Supporting a Space for Transformation
When you enter the Nursing wing of the Frances M. Maguire ’55 Healthcare Innovation Center, it’s hard to believe you’re in an academic building and not a clinical space.
The centerpiece of this intentional design is The Windmill Foundation Nurses’ Station.
Here, nursing students participate in real-world simulations and scenarios to prepare them for clinicals and give them the confidence and experience that will set them apart in the hiring process.
“The nurses’ station is the heart of the action in any clinical setting, and now GMercyU Nurses are learning how to manage and handle real-world scenarios before they step foot in the hospitals,” Dean of the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions Jane Tang, PhD, RN, NE-BC said. “I believe we are one of the few institutions in the country who feature a nurses’ station in an academic setting.”
Designed to educate and transform GMercyU nurses, it is fitting that the space was made possible by a generous gift from The Windmill Foundation. The Windmill Foundation’s mission is to stimulate forward movement, growth, and mobility in the lives of individuals and communities in the areas of health, education, and human services.
The Windmill Foundation was founded in 2014 by Susan and Richard Tressider following the sunsetting of the Fourjay Foundation, which was established by Susan’s parents Eugene W. and Marie-Louise Jackson.
Privately and through the Fourjay Foundation, Eugene and Marie-Louise were longtime supporters of GMercyU. Eugene served on GMercyU’s Board of Trustees for nearly a decade and was a member of the President’s Council from 1986 to 1989. Together, the pair established the Marie Louise Vermeiren Jackson Endowed Scholarship to benefit undergraduate students with financial need and majoring in education.
Susan served as a trustee on her parents’ foundation for 25 years and as the Executive Director for eight years and saw firsthand the impact it made on over 300 organizations they supported. Today, The Windmill Foundation carries forth this legacy at GMercyU and the 50+ organizations in the Philadelphia area they support annually.
“We were inspired to support the Nurses’ Station because of the real-world, experiential learning itwill provide. I can’t believe the initial idea has now manifested into this incredible state-of-the-art space,” Susan said. “It’s nice to contribute towards the [GMercyU] community and support people that are trying to do better in the world.”
In addition to the Nurses’ Station, The Windmill Foundation has supported GMercyU through scholarships for adult learners and for students participating in study abroad programs. Susan and Richard also established The Tressider Endowed Fund for Emergency Student Basic Needs, which provides funds to address food and housing insecurity needs.
“Education expands your frame of reference. It opens up the world for you,” Richard said. “We try to be an engine for change.”
Susan and Richard chose the name of their foundation after the street where Susan lived as a child. It also honors the Belgian origins of Susan’s mother, who emigrated from Antwerp, Belgium in 1962. Additionally, the windmill symbolizes forward movement and energy, transformation, and growth — metaphors for Susan and Richard’s philanthropy and the work that will be done in the Nurses’ Station.
This article was originally published in the TODAY magazine Fall 2025 issue.
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