Former ABHOW CEO David Ferguson passes away

David Ferguson, the long-term leader of American Baptist Homes of the West, died Friday evening. HumanGood President and CEO John Cochrane posted the news on LinkedIn on Sunday.

Cochrane called Ferguson “a literal and figurative giant.”

Ferguson had been with ABHOW for almost 25 years — joining the company in 1992 and becoming CEO in 1995 — when the organization in 2015 announced plans to merge with the be.group, where Cochrane was CEO. At the time, Ferguson told McKnight’s Senior Living that he had approached fellow California nonprofit about a potential affiliation five years earlier.

The merger was completed in 2016, forming a company that served almost 10,000 residents in 84 communities across Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and Washington. As planned, Ferguson transitioned into the role of executive adviser and Cochrane became president and CEO of the combined organization. The company’s name change to HumanGood came in 2017.

“Without Dave Ferguson there would not be the organization that is now HumanGood,” Cochrane said Sunday.

“A giant of a man with a giant heart for helping people age well, Dave was not only an accomplished leader for ABHOW, but he was also a pioneering leader for our field as a whole,” he said, noting that Ferguson had been “instrumental” in the founding of LeadingAge and “a strong and tireless advocate for efforts to attract and develop the best team members dedicated to meeting the needs of an aging population.”

Integral Senior Living names Zachary Butcher regional VP

Zachary Butcher has been named regional vice president of operational services at Carlsbad, CA-based Integral Senior Living. 

Over the past 12 years, Butcher has held several positions in the senior living industry, including community-based positions, as a sales manager and executive director, as well as regional and corporate roles as a vice president of operations for Brookdale Senior Living and chief operating officer for Novellus Living. 

After earning his undergraduate degree at Arizona State University, Butcher went on to obtain his MBA from Western Governors University with a concentration in healthcare management. He also completed Argentum’s Leadership Advancement and Development Program program. 

BHI names Kevin Ward senior operations director

Kevin Ward has been named senior operations director at Indianapolis-based BHI Senior Living. In this newly created role, he will bolster operations initiatives for the company.

After several years of working with children with disabilities, Ward began working in senior living as the director of social services at Wesley Manor in Frankfort, IN, in 2000.  He earned his health facility administrator license in 2004 and became administrator of record.  Following the community’s affiliation with BHI in 2016, he was named executive director of Wesley Manor.

More recently, his work with BHI has included special projects focused on quality initiatives, capital projects and business development in Indiana and Michigan communities. BHI owns and operates nine life plan communities.

Hebrew SeniorLife promotes LuAnn Fitzgerald

LuAnn Fitzgerald has been promoted to senior director of quality, safety and regulatory affairs at Hebrew SeniorLife.

Fitzgerald began her career as a physical therapist in 1984. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University and her law degree from Suffolk Law School.

LCB names Jane Kiegel development director

Jane Kiegel has been named development director for The Residence at Bedford, an LCB Senior Living community expected to open this year in Bedford, MA. 

Kiegel has 23 years of experience in combined sales, operations and business management within the senior living industry. Previously, she was the general manager for WayForth in Boston.

Kiegel holds an undergraduate degree in healthcare administration from Stonehill College. She is a licensed real estate agent.

Plunkett Raysich Architects promotes Jedd Heap

Jedd Heap has been promoted to partner at Plunkett Raysich Architects, which has offices in Wisconsin, Florida and Texas. 

Heap is a licensed Florida architect with almost 25 years of experience serving clients. He has been actively involved in more than 80 projects during his first four years at PRA.

Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at lois.bowers@mcknights.com. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.

See previous “People in the news” articles here.

As a former church choir director as well as a multi-instrumentalist, Good Samaritan Society–Prairie Creek resident Lois Nicholas was looking for an outlet for her talents as well as some friends to play music with. Fortunately, she did not need to blow on a magic conch shell to summon a musical superteam.

She found nine other residents at the Sioux Falls, SD, senior living community who are musicians and today, they play concerts for everyone on campus. 

