Cornwall Manor Presidents
Presidents’ Day, in the United States, is a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents. This national holiday is recognized on the third Monday of February. Whether in politics, for-profit business or non-profit organizations, there are many types of presidents and varying roles and responsibilities that position holds. Presidents typically report to a board of directors and is the highest-ranking officer that presides over the day-to-day operations, is an active decision-maker on business strategy, maximizes the value of the organization, implements goals and strategic objectives and works towards achieving outcomes related to the organization’s mission.
Cornwall Manor, a non-profit continuing care retirement community established in 1949, is very fortunate to have four dedicated presidents within our organization that serve in different capacities. The contributions that each president makes is instrumental to the overall success of Cornwall Manor and in honor of Presidents’ Day, we are highlighting our four Cornwall Manor Presidents!
Jeff Raffauf, President, Cornwall Manor Board of Trustees
Jeff began serving as President of the Cornwall Manor Board of Trustees this year. He has been serving on the Board since 2016 (in his current term) and he also served as a Trustee from 2004-2013 and has had many interactions with Cornwall Manor throughout the years.
Jeff is proud of his service on the Board and looks forward to celebrating Cornwall Manor’s 75th Anniversary and all the special activities planned to commemorate this special milestone throughout 2024. He also shares that he enjoyed being part of the Board during a recent capital campaign and he was asked to call donors and thank them for giving to Cornwall Manor. He was touched by the experience because he was so interested in people’s connections to Cornwall Manor and hearing the different ways on how the community positively impacted their lives. Whether is was a family member, resident or volunteer – everyone’s story was meaningful.
Jeff is passionate about helping people. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and spent his career in ministry. His first church was in Jonestown, Lebanon County, where he served for 10 years as the pastor and that position brought him to Cornwall Manor many times to visit residents on campus. He recalls that many of his members of his congregation spoke highly of Cornwall Manor, labeling the community as “one of the premiere places to live in the area.”
Since retirement a year-and-a-half ago, Jeff continues his service on the Cornwall Manor Board of Trustees as well as assisting small churches and elders and is pastoring a church in Chester County part-time. He also serves on the Board of New Journey Community Outreach, a non-profit organization in Reading that provides food and clothing services to low income individuals.
Jeff is an avid Penn State, Phillies and Eagles fan. Since 2008, he has attended Phillies Spring Training in Florida (only missing a few years due to a family wedding, COVID and a broken foot). Jeff and his son have football season tickets to Penn State. He also enjoys reading and is part of reading group among clergy colleagues. He enjoys the camaraderie and feels it is beneficial for personal and professional growth. Jeff enjoys reading murder mystery with international intrigue.
An interesting fact about Jeff – while pastoring at his second church in Columbia, Lancaster, he became a PIAA baseball umpire. He started umping games while serving at his Jonestown church with the local little league. Once he was in Lancaster, he became involved with the Columbia Boys Athletic Association, took the test, earned his PIAA patch and umped games for junior high, junior varsity and varsity level. He was an umpire for about eight years and gave it up to coach when his son became a junior varsity catcher. He also shared, full of laughter, that he gave up umping when he got glasses. No one likes an ump that can’t see balls and strikes!
There are many people that Jeff admires but to name a few would include Peter Weaver, Bishop who appointed him to his last church; Billy Graham and Martin Luther King, Jr. Jeff resides in Berks County with his wife Cheryl and they have two adult children (a son and a daughter) and three grandchildren.
Harry McConnell, President & CEO, Cornwall Manor
Harry began as Cornwall Manor’s seventh President & CEO in October 2022 and brings a long history of senior living experience and leadership to Cornwall Manor. He was the Executive Director of Normandy Farm Estates, a faith based not-for-profit retirement community in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Additional experience includes 25 years with Peter Becker Community in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, where he received successive promotions culminating in the Chief Operating Officer position. Harry also has served as an adjunct professor for Gwynedd-Mercy College since 2004, where he led courses in Healthcare Administration, Healthcare Delivery Systems, Healthcare Financial Management and Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Stockton State College and an MBA from De Sales University and is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator.
Harry’s first interaction with senior living stems from his middle school days where he sang Christmas carols at Masonic Home in Burlington Township, New Jersey with his church. He recalls seeing the residents’ appreciation and joy for the student interaction and the singing, which made a difference in their day. He began his career as Director of Environmental Services where he oversaw housekeeping, maintenance/security and plant operations. This opportunity provided a training program and upon successful completion, he was recruited for a position in long term care. Eventually his experience led to assuming extra responsibilities in human resources, where he gained additional experience and eventually, Harry also obtained his Nursing Home Administrators (NHA) license. Harry credits the many positive mentors he has encountered throughout his career. Being able to watch and learn has been beneficial to his experience and growth.
