There aren’t many places where the word hero is as easily defined as it is in Yolo County.
That’s because the city and county have many examples of heroes present all around us who are often unaware of the effect they’ve had on the people around them.
The Woodland Daily Democrat aims to fix this by highlighting them in a joint project with a dozen other north-state newspapers that are part of the California Newspaper Partnership. We asked our readers to nominate someone they know and admire to be our second-ever “Yolo County Hero.”
Leading off our list of five fantastic nominees is Stan Levers, who has been working tirelessly over the past three years to bring back St. John’s Retirement Village — an essential institution for those entering the twilight of their lives, back to where it was before it closed its doors in early 2022.
“As we look towards 2025, we can’t help but be inspired by Stan’s unwavering commitment to reopen the Personal Care Unit for assisted living residents and the much-needed dementia manors,” stated Linda Henigan, who nominated Levers. “With our caped crusader sporting his trademark cowboy boots at the helm, we know these aren’t just pie-in-the-sky dreams. They’re attainable goals that our seniors deserve.
“Stan has fought tirelessly to keep the spirit of St. John’s alive through his dedication, passion, and genuine love for our community. Here’s to you, Stan, for your selflessness and unwavering spirit. May your legacy continue to inspire us all.”
Getting older is part of life, and those lucky enough to see advanced age might someday need somewhere to go. But you can’t just go anywhere. You’d probably want to be comfortable. You’d probably want to feel safe, and you’d also probably want to be around those your age.
St. John’s Retirement Village, located at 135 Woodland Ave., opened its doors to the community in 1964 and — according to anyone associated with the facility during its best years — provided all of that and more.“The difference between St. John’s and other places is the reputation that it had and how people saw it,” Levers said. “It felt good to be here because it was a secure, quiet place, not some fancy outfit where seniors go. At the end of the day, you want a place where you can feel comfortable and safe. A lot of people don’t fully understand how valuable a comfortable atmosphere is to seniors in their later years if they have to go live somewhere. I always characterize this place as an old pair of boots.”
Levers was born on Feb. 10, 1947, at the Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. After graduating from high school, he studied agribusiness at Montana State University before transferring to UC Davis, where he eventually obtained a bachelor’s in agricultural business management. Shortly thereafter, he met his future wife, Janet Long, a fifth-generation farm girl from Zamora.
Levers has amassed 55 years of experience in agricultural production, marketing, finance, international trade, and banking, including five years with the World Bank in Washington, D.C. This particular combination has provided Levers with a unique skill set, aiding him in his quest to restore St. John’s as a beloved institution for the seniors of Yolo County and the surrounding region.
“I have done a lot of projects over the years, although I certainly do not consider myself highly sophisticated. Agriculture is a good basis for the way I operate,” Levers said. “In this line of work, you often have to connect with people who are on the other side of the table.”
These connection skills proved invaluable in dealing with Chase Bank, which was initiating foreclosure due to a lack of payment on its outstanding loan. After a somewhat lengthy dialogue with the bank, Levers secured a six-month interest-only forbearance agreement.
“I gave the bank some things to consider,” Levers said. “Within a few weeks, the bank called to inform me that they had approved their forbearance. The same occurred with California EDD over unpaid unemployment claims. EDD likewise granted St. John’s a six-month interest-only forbearance.
“In agriculture, so much depends on personal relationships. Even in stressful situations, you need to be patient, honest and respectful with people you are dealing with.”
Following the announcement that St. Johns would close in February 2022, campus management and the former Board of Directors approached Yolo County to purchase the property at a significant discount.
Levers spearheaded an alternative proposal for the property to reopen the campus as it had operated for the past 55 years. The former board rejected Levers’ proposal, deeming it unviable, and instead chose to proceed with a sale to Yolo County.
Yolo County initially planned to use the property for low-income housing for CalWorks families and seniors, hospice and conservator placements, opportunities for intergenerational spaces, and adult day care. However, in October 2022, the County ultimately terminated the purchase and sale agreement due in part to litigation initiated by Levers.
In May 2023, the St. John’s board held a special meeting that concluded with all five members resigning and seven new board members elected to replace them. In addition to Levers, the other new board members included Bob Nakken, Chuck Santoni, Debbie Bruno, Peter Faye, former Woodland Mayor Dan Parrish, and former Yolo Food Bank President Tom Muller.
After taking over, the new board faced a laundry list of challenges, including — but not limited to — zero cash flow, an accounting system in complete disarray, no year-end audited financial statements for 2021 and 2022, no property or general liability insurance in place, the voluntary relinquishment by the former board of the state Department of Social Services RCFE license, a Chase Bank loan in default for $147,000, unpaid EDD unemployment claims for $170,000, campus buildings in disrepair and a closed, unoccupied campus compromising security.
Instead of reading the list over and over again and slamming his head on his desk, Levers and company got to work.
In the year and a half since taking over the Village from the previous board, a lot has been accomplished — including over $900,000 raised from private donations and USG employee retention refunds, a $92,000 donation from Woodland’s Life Pointe Church in February 2024, engagement of a new accounting team to resolve delinquent year-end audited financial statements, the aforementioned forbearance agreements, significant campus cleanup and extensive refurbishment of cottages and apartments primarily via volunteers and unpaid support staff, Woodland Police Department on-site and a new security fence installed along the northern border of the campus compliments of Grow West.
“We all have our good days and bad days,” Levers said. “Some days, I come in and see all the things we still have to do, but then reflect on how far we have come. We got the keys to this place on June 1, 2023. The glass here is half full. Don’t get me wrong, we have a long way to go. However, my payday is when the first group of seniors drive through the front gate and become our new residents, not tenants, instead residents.”
Today, St. John’s rents out nine units through Lawson Property Management. If a tenant wants food service, Meals on Wheels Yolo County delivers food.
With all the momentum in the world, Levers, who has had multiple family members be residents at St. John’s, hopes to get the campus back open as a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly by 2026.
“It’s amazing how many people have had family members live here and eventually die here,” he said. “It’s hard to put it in words, but the reason I am hanging in here is because I care for this place and what it means to our community. I will get it done with the invaluable support of our volunteer staff. I’m not patting myself on the back, although I understand what it takes to do something like this.
“When people ask me who owns St. John’s, I say, ‘Nobody owns it.’ The Village is a charitable trust. Everyone owns it. It belongs to our community. That’s why I’m doing this because I think it’s something that should be reopened to serve our seniors as it has done for the past 60 years.”