“It just feels good, making music speaks to the soul,” Nicholas said. “Seniors are really receptive, and they are not critical, so they are a wonderful audience.”

Over the holidays, Nicholas and her group performed Christmas music for assisted living and memory care residents on campus. The bells they used were not traditional church bells but rather toy versions with a different pitch. GSS-Prairie Creek senior living administrator Alecia O’Neil said that the concerts were easy to facilitate and demonstrate how the community encourages self-expression and lifelong learning. 

“I think that the philosophy of retirement is that you never stop learning, and I think we’ve really embraced that on this campus and try to present opportunities for people to try new things,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of very talented, highly educated people who live with us from all walks of life, and I know I personally gain so much by learning from them and having them share their experiences with us as staff or with each other.”

Nicholas was not expecting much from the tour but was pleasantly surprised with its reception.

“I didn’t think it would be as well-received as it was, but many of them did a lot of singing,” Nicholas said. “We’ll probably take a couple months off and then start preparing for another concert.”

See the In Focus archive, and find out how to submit your photos and information for consideration, here.

Legacy Senior Living names Doug Veazey COO

Doug Veazey has been named chief operating officer of Legacy Senior Living and Dominion Senior Living. He will assume responsibility for Legacy’s 17 independent living, assisted living and Alzheimer’s care communities.   

Veazey has 21 years of experience in the senior living industry, beginning in 2002 as division vice president of operations for Century Park Associates, a division of Life Care Centers of America, where he was responsible for operational oversight of 32 independent living and assisted living communities and opening five new communities across the country.

In 2016, Veazey transitioned to Enlivant Senior Living, acting as senior vice president of operations. Under his leadership, Veazey helped Enlivant grow from 18 communities to 64 communities across 10 states while helping to build regional leadership teams.

In June 2019, he joined Dominion Senior Living as senior vice president of operations-Everlan and focused on launching and developing four Everlan communities, across three states. In 2020, Veazey was promoted to senior vice president of operations for the entire 17 community portfolio of Dominion Senior Living.   

Benchmark Therapies names Edward Luberski CEO, Jennifer Mulraney COO

Edward Luberski has been appointed CEO at Benchmark Therapies, a Presbyterian Senior Living company. Additionally, Jennifer Mulraney has been appointed chief operating officer. 

Luberski is a physical therapist with more than 20 years of management experience in the senior living and skilled nursing sectors. He has a Master of Science degree in science and physical therapy from Arcadia University and a Bachelor of Science in biology and exercise and sports science from Ursinus College.  

Mulraney has more than 20 years of experience in managing rehabilitation programs within the acute and post-acute healthcare industries. She has served Benchmark Therapies in several positions since 2011, including vice president of therapy operations, director of compliance, therapy program manager and, most recently, interim CEO.

Charter Senior Living names Patrick Mathews SVP of finance and investments

Patrick Mathews has been named senior vice president of finance and investments at Charter Senior Living. 

Mathews joins Charter Senior Living with more than 15 years of experience in investment and operational analysis, having spent much of the past decade focused on the senior living industry. Mathews most recently was with Aviva Senior Living as executive vice president of finance and business development. Before that, he was the director of portfolio management at The RMR Group. 

Mathews graduated from Brandeis University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in economics.

The Chateau Girardeau names Jimmy Wilferth CEO

Jimmy Wilferth has been named CEO at The Chateau Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, MO. 

Wilferth most recently worked for St. Francis Healthcare System as vice president of support services. Before joining Saint Francis, Wilferth served as president of US operations for Heart for Africa; vice president of national operations, financial director and chief of staff for Men at the Cross; vice president of operations for Schaefer Electrical Enclosures; and president of United Oil Co.

Centerline Healthcare Partners names Gary Guidry CEO 

Gary Guidry has been appointed CEO at Houston-based Centerline Healthcare Partners, which provides medical practice management services, including programs, technologies and administrative support, to independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing providers.

