Lynne Metz (LCU ’16) graduated with her Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. Her MAOL Capstone project paved the way for the ALMH Market, which continues to make a Kingdom difference in Lincoln, Logan County, and beyond.
“In the fall of 2015, the CEO of Abraham Lincoln Memorial, Dolan Dalpoas, tasked me with developing a farmers market for the Lincoln community but what occurred was much more…we created a joyful healthy experience that was a fundamental change to how the Lincoln community views fresh locally sourced foods,” explained Lynne Metz, 2016 LCU graduate of the Masters in Organizational Leadership program. Lynne, director of hospitality for Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, was asked to address a serious health issue noted in the Logan County Community Needs Assessment. Utilizing her course work obtained in her master’s program, Lynne felt the creation of the ALMH Market was a perfect capstone project.
The 2015 Logan County Community Health Needs Assessment indicated that 66 percent of the population was either obese, diabetic or had cardiovascular disease. In an effort to improve the health of the communities we serve and create a culture of health, the hospital foundation fully supported The ALMH Market. The Market was a catalyst for increasing access to healthy food options for the community and building an environmentally sustainable food system for long-term community benefits.
Simultaneously, the ALMH Market addressed sustainability metrics outlined within the Practice Greenhealth initiatives. Lynne was also instrumental in developing a sustainability Green Team in 2015. This past April, Lynne led her team to a Practice Greenhealth Top 25 Hospital Environmental Excellence Award.
In 1995, Lynne started her career with Memorial Health System in Springfield in the volunteer department. In 2008, she moved to Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, an affiliate of Memorial Health System, as the manager of the Volunteer Department. In 2015, Lynne was asked to join the senior leadership team as Director of Hospitality, leading the volunteers, environmental services and dietary teams.
“Working in a small rural hospital has given me a lot of diversity within my career,” says Lynne. “When proposed the opportunity to lead multiple teams, I felt the need to expand my education. Lincoln Christian University was an ideal online program that met my needs in multiple ways and was right here in Lincoln.”