As longtime facilities manager retires, son steps in

This piece is sponsored by Sanford Health.

After 35 years on the job, Chuck Jensen has retired.

“When I started in December of 1990, I had been working for the school district in town as an evening custodian. I had a young boy at home, and I kind of wanted to find a daytime job,” he said.

He worked his way up from a boiler technician when the company was called North Country Health Services to facilities manager at Sanford Health Neilson Place, a long-term care community in Bemidji, Minnesota.

Chuck Jensen has earned some downtime. But what makes his retirement even more special is that the little boy he took this job for is now taking over for him.

“When they were downtown at the old building, my school was right across the street,” said Matt Jensen, the new facilities manager and Chuck’s son. “My brother and I would walk over and hang out in his office.

“When I lived in the (Twin) Cities, I would always come home for holidays, and I’d ask my dad, ‘Hey, let’s go in and see the place.’”

Following the footsteps

Matt Jensen moved back home and started officially working with his dad 10 years ago. But he has been learning from him for a lot longer than that.

“We were that stereotypical thing, you know, like the flashlight kid, working out in the garage, or if he was doing something in the yard, I was always just kind of there,” Matt said.

When Matt started at Neilson Place though, both men felt a little bit of trepidation because of those familial bonds.

“We had joked in the beginning like, ‘Hey, if we can’t do this together, I’ll bow out of here,’” Matt said. “But it worked really well.”

“I’m sure Matt will tell you that he felt like he was under a stricter observation by me than anyone,” Chuck said. “But he has the work ethic and the mindset to succeed without me nagging him or anything.”

Now, the handoff just seems right.

“I think the passing of the torch is pretty exciting honestly,” said Taylor Zimbelman, the long-term care administrator at Neilson Place. “Matt has a pretty good understanding of the building, and Chuck has taught him a lot. So I think we’re pretty lucky. It’s a pretty valuable transition.”

Residents first

Chuck has passed down a lot more to Matt than just his technical expertise though. Both men take great pride in caring for the residents too.

“I always figure that, if there’s a hundred tenants in this building, they’re mine to take care of,” Chuck said. “I’m responsible for their safety. Whether they’re hot or cold or whatever it might be.”

So it’s no surprise that during last summer’s damaging storm, both men spent more time at Neilson Place than they did at their own homes.

“Matt and I ended up being here through that weekend pretty much nonstop,” Chuck said. “We were looking at the people equally as much, if not more than, as the actual physical buildings.”

“I care about them, you know? That’s why I’m here,” Matt said.

That’s also why Chuck Jensen feels even better about his retirement. Because Neilson Place is in good hands.

“I see his capacity to care for the people,” Chuck said. “I’ll probably embarrass him. He’ll yell at me later maybe, but I’ve always told him he has a big heart, and he does. He cares.”

For Matt, the change is a little bittersweet. But he’s excited for his dad to enjoy some time off.

“He’s worked hard his whole life,” Matt said. “The coolest thing about him really is he started as a custodian and just moved his way up. That’s what I always looked up to.”

Now, he can look back with fond memories. Chuck Jensen helped keep this place running for 35 years. And Matt Jensen will keep that legacy going into the future.

Learn more

• Father and son connect at Good Samaritan Sioux Falls Village
• Maintenance employee cares for residents and their homes
• Brother, sister find their calling in long-term care