Guidry joins Centerline with more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience. Before joining Centerline, he was executive vice president of hospital medicine operations and value based care at SCP Health. He also previously held executive leadership positions with several nationwide corporate healthcare companies focused on outsourced clinical services to hospitals and health systems. He began his career as a registered nurse.

Claiborne names Jeff Hanover executive director, Leslie Reed community relations director at Avaline at River Oaks

Jeff Hanover has been named executive director, and Leslie Reed has been named community relations director, at The Avaline at River Oaks, a Claiborne Senior Living community in Memphis, TN. 

Hanover has worked in assisted living and memory care for the past 12 years, serving first as an executive director then as regional business development before becoming a regional director of operations in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.

Reed has more than 30 years of experience in the senior living industry. 

Juniper hires Rikki Goldenberg as catalyst innovation and implementation specialist

Rikki Goldenberg has been named a catalyst innovation and implementation specialist at Bloomfield, NJ-based Juniper Communities. 

In this newly created position, Goldenberg will play a role in advancing Juniper’s Catalyst program by spearheading innovation and overseeing its effective implementation. Catalyst is a signature program of Juniper designed to integrate all resident services under one platform.

Traditions Management names Wendy Briggs director of cognitive services

Wendy Briggs has been named director of cognitive services at Traditions Management, part of Meadowbrook Senior Living.

Briggs most recently was the hospital CEO at Brightwell Behavioral Health. She earned a master’s certificate in dementia from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix.

Lenbrook names Krista Cosgrove to board of directors

Krista Cosgrove has been named to the board of directors of Lenbrook in Atlanta. 

Cosgrove is principal at ZWJ Investment Counsel, an investment advisory firm. She has provided investment counsel and guidance to companies and individuals for more than 30 years. She is a chartered financial analyst charter holder and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Atlanta.

Cosgrove holds a Master of Arts degree in economics with a concentration in finance from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, with minors in business administration and mathematics, from Elon University. She is a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council.

Siena Lakes promotes Varun Kakar associate executive director

Varun Kakar has been promoted to associate executive director at Siena Lakes, an Erickson Senior Living-managed community in Naples, FL. 

Kakar joined Erickson in 2009 as a student server and has worked in dining leadership at several Erickson communities, including Highland Springs in Dallas, Fox Run in Novi, MI, and Maris Grove in Glen Mills, PA.  He most recently was director of dining at Siena Lakes. 

In 2023, Kakar was named Siena Lakes’ Leader of the Year. He has an MBA and an undergraduate degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Roland Park Place president and CEO Sam Guedouar elected to LeadingAge Maryland board

Sam Guedouar, president and CEO of Baltimore life plan community Roland Park Place, has been elected to LeadingAge Maryland’s board of directors. 

Guedouar holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Utica College and an undergraduate degree in community and health services from the State University of New York. He also has a degree in hospitality and tourism from the University of Paris, Sorbonne, as well as a graduate certificate in executive leadership from Cornell University.  

Four Integral executive directors receive CDAL credentials

Four Integral Senior Living executive directors have received certified director of assisted living (CDAL) credentials from Argentum.

They are Danielle Tsevas, Heartis Orland Park senior executive director; Roland Gandy,  executive director; Kristie Laine, Brunswick Village executive director; and Andrea Katz,  senior executive director.

Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at lois.bowers@mcknights.com. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.

Ten years ago, he was liberated from a South Carolina puppy mill. Today, Roodle the Labradoodle roams the halls of The Barclay at SouthPark, greeted by smiling faces, affectionate embraces and of course, a few treats.  

“Residents and staff fell in love with him so quickly; he became everyone’s dog. He continues to come with me, even though I no longer need to bring him,” said the dog’s owner, Blake Leggett, a sales associate at the Liberty Senior Living retirement community in Charlotte, SC. “People will come to my office to see him. They’ll be petting him and then look over at me, almost as a PS, and say, ‘Oh, hey Blake.’ And that is totally fine with me. I tell people he’s cuter and sweeter than I am and has better hair.”

