For SAGE Eldercare, emerging from the COVID pandemic in 2022 was a time of mission renewal and focus on organizational effectiveness. Director of Finance & Administration Galina Muller provided extraordinary leadership, analyzing each aspect of SAGE’s operations, and implementing best practices to shape a nimbler more cost-effective organization.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of SAGE Eldercare, I am pleased to announce that Galina Muller has been appointed Executive Director of SAGE Eldercare. As Executive Director, Galina oversees the overall operations of SAGE, including the Adult Medical Day Program, in-residence Home Care services, Meals-On-Wheels food delivery, Medicare counseling (SHIP), Social Work outreach, informational programs, classes, and our Furniture Restoration Workshop.
Galina will lead the implementation of the 2023-2025 Strategic Plan collaboratively developed by the Board of Trustees and SAGE management. The Plan honors both SAGE’s roots at its 1954 founding and the needs of today. Additionally, the Plan prioritizes that SAGE keep its finger on the pulse of the changing needs of senior residents in Summit and the surrounding communities to ensure our services reflect and meet their needs. This emphasis will aid in identifying new ways to serve and allow us to develop opportunities to partner with other service organizations.
Galina joined SAGE in 2007 as Finance Director, to supervise all accounting and finance activities. During the COVID pandemic, Galina was promoted to Director of Finance and Administration. She focused on analyzing and enhancing organizational effectiveness. She restructured SAGE’s business model by identifying best practices, consolidating its two clinical care programs (HomeCare and Spend-A-Day) to improve quality of care, and reduce operating costs to position SAGE to fulfill its mission for years to come. As Executive Director, Galina will oversee overall operations, as well as the fundraising component of SAGE Eldercare.
Galina earned a Master’s Degree in Accounting at Fairleigh Dickinson University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Accounting, and Finance at New Bulgarian University. Prior to joining SAGE, she held various positions of increasing responsibility at Robert Saunders CPA in Westfield, Island Auto Rental Group, and Glory School of Foreign Languages.
SAGE operates under strict regulatory requirements, with licensed healthcare care workers, a staff of administrative professionals, and a network of dedicated volunteers. We provide vital services to clients in our community whether they are a client of means or require financial support to meet the cost of care. We are able to deliver our services to all who require them by covering a portion of unreimbursed service costs through donations, grants, government support and the efforts of our incredible volunteers.
We greatly appreciate the support of our donors and the commitment to our mission of providing needed services that help seniors to age at home. For those who are less familiar with SAGE or have not recently engaged with SAGE, we welcome you to visit with us, to hear about the impact SAGE is having on the elderly and the many ways we serve our community as a whole and person to person.
Warm regards,
Leslie Hardin
SAGE Eldercare Board President