Meet the New CILA Director
Last August, Misericordia welcomed Katie Peterson as the director of the fourteen CILA homes located in Chicago and neighboring suburbs. What you may not know is that Katie has grown up with Misericordia. Misericordia runs in her family. Her husband, Evan is the QIDP at Shannon. They, along with their two young children, George and Joanna, lived at the Eisenberg home for three years. Her son was born on Family Fest day in 2016 and baby Joanna’s first home was Eisenberg. The Peterson family now lives a block away from Eisenberg, and remains close to the Eisenberg ladies.
Katie began with Misericordia as a volunteer while attending Loyola University. She moved into an internship at the Shannon Apartments during her senior year before graduating with a degree in Human Services. As an intern, she worked in programming and with the Shannon Apartments’ clubs. After a year in Boston, Katie returned to Misericordia where she worked as the assistant QIDP in the Rafferty Home and in Mercy Glen, before serving as the QIDP at Eisenberg for four years. Before her promotion to CILA Director, she was the Rafferty QIDP for four years.
Katie’s office is located next to Joe Ferrara’s, the Administrator for the Village and CILAs, on the laundry building’s second floor. In her new role, Katie oversees all CILA operations and provides overall leadership. She directs the vocational/work activities; addresses family and resident concerns; attends resident staffings; manages the budget; addresses environmental concerns; hires, supervises and trains staff; and monitors regulatory compliance. Katie also ensures the safety, health and welfare of residents by promoting quality, respect and dignity within her high-performing staff team.
Katie assists families who may need extra guidance. She knows each CILA resident and is eager to get to know their families better and deepen communication. During this past unusual year, Katie has been awed by the flexibility and creativity of her staff team. She has discovered the wealth of her co-workers’ gifts and talents which are routinely share with residents. With her eyes on the future, Katie has learned that “The Misericordia community really shines when our backs are up against the wall.”
Kathryn Moery