When Leggett was selling her home about a year ago, she would bring Roodle to work so he was out of the way during home showings. Once the residents got to know him, it was clear that Roodle would not be leaving the retirement community anytime soon. New friends can be difficult to come by, especially those with fur and four legs. Leggett is convinced that Roodle is a uniquely special friend to residents.

“I know everyone says their pets are the best, but I do think I am looking at Roodle and this situation objectively,” Leggett said. “I continue to see examples of him touching people in really special ways.” 

Roodle plays an important role at The Barclay at SouthPark, reminding residents and staff members of fond memories with their own pets as well as providing comfort to those experiencing bad days. Leggett makes sure to arrive early and leave later, to ensure that Roodle has enough visitation time. He’s a long way from the puppy mill but close to the hearts of many in his new stomping grounds.

“People see him and want to visit and love on him,” Leggett said. “I can’t explain exactly what it is, but he seems to have created a unique and special bond.”

See the In Focus archive, and find out how to submit your photos and information for consideration, here.

LCS promotes Jason Victor, Ross Kelderman

Jason Victor has been promoted to the position of senior vice president / treasurer and corporate finance at Des Moines, IA-based Life Care Services, an LCS company, and Ross Kelderman has been promoted to the position of controller of LCS.

In addition to his current responsibilities, Victor now will lead LCS risk management, including the LCS Advantage insurance program and Hexagon, a captive insurance company.

Having joined LCS in 2007 as controller, Victor was promoted to vice president / controller in 2013 and senior vice president / controller in 2019. He provides leadership to the corporate accounting, corporate payroll and community payroll functions as well as the treasury and tax departments. He also guides audits, internal controls, technical accounting and tax and financial management systems.  

Hexagon was founded in 1999 to support the LCS Advantage insurance program, which markets insurance products to LCS-managed communities, including workers’ compensation, auto, crime, property and boiler, and liability. Victor has served on the Hexagon board of directors since 2017.

Victor holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. He is a certified public accountant with an active license in the state of Iowa. 

Kelderman, in his new role as controller, will oversee and provide leadership to LCS’ corporate accounting, financial reporting, audits and finance technology. He joined the company in 2015 as director, accounting and financial reporting, and was promoted to senior director of accounting and reporting in 2020.

Kelderman holds both an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in accounting from Iowa State University. He also is a certified public accountant with an active license in the state of Iowa.

Erickson promotes Jennifer Tam, MD, to VP and regional medical director

Jennifer Tam, MD, has been named vice president and regional medical director of the Erickson Health Medical Group.

She will oversee the medical centers at Erickson Senior Living-managed communities in Colorado (Wind Crest), Kansas (Tallgrass Creek), Maryland (Riderwood) and Massachusetts (Brooksby Village and Linden Ponds) while also providing strategic direction for EHMG’s health and well-being initiatives.

Tam joined the medical team of Linden Ponds continuing care retirement community in 2005 after completing a fellowship in geriatrics at Harvard Medical School and serving patients as a primary care provider at the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Boston. In 2015, she was promoted to the leadership position of medical director at Linden Ponds, and in 2021, she began supporting the medical centers of Brooksby Village and Riderwood.

Tam earned her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, and completed a residency in internal medicine at Montefiore Health System in New York before her fellowship.

Anthem Memory Care promotes Michael Zywicki to VP of programs and engagement

Michael Zywicki has been promoted to the position of vice president of programs and engagement at Oregon-based Anthem Memory Care. He will oversee Anthem Memory Care’s culture.

Previously, Zywicki was operations specialist for Anthem Memory Care. He also served as area director of operations at Cedarhurst Senior Living of Michigan.

Zywicki brings more than 18 years of operations experience to this position. He holds an undergraduate degree in healthcare administration from Alma College in Alma, MI.

Selectis Health names Jim Creamer interim CFO, adds Clifford Neuman to board

Jim Creamer has been named interim chief financial officer, and Clifford Neuman has been added to the board of directors at Greenwood Village, CO-based Selectis Health, which owns or operates independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement communities, as well as skilled nursing facilities and other offerings, in Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio and Oklahoma.

