Careers

Matt has the philosophy that everyone who enters the building immediately becomes family. In his eyes, it becomes much easier to do the right thing for residents, go the extra mile, and it allows him to better connect with their families as well. Matt believes that everyone deserves a caring home and to have their needs met. Working at Copper Creek, Matt says that he is not at a job, but is being invited into someone’s home. He didn’t necessarily know he would end up working in Senior Living, but says being able to give back to the residents and the community is a great opportunity.

I am a long-term resident of the area, a proud product of rural Northeast Iowa. I graduated with honors in 1989 from North Fayette high school and continued my education earning a BA in Art and Art Education from Luther College in 1993. I joined the staff as K-8 Art teacher for North Fayette Community schools, my alma mater, where I taught art in 4 buildings in three towns for 13 years. I made a career change in 2007, after a one-year hiatus, to help my husband with his dream of owning his own business, an autobody repair shop, Ward Collision Service in West Union, Iowa. Shortly after that, I accepted a new position as Activity Coordinator at the facility. I've been with the facility since it's opening since 2007. I created an innovative activity program, unique compared to other typical care facilities in the area, and enjoyed my work immensely. My philosophy and approach in regards to activities are that everyone is creative, you just have to find what inspires them. I accepted the invitation to become Campus Director in March of 2019, adventuring in a new direction within Copper Creek, where I continue to learn something new every day.
My husband Steve and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary in October of 2018 and live on a small acreage near Elgin, Iowa with our three fun-loving sons. Our oldest son, Mason is a Junior as a civil engineering student at the University of Iowa, our middle son, Carson, is Freshman majoring in Mathematics and Statistics at Luther College and our youngest son, Emerson, is a Freshman at North Fayette Valley. Lots of changes to the Ward household these last couple years, but we do enjoy family time together kayaking and fishing in our time away from work and school. Myself, I enjoy reading, archery, movies and, of course, being creative, whether it's interior decorating, drawing, painting, or gardening.