Working with seniors so they can remain active and live at home is not just a job but a passion. We believe you are more than just a client. You are full of wisdom, a friend, and mentor.
Jen Stengl, Owner
Jen Stengl, Owner
“I started Golden Harmony after my own stressful experience of being a long distance daughter for my mother. Due to a severe illness which required an extended hospitalization and months of home recovery, I took on the task of trying to meet her needs while also taking care of my own family. With the many eight-hour round-trip drives to and from my home to hers, I had ample opportunity to reflect upon the types of services a concierge business such as mine should provide. During this difficult time with my own mother, I wanted a service that would provide loving, professional help with daily responsibilities thus allowing aging adults and their family to have the time and space to simply love and enjoy each other.
Though I have a natural affinity for enjoying the presence of all people, it is seniors who I have always felt particularly drawn to. I attribute this quality to the extraordinary influence my grandparents had in my life. Their love, guidance, and wisdom are a large part of who I am today.”
Out of a love for seniors who want to remain independent and their families who aren’t always able to help, Golden Harmony was born. Our mission is to bridge the gap and allow seniors to have fun and remain active assisting with tasks that are not always easy for them. Jen has been married to David since 1999 and has three bright and spirited children. They happily live in Wake Forest area with their beloved schnauzer, Stella.
Marilou Lachance
Marilou Lachance
“Seniors have so much knowledge to share and it’s such a joy to hear about their past and their knowledge while helping them. Every outing or activity is so much fun and I truly enjoy helping them do the things they love or providing an extra hand when they need it. I care deeply about the people I work with and see them as friends who impact my life greatly and I hope to make a difference in their life as much as they do to mine.”
Marilou married her high school sweetheart, Frédérick and has two wonderful children, Nellie and Thomas. Originally from a small Canadian town in the province of Québec, she speaks French fluently. They occasionally miss Québec winters, but Marilou and her husband have found Wake Forest to be the perfect place to raise a family and feel fortunate to call both Québec and North Carolina home!
Marilou has a bachelor degree in Educational Psychology and her masters in Gerontology. Her experience and love for working with seniors led her to Golden Harmony, making a difference the the lives of seniors.
Raynie Escobedo
Raynie Escobedo
“Older adults have such a wealth of knowledge and wisdom from life experiences. Car rides to appointments with clients give them the opportunity to share their experiences and let us learn from one another, especially their perspective on work, family and what is truly important. Some of the seniors have difficulty doing things on their own and it brings me great pleasure knowing I’m able to help them keep their independence, and build relationships with while we are together. That’s why I love working at Golden Harmony.”
Raynie was raised in Texas and earned her Master’s degree in Social work form Texas State University. Raynie spent the early part of her career as a nursing home social worker working with patients on the Alzheimer’s unit. For eight years, she worked for Disability Determination Services, assisting clients with their Social Security Disability benefits.
Relocating to Wake Forest in 2009 Raynie knew immediately North Carolina would be her family’s permanent home and where she and her husband would raise their son and daughter. In her free time, Raynie enjoys reading, being outdoors, camping in their travel trailer and spending time with family.
Andrea Graham
Andrea Graham
“Working with seniors is extremely rewarding. I enjoy taking our clients places and allowing them to continue the experiences they enjoy. The clients I work with our interesting and are wonderful people. I am grateful we’ve met and enjoy seeing them on a consistent basis.”
Andrea is a native North Carolinian, having been born and raised here. Andrea has a degree in Finance from High Point University and has lived with her husband in Cary for over 20 years. They have two teenage sons. Though Andrea is very active in the Davis Drive Middle school PTA and has been for many years, she’s also drawn to working closely with Seniors due to many wonderful experiences with her mother who had a career as Director of Senior Communities. Andrea spent much of her childhood with her mother while she worked, observing and participating in activities to benefit Seniors. Having grown up to love and admire them, she is now so grateful for this opportunity to do what she can to care and assist clients.
Marcy Lalone
Marcy Lalone
“The best part of working with seniors is getting to know them and share in their lives. I love gaining perspective from hearing about their full lives which are rich with experiences. Their stories are filled with lessons of adventure, meaningful moments and the fun they’ve had. Getting to hear them is such a blessing.”