Creamer brings almost 20 years of experience in public company leadership roles to the role. He also is the principal of Corporate Solutions Advisors, which offers outsourced, fractional CFO services to small, growth-oriented companies across several industries. His career also includes service as the CFO and a director of both Virtual Interactive Technologies Corp., a publicly traded video game development company, and WestMountain Gold, a publicly traded mining company.

Before his role at WestMountain Gold, Creamer was the CFO of NexCore Healthcare Capital Corp. following the company’s acquisition of CapTerra Financial Group, where he previously was CFO and later CEO. Creamer holds an undergraduate degree in finance from Arizona State University.

Neuman will serve on the Selectis Health board’s audit, nomination and governance, and compensation committees. For more than 50 years, he has been engaged as a principal in his own law firms, with an emphasis on corporate and securities law in the representation of companies across matters of corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, and public and private offerings.

Neuman previously served on the Selectis Health board from 2014 to 2022, and he continues to serve as the company’s primary legal counsel. He earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Trinity College, Hartford, CT.

Kendal at Oberlin CEO Barbara Thonas to retire

Barbara Thomas, CEO of Kendal at Oberlin, Oberlin, OH, will retire in February after 32 years of leading the organization. She began her career with the Kendal affiliate in 1992, one year before the nonprofit continuing care retirement community opened to residents.

Thomas’ career in aging services will span 50 years as of 2024. It began just after college, when she accepted a position working in activities programming at Judson Senior Living in Cleveland. She worked her way up at Judson, obtaining her license in nursing home administration. She worked there until she accepted the opportunity to grow as the administrator of Kendal at Oberlin.

Thomas has been a CARF accreditation peer surveyor for 33 years. She also has served on the boards of LeadingAge, Leading Age Ohio and Friends Services for Aging, among other service. In August, LeadingAge Ohio recognized her with an award for visionary leadership.

Esteam Health names Lane Davy as first president

Lane Davy has been named the first president of Albuquerque, NM-based Esteam Health, a new company aiming to support the development of evidence-based arts and health programs for retirement communities.

Davy will support the company’s strategic initiatives by building and leading the core team across key functions for launch. He brings with him decades of executive experience, having led enterprises and teams in manufacturing, sales, marketing and administration.

Davy joins Esteam Health after it recently completed its first pilot of a new training program, the Art of High-Performance Caregiving, in partnership with Creating Futures that Work.

Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at lois.bowers@mcknights.com. High-quality color headshots are welcomed but not required.

Christmas came early for Ridgeland High School in Rossville, GA, when Morning Pointe at Happy Valley opened its doors for the first time. During a celebration complete with a holiday theme and school marching band performance, the senior living community announced a donation of $10,000 to upgrade the school’s lobby. 

“This is a special token of our appreciation and our investment in this community,” Morning Pointe co-founder and President Greg A. Vital said. “This is for generations to come, just as the commitment of education is for generations to come.”

The event was packed with a crowd of approximately 300 people, including residents, employees, community leaders and supporters.

The Happy Valley farm and estate, on which the senior living community is located, was established in 1935 by John L. Hutcheson Jr. and was the site of an award-winning Jersey cattle and dairy farm and later a world-class American Saddlebred horse-breeding facility. Now the grounds will be roamed by Morning Pointe’s residents, who started moving in Nov. 24. 

“When I first visited parts of this farm, I knew that there was a vision for something special here,” Vital said during the program. “We have accomplished that in many ways, and this is an opportunity for North Georgia and Walker County to be part of that, because Morning Pointe couldn’t be here unless there was a need. We are creating a new story today.”

Although the senior living community is eager to play a role in the community, citizens are just as eager to welcome their new neighbors. Another Christmas gift that keeps on giving. 

“The Walker/Catoosa Countians appreciate the partnership [with Morning Pointe] that’s already being formed with us, your love for our community and the involvement that you are showing,” Walker County Chamber of Commerce president Jennifer Marti saidn. “You truly do want to be a part of who we are. Everything that you have thought of, you have considered our residents who have lived here from birth. I appreciate the detail that you have put into what you have created.”

