Meet Jackie Foti! Jackie is the Community Relations Director at The View at Pine Ridge Assisted Living in Oconomowoc. She is married to Tyler, and the couple have a seven year old son, Sal. In addition to her family and career, Jackie serves on the Oconomowoc Rotary Club Board of Directors, she is a member of the business education committee for Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce, volunteers at the Oconomowoc Area Senior Center and is involved with the marketing committee at St. Jerome’s Parish School.
The View at Pine Ridge is designed specifically for the needs of those touched by cognitive decline. Their homes support different levels of care and individualized attention while always putting comfort and safety first. A second location, The View at Johnson Creek, will be opening soon. Jackie is currently coordinating the grand opening, which will take place at the end of March.
In memory of her father and uncle, both of whom passed away from multiple sclerosis, Jackie has organized a fundraiser in conjunction with the national MS Run the US fundraiser and CycleBar Lake Country. For a $25 donation or more, donors will receive a 45 minute indoor cycling ride with CycleStar Brittany, and all the amenities needed to ‘Rock Your Ride’. All proceeds will go to the MS Run the US fundraiser. The ride takes place March 14, 2020 from 11-11:45 at CycleBar Lake Country, 1370 Pabst Farms Circle in Oconomowoc. Please contact CycleBar for more information, or to sign up.
We’d like to thank Jackie for taking some time to chat with us about her busy Lake Country life.
Question: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
Answer: “I met lots of seniors when I worked for M&I Bank, which led me to a subsequent job at Marquardt Village as a marketer. I came to realize that I was most happy when I was working with seniors.”
Q. What is your favorite restaurant in Lake Country, and what do you love there?
A. “I love eating out, and my husband and I had our wedding reception at Golden Mast, which is great. When I’m working on my computer, I like to go to Roots Coffeebar and Cafe for a sandwich. My new favorite is Coco’s Seafood and Steakhouse. I also like the Lumber Inn and Fresh Baked, the latter of which is like being transported to France.”
Q. How long have you lived or worked in Lake Country?
A. “I am a Milwaukee transplant, I came here kicking and screaming because my husband Tyler has deep roots here. Now, I love Oconomowoc and want to raise my family here and live here the rest of my life.”
Q. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Lake Country?
A. “Tyler’s grandpa, Tom Foti. He’s a former mayor of Oconomowoc, and is very generous and humble, and he possesses much wisdom. I enjoy hearing about the history of the area from him, as well as stories about him that I hear from others.”
Q. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A. “Italy, I studied abroad there and part of my heart is still there.”
Q. What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A. “If you feel like you need to cheer up, go and cheer someone else up, especially a senior. Senior isolation is a big issue. We owe them so much gratitude, as they built our community.”
Q. What is something on your bucket list?
A. “An Alaskan cruise.”
Q. What is your favorite music? Name artists you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A. “I like all genres, but I finally bit the bullet and have come to like country music. Red Hot Chili Peppers are my all time favorite band. I’d like to see them in concert, as well as Journey.”
Q. Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative: with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? Where in Lake Country would you have lunch?
A. “Ellen DeGeneres. Every time you see or hear her, you get happy. She’s a clean comedian, which I appreciate, and she is someone that I think the residents would benefit from seeing. I’d have lunch with Ellen and the seniors here at the View at Pine Ridge Bistro. Scott, head chef of our dining services, does a fantastic job.”
Q. What is your favorite thing or something unique about Lake Country?
A. “After nine years of meeting people, including business people and residents, I can say that people genuinely want to help others succeed and grow. The support is real, people go to establishments and eat, spend money and support the businesses. The community takes care of each other.”
Q. Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?
A. “I don’t know, however I want to help grow the community at large. I’d like to do whatever I can do to help support and grow the area, I’m open to the possibilities.”
Q. Even for friends or family, what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A. “I actually do love to cook, but I don’t take advantage of any opportunity to do so because my husband Tyler is such a great cook!”
Q. What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word home?
A. “Full of family and friends, my seven year old son and my fur babies, two Viszlas.”
Q. If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
A. “I don’t have a specific person in mind, however I’d like to star with someone who is a hard worker that is also able to have fun while they work.”
Q. If you had a full time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose?Chef, Housekeeper, Driver, Coach, Physical Fitness Trainer, or Nanny?
A. “A life coach, to help inspire me and bring out my potential.”
The Faces of Lake Country is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured, please click the button below.