Marcy is an absolute people person. Outgoing and personable, to Marcy all new acquaintances are friends in the making. Her affinity for Seniors is the direct result of a close bond with her grandparents who lived within walking distance of her childhood home in rural Maine. After earning a degree in accounting, she and her fiancé relocated to the warmer climes of Raleigh. She successfully pursued a career in finance and technology before devoting herself full time to raising her children, Aysha and Gavin. Now that they are becoming self-sufficient, her affiliation with Golden Harmony has given her the opportunity to redirect her devotion to the care and well being of Seniors.
Marcia Moran
Marcia Moran
When we had seniors come into the studio to paint for the first time it was incredibly inspiring and heartwarming to hear their stories about life and see the pride in their personal masterpieces that they created! Seniors are a wealth of information, wisdom, and often untapped creative abilities. I enjoy getting to know them, to hear their stories and to learn what makes them smile and then encourage them to keep doing what makes them happy.
Marcia is originally from Colorado but hasn’t lived there since 1978 and calls Raleigh home along with her two adult girls, husband, and two cats. She has a degree in Graphic Design and loves painting all subject matter. She has always been creative, both personally and professionally, and loves to encourage and see others tap into their creative side, which is what led her to open an art studio offering painting sessions for all ages who have never painted before. That love of encouraging others and seeing the joy in a person’s face is what brings Marcia the most joy and she loves exposing others to the beauty of art.
Jennifer Strong
Jennifer Strong
I grew up with my grandmother in the household, and sharing such a special bond with her is something that I will always cherish. As I grew older, I realized that I truly enjoyed visiting with seniors in my spare time. Now I have the opportunity to spend several hours each week with our special clients. I enjoy learning about each of them and hearing about their experiences throughout the years. This is so rewarding to me; I am amazed at how much joy they bring to me.
Jennifer grew up in upstate New York. After earning her BS degree in Business Administration at Oswego State, she decided to relocate to North Carolina where she currently resides with her husband (Brian) and their two children (Brayden and Peyton). After a successful business career of 17 plus years, she decided to take a break from Corporate America and focus on her family. After a few years off, she is eager to pursue this wonderful opportunity with Golden Harmony Concierge.
Dyana Paredes
Dyana Paredes
Dyana is grateful to represent Golden Harmony, allowing her to provide assistance to seniors and to make their lives easier. “I’ve learned that whatever I give to them, I get even more in return as they share their life stories and the wisdom they’ve earned through experience.”
Dyana attended Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She is originally from New Jersey. Wanting a great place to raise her children, she chose to relocate to North Carolina in 2015. Her family settled in Wake Forest and love it here. Dyana has two sons and a daughter. Her spare time is filled with eing a mother, spending time with her children, traveling and enjoying the great local food.
Jeanne Barrett
Jeanne Barrett
“I lost my both of my parents as a youngster and, to my detriment, was deprived of the benefit of having grandparents nearby. This may be why I’ve always been drawn to seniors, to get to know them and to provide whatever assistance I can offer. I consider it an honor for the opportunity Golden Harmony provides me to assist seniors, to enrich their lives and, in turn, be enriched by them. “
Jeanne is a mother of five and grandmother of five. She has nurtured and cared for her family full-time for the past 30 years.
She is most content when being of service to others and has a special interest in the needs of the senior community. Among other roles, she has been a church youth group leader, school volunteer, and nursing home volunteer. Currently she helps care for her elderly in-laws, doing all she can to assist them in maintaining their independent and fulfilling lifestyle.
Shelley Langosch
Shelley Langosch
“After my dad passed away, my mother had to learn how to live alone, after 62 years of marriage. And although she does amazingly well, it’s a huge responsibility and often stressful for her to deal with home maintenance issues when they arise, stay on top of everyday bills and find rides to doctor’s appointments, church and social events, as she’s no longer able to drive. Several months ago she hired someone to assist her when needed. Now, instead of feeling anxious and often quite lonely, my mother looks forward to their time together. Thankfully, this person has become so much more than just a ride or assistance to my mother…. she has become a trusted companion. It makes my heart happy knowing that I can be that person to others through Golden Harmony.”
Shelley and her husband, Walt, and twin daughters, Madelyn & Mackenzie, have lived in Wake Forest for nearly 7 years. Although the hectic years of raising young children have passed, Shelley’s daughters, now in High School, keep her and her husband busy with travel soccer and basketball.
