Meet the Staff
Mitch Hamblet, Founder
Mitch Hamblet is the founder of Eden Supportive Living, which has grown under his leadership to become an award-winning assisted-living housing organization with a presence in both Chicago and the Fox Valley, and soon in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood and Champaign, Illinois. Mitch is a state spokesperson for the cause of accessible housing and the needs of people with physical disabilities. He believes that providing safe, quality housing for everyone, regardless of income, is a matter of economic and social justice. In 2004, the Council for Disability Rights presented Mitch with the Gargoyle Award for working with people with disabilities. In 2008, he was appointed onto the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition board.
From 1999 to 2003, Mitch owned and operated a 190-bed care facility for people with physical and mental disabilities. He served as Senior Vice President of Inland Real Estate Sales Chicago, a national real estate syndicator of housing, retail and commercial properties, from 1996 to 1999. From 1992 to the present he has owned and operated over 600 residential apartment units and developed single family residences on Chicago’s North Shore. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia and lives in Chicago with his wife and son.
Maddalena Scudiero, Chicago Executive Director
Maddalena Scudiero has been the Executive Director at the Chicago Eden since 2007. She has over ten years’ experience in human services. She has worked with individuals living with a diverse range of disabilities, including physical disabilities, chronic medical conditions, mental illness, and dementia. Her ability to engage individuals from diverse backgrounds has enabled her to build strong teams and communities in which residents and staff are open and willing to communicate. A calm and creative problem solver, she takes pride in being a part of the solid relationships within the Eden community that have been formed on the basis of respect, understanding, and genuine curiosity.
Maddalena relocated to Chicago from NYC in 2004. While in New York City, she served as a Project Manager for the WECare Program, a comprehensive welfare to work initiative which screens for disabilities and coordinates the delivery of medical, mental health, case management, vocational training, and job accommodation services. Maddalena completed her graduate studies at the New School for Social Research in New York City. She is a licensed psychotherapist that offers an integrative clinical approach to her practice. She maintains the foundation of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy while integrating Buddhist and Gestalt principles and practices.
Brenda Gray, Fox Valley Executive Director
Brenda Gray has been the Executive Director of the Fox Valley Eden since March 2009. She has over 25 years experience working in health care. She is currently a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Wisconsin and Illinois and is studying for her Illinois Administrator’s License.
Brenda has opened and operated several new Community Based Residential Facilities (CBRF) for frail elderly in Wisconsin, as well as, a home for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. She devotes her time to volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association and learning how to help families and people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. She has served as a member of the coalition on aging and helped ensure quality health care for all seniors. She has served as a moderator for Alzheimer’s support groups and remains a strong advocate for seniors and people with physical disabilities.
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