One portion of Harry’s role as President is to motivate employees and foster a positive work environment. He feels the key is to take an interest in each employee and care for them. His first year of presidency was spent observing and learning the organization and its people. He focused on building relationships to establish trust. He feels that is essential to make people feel like they’re part of something great. His vision for the future is to have Cornwall Manor remain a respected (and the best!) senior living community in the area and a stand-alone organization.
When Harry is not leading the organization, you can find him relaxing by reading a mystery book, on the golf course, traveling or soaking up the sun on the beach. Some people know that Harry enjoys watching movies, as it allows you to escape for a couple of hours. He recently watched the new Mission Impossible but his favorite flicks include Ford v Ferrari and The Last Samuari with Tom Cruise. Three items on his bucket list include traveling to Italy for a family vacation (in the works for 2025!), attending all four days at the Masters and to travel more. One interesting fact most people don’t know about Harry – he’s never had a cup of coffee.
He recently relocated to Lititz with wife Marianne and poochies Maggie and Harper. He is the proud father to daughters Amanda and Katie. Both girls are Golden Rams – Amanda obtained her bachelors and master’s degrees from West Chester University (WCU) and Katie is completing her junior year, also at WCU.
Carol Holt, President, Cornwall Manor Society
Carol began serving as the President of the Cornwall Manor Society in January 2024, following a two-year term as Vice President. The Cornwall Manor Society is the auxiliary of Cornwall Manor and was established in spring 1950 with the mission of supporting the ministry of Cornwall Manor by building relationships both on and off campus, by providing opportunities for volunteers to bring services and programs to Corson Hall and Health Center residents and by raising funds for Benevolent Care.
Carol’s first interaction with Cornwall Manor was through her late husband, David, who did taxes for H&R Block on the side during tax season. Several of his clients were Cornwall Manor residents and when they gave up driving, David came to Cornwall Manor to meet with them. He got to know Cornwall Manor and eventually, so did Carol. They moved to The Woods in October 2010 and Carol shares that they chose Cornwall Manor for the wooded setting and Rail Trail.
Carol spent her career in education even though in high school she wanted to attend college to be a Fashion Designer and Illustrator. After careful consideration and not wanting to relocate to a metropolitan area, she attended Millersville University and achieved both her bachelors and master’s degree in education. She taught for 36 years in the Lebanon City Schools teaching fourth and fifth grades. Carol loved teaching and working with so many personalities and families. After retiring, she taught for almost seven years at Lebanon Valley College. While teaching at the college level was different than elementary, she enjoyed the challenged. She also taught the children’s sermon at her church for 10-11 years.
A native of Lebanon County and returning to the area to teach, one of Carol’s many joys is seeing students she taught. She is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma that promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. Additionally, for the past several years, she also became involved in Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO), a fundraising group that assists women who want to go back to school to further their education.
Carol enjoys gardening, walking, hiking and getting outdoors for fresh air. She also likes to read as she belongs to a book club, so she has learned to enjoy a variety of books. She is currently reading A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy who helped win World War II by Sonja Purnell.
Jim Tice, Cornwall Manor Residents’ Association
Jim also began serving as the President of the Residents’ Association in January 2024, following a two-year term as Vice President. The Cornwall Manor Residents Association was established in 1978 and provides opportunities for residents to become involved in maintaining the lifestyle of our community. The Association provides various means of communication to bring residents’ concerns and suggestions to the Administration and to bring plans and information from the Administration to the residents. All residents of Cornwall Manor are voting members of the Association. There are four general membership meetings each year which provide updates on Association activities and other matters of interest.
As President, Jim’s goals for the Residents’ Association are to keep things simple, utilize resources and the share the work by getting more people involved so the same people aren’t going the same things. Jim strongly feels that if you are part of a community, you have to be part of it if you want it to thrive.
Jim’s career is extremely varied. He was called to ministry at the age of 18 and has served as a college, hospital and prison chaplain; a pastor; an administrator; community liaison and a violence prevention consultant. He has retired three times and feels that his position in prison chaplaincy was the most meaningful. He worked with many inmates serving life sentences and hearing their stories of redemption.
First interaction with Cornwall Manor was after a round of golf at Royal Oaks Golf Club. He and Sally visited Cornwall Manor and fell in love with The Woods. They never visited another community as they chose Cornwall Manor for the beautiful wooded setting and the Rail Trail and have been residents since 2019. Jim and Sally have one son and two grandchildren. Jim’s cousin, Debbie, also lives at Cornwall Manor.
Jim enjoys golfing and hiking, his grandchildren, playing Dominoes and Sequence and traveling. One interesting fact that most people may not know about Jim is that he trucked cattle in Lebanon County. He lived with his grandparents in Annville and he worked alongside his grandfather who was a cattle dealer. Jim admires honest, ethical people; ones who care about others and those who abide by the law.
It is evident from these interviews that all four Cornwall Manor Presidents have had (or are having) successful careers that have been influenced by varied experiences and interactions of the many people they met on their journey. We are thankful for their dedication and service to Cornwall Manor and for the difference they are making for our community.
