich the lives of our residents. We are forever grateful to him,” adds Fichera.
Rider first became aware of Phoebe through his church, St. John’s Reformed in Sinking Spring. At the time Phoebe was in the early stages of planning an expansion into Berks County and Rider became instrumental to the process. He said at the time there was a “natural fit” between his background in finance and the role he played on the board. “I was called to be involved,” says Rider.
Rider and his late wife Kay both showed endearing kindness to Phoebe residents and others through their volunteer work at Phoebe Berks. Rider, now a resident of Phoebe Berks Village, continues to volunteer daily at the Village Gardens Personal Care Community where his wife was a resident.
Phoebe’s immediate past board chair, the Rev. Daniel T. Moser II, recalls how Rider served as his mentor when he first joined the board: “Thoughtful, reasoned, insightful, generous, and faithful are all words I would use to describe his leadership. One couldn’t want a kinder leader or a better model.”