Prior to getting married and starting a family, Shelley started an Interior Design firm while living in Chicago. While there, she designed many commercial projects, which included medical offices, hair salons and restaurants. Although it was always exciting to see her commercial projects from concept to completion, her passion was always residential design. For nearly 30 years, Shelley has had the pleasure of designing homes for families in Chicago, Virginia and now in North Carolina. The greatest joy has been the close relationships she has developed with her clients over the years.
Shelley received a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois University and managed several non-profit organizations prior to starting her own business.
Annette Ragan
Annette Ragan
“Spending time with Seniors and helping them brings tremendous fulfillment and great sense of purpose for me especially at this stage in my life. I have a lot in common with them and enjoy assisting them in areas where they have needs while building relationships and getting to know them! When we live with compassion in the small moments of our daily lives, our eyes are opened and our hearts are humbled.”
Annette is retired from the NC Department of Commerce as an Economic Developer and has enjoyed working with small, medium and large businesses across the state of North Carolina. She graduated from Hardbarger Business College in Raleigh, NC. Since retirement she reaches out to newcomers moving into the Fuquay-Varina area welcoming them into their new homes. Having grown up in Fuquay-Varina, she has a great love for her hometown and a wealth of knowledge of the area and receives great pleasure in meeting new families and helping them settle in after moving.
Annette and her husband, Ed, both grew up in Fuquay-Varina and they were married for 43 years and she became a widow in 2011. They have two daughters and five grandchildren who all live in North Raleigh!
Cheryl Karlos
Cheryl Karlos
Originally from Indiana, Cheryl now calls North Carolina home. She resides in Fuquay Varina with her husband, Milt. Their daughter, Alexandra, is a senior at East Carolina University and will be graduating May 2020 in Elementary Education.
Cheryl attended Purdue University first in pharmacy but then switched to nursing. She received her BSN in Pediatrics. She then moved into clinical research working at Bayer, Glaxo and Johnson & Johnson.
You can usually find Cheryl in the pool, on a bike or at the gym training for her next major event. In 2015, she participated in the Cycle NC Mountain-to-Coast week long bike ride covering over 500+ miles!
Cheryl is a dog lover and she walks & cares for several pups as her other part-time job. She enjoys vacationing at the beach, gardening and reading in her spare time.
Yoli Cruz
Yoli Cruz
Yoli is a California transplant to NC. She moved here with her young family over 13 years ago. Now a family of five, they have happily settled in the Northwest corner of Raleigh.
Yoli received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Her Jesuit education instilled in her a desire to serve others. She has a long career of working for small creative agencies and more recently for software development firms. However, it’s her volunteer work for the funeral and wedding ministries through her parish that give her the greatest satisfaction. She loves the simple act of showing up to bring peace and comfort to people and feels led to serve others in this manner.
Yoli’s soft skills as well as her passion for serving others make her a great match for the clients at Golden Harmony. When she is not working, Yoli values time spent with her husband and three kids as well as time practicing yoga & meditation, reading period novels, writing poems, working on home projects, dancing to hip hop and Latin music and walking in nature.
Kathy Pellegrino
Kathy Pellegrino
Justine Cookson
Justine Cookson
Justine is originally from United Kingdom, moved to the USA with her family four years ago. She lives with her husband, Paul, and daughter, Phoebe. She now considers the Raleigh/Durham area her home and loves it here. Her 27 years of experience working with dental patients in United Kingdom have taught her the value of patience and empathy in providing compassionate care of others. Her passions include cooking, walking her dog, and exploring all there is to see and do here in her new North Carolina surrounds. She’s excited to join our team and for the opportunity to form new friendships and partnerships.
Karen Keller
Karen Keller
Karen is originally from Bethlehem, PA, and attended East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Biology in 1994. After college, she traveled the world as an International Flight Attendant. She moved to Raleigh in 1997 and had a successful career as an Environmental Consultant before starting a family. Karen and her husband of 20 years have 3 children – 16 year old son and 15 year old boy/girl twins. Throughout caring for her thriving family of 5, Karen has been instrumental in providing care and support for her disabled brother and elderly mother. She was also a substitute teacher for K-5 from 2010-2014 and a Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina volunteer.
Karen loves spending quality time with her family, traveling, Golden Retriever, and 2 cats. She loves animals, movies, audiobooks, and international cooking.
