Jennifer Velazquez Lecher

Born and raised in NYC, a graduate of Ithaca college with a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation therapy, and a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist & Certified Dementia Practitioner, Jennifer has spent the last 20 years creating opportunities for engagement for older adults that challenge traditional ways of thinking about aging. As a Recreation Therapist in skilled nursing, a Therapeuitc Recreation Director in Long Term Care, Memory Care and Assisted Living and as the current West Coast Life Inspired Mentor for Meridian Senior Living, Jennifer is inspired by the vision of older adults being empowered in this next stage of life. She has sought to create a space where older adults thrive in the communities in which they live, rediscovering purpose,  creating new purpose, and viewing life as more than just a destination, but rather, a continued journey where anything is possible and adventures are limitless. Her vision is a space where older adults are not defined by their limitations but liberated from them, a space where they are strengthened by their connections, where they are free to explore the world in ways they never believed possible. Jennifer believes one person at a time, one community at a time, one company at a time, we can shift to a new, exciting and meaningful way of thinking about aging.