Leadership Team
Dawn Palowski, Executive Director
Dawn was born and raised in Derby, Vermont. She joined OM Fisher Home, Inc. (d/b/a Westview Meadows & The Gary Residence) in January of 2004 as the Business Office Manager and became Executive Director in 2012. Walk into either one of the OM Fisher Home properties and you can feel the warmth that has been created from her passion for seniors. Dawn is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, and recently completed her certification to be a Best Friends™ Certified Master Trainer (BF-CMT). She is a member and the past president of the Montpelier Rotary Club and a member of the Vermont Health Care Association Board. Dawn currently lives in Montpelier. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, and spending time with her close friends, three children, and their significant others. Her most important and happiest pastime is spending time with her two grandchildren.
Erika Mayo, Business Office Manager
Erika was born and raised in Vermont. She earned her master’s degree in Healthcare Administration in 2019 from Champlain College. Erika began her career at O.M. Fisher Home Inc. at the start of the pandemic; she quickly learned how to adapt to the rapid changes within the organization. Her role as Business Office Manager has allowed her to develop a diverse skill set and deep passion for the residents, staff & organization.
Erika lives in Cabot, with her husband, Braiden, son, Luke, and their two dogs, Mason & Cooper. In her free time she enjoys gardening, hiking, snowshoeing, and traveling.
Sarah S. Sadowsky, MSW, LICSW – Resident & Family Services Director
Sarah is originally from Connecticut but always knew she would move to Vermont and has lived here for almost 20 years. She attended graduate school at the University of Vermont for social work and has primarily focused on the areas of aging, disability, and healthcare in her career. She is licensed as a clinical social worker as well. Sarah lives locally with her family, which includes her husband, two daughters and a dog. Her family enjoys recreating outdoors as much as possible, specifically mountain biking, snowboarding/skiing and soccer. They also love camping, music and gardening.
Olivia Peterson, RN MSN
Olivia was born and raised in central Vermont. She attended Norwich University, graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2017. Since graduating she has worked at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit and most recently at Central Vermont Medical Center in the Ambulatory Care Unit. In 2021 she graduated with her Master of Science in Nursing degree with a concentration in Healthcare Systems Leadership from Norwich University. Although Olivia may be a new face to most, she is not new to the Gary Residence. She worked as a member of the waitstaff at Westview meadows while in high school and later worked as a resident assistant/Medtech all throughout nursing school at both Westview Meadows and The Gary Residence. She is excited to return to The Gary Residence as the resident care director and follow her passion for working with the elderly. Olivia currently resides in Barre with her husband Benjamin, son Carson, and dog Remi. In her free time, she enjoys photography, baking, being outdoors, and spending time with her family.
Chris MacIver, Executive Chef
Chris was born in Berlin Vermont. He grew up around central Vermont and Graduated from Harwood Union High school in 2001. Chris served in the United States Army from 2001-2005. While serving his country he completed two tours in Iraq. After his service he held different jobs around Vermont from plumbing to driving forklifts for GMCR. Unhappy in other jobs Chris decided it was time to do something he enjoyed instead of just working for a pay check. Chris’s heart is in cooking and that lead him to O.M. Fisher Home in 2017 to work as a cook in the Gary Residence kitchen. With a hard work ethic and a positive attitude Chris has risen to the position of Executive Chef of the Gary Residence on October 1st, 2021.
Chuck Meeks, Maintenance Director
Charles (Chuck) Meeks was born in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Shortly after his birth, he and his family moved to Essex Junction, Vermont where he was raised. As a young man, Chuck spent several years in Alaska, moving back to Vermont when he was 26 years old. Since his return to Vermont, he has lived in Williamstown, Stowe, and currently resides in Montpelier with his wife, Diane. They have three children and a new grandson. Chuck has worked in the construction trades throughout Central Vermont and brings years of experience to his position of Maintenance Supervisor to O.M. Fisher Home, Inc. Chuck is responsible for all maintenance for both The Gary Residence and Westview Meadows. He was 2013 Maintenance Supervisor of the Year by Vermont Health Care Association. In addition to his expertise, you can always count on Chuck’s friendly demeanor and ready smile.
Mary-Francis O’Neil, LPN
Mary Francis was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Her family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when she was four years old. Mary Francis is one of eleven children. Her mother and many of her siblings still reside in Florida. She came to Vermont many years ago to attend Trinity College where she earned a bachelor of arts in Psychology. She loved Vermont and worked for several years with adults and children with reading disabilities, during which time she became licensed as a reading specialist. After many rewarding years in this field she decided to make a career move into nursing. Initially, she worked with Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice as a licensed nurse assistant. One fine day she discovered The Gary Residence and Westview Meadows where she continued to work as an LNA, but went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse through the Vermont Technical College. She has a son who enjoys spending time skiing and mountain biking all over Vermont when he is not working or in class.
Alana Phinney, Life Enrichment Coordinator
Alana is a certified facilitator of TimeSlips, a storytelling method designed for people with dementia. She has also trained in and led Movement for Parkinson’s. She most recently held the position of Wellness Coordinator at the Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) where she oversaw evidence-based wellness programming at senior centers throughout Orange, Lamoille, and Washington Counties. Alana is listed on the Vermont Arts Council’s roster of creative aging teaching artists and has completed training in creative aging program development with Lifetime Arts, a national leader in the field.
Alana is a believer in the endless benefits of improvisation and play. She lives in Montpelier with her husband and 12-year-old son. Together, they enjoy playing badminton, riding bikes, traveling to new places, and participating in local theater productions.