See the In Focus archive, and find out how to submit your photos and information for consideration, here.

Cogir Senior Living appoints Gottfried Ernst chief operating officer

Gottfried Ernst has been named the new chief operating officer at Sacramento, CA-based Cogir Senior Living.

He joins the Cogir team from Discovery Senior Living Management, bringing more than 20 years of experience within the senior living and hospitality industries. Prior to his tenure at Discovery, he held executive leadership roles at Brookdale Senior Living, Harbor Retirement Associates and Green Courte Partners. Ernst was inducted into Brookdale’s President Circle in 2005.

Cogir develops, owns and/or operates almost 70 senior living communities throughout the United States. Recognized as one of ASHA’s top 25 senior living providers. Ernst is joining the company about a year after its US operations marked a milestone with the acquisition of Cadence Living. The integration of the two entities was fully completed during 2023.  The combined company now has more than 8,300 senior living units under management and/or development in the United States and is engaged in six new development projects. Additional growth in the United States is ongoing through management agreements and acquisitions.

LCS names David Mercugliano VP of business development

David Mercugliano has been named the vice president of business development at Chicago-based LCS. In his new role, he will lead business development initiatives to expand management and development opportunities that grow top-line revenue for the LCS family of companies.

Mercugliano joined LCS in June as the director of business development for Care Purchasing Services. He has experience across the care continuum in executive leadership, operations management, strategy and business development.

Silverado names Dawn Wolda national VP of sales for hospice, palliative care team

Dawn Wolda has been named the national vice president of sales for Silverado Hospice & Palliative Care, part of Irvine, CA-based memory care community operator Silverado. 

Wolda comes to Silverado with a track record in hospice and home healthcare that spans more than 25 years. She previously was the senior vice president of sales at Choice Health at Home. 

Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland names Paige Mills-Haag VP of philanthropy

Paige Mills-Haag has been named vice president of philanthropy at Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland. She will spearhead the organization’s philanthropic efforts, including designing strategic and innovative philanthropic initiatives that advance the organization’s mission and overseeing charitable programs and initiatives in its life plan communities, Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, MD, and Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant in Ellicott City, MD.

With more than 17 years of expertise in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership, Mills-Haag has held executive roles in two senior living communities. She earned an undergraduate degree in organizational leadership from Southern Nazarene University and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Association for Christian Fundraisers, formerly the Association of Lutheran Development Executives.

Watercrest adds Diana Chavis as executive director 

Diana Chavis has been appointed executive director of Watercrest Columbia Assisted Living and Memory Care, Columbia, SC. 

Chavis brings more than 40 years of healthcare experience to her role, holding a dual license in South Carolina as an assisted living and nursing home administrator as well as being a licensed preceptor for long-term care. She has been an executive director of continuing care retirement communities and was CEO for several inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in Indiana and South Carolina. Additionally, she previously was a director in compliance, skilled nursing, acute care and outpatient rehabilitation for a healthcare system in South Carolina.

Waterstone of Westchester names Helayne Scheier senior adviser

Helayne Scheier has been named senior adviser at Waterstone of Westchester, White Plains, NY.

She will be responsible for all aspects of internal and external sales and marketing. She also will build relationships with families, clients and prospective families within the community and referral sources.

Scheier has more than 18 years of experience in the senior living industry.

Ageless Innovation hires new chief marketing officer,  appoints two more to leadership positions 

Ageless Innovation has promoted cofounder Meghan Gamboa to chief marketing officer. Additinally, Celica Costantino has been hired as vice president of retail, and Khadijah Lewis has been named senior director of healthcare. 

Gamboa most recently was the company’s senior vice president of marketing and retail sales. Before co-founding Ageless Innovation, she spent 15 years on the marketing team at toy and game company Hasbro.

Constantino has more than two decades of experience in the consumer product goods industry. Most recently, she was senior national sales manager at Funko.

Lewis has more than a decade of experience across home care, business development, operations and product development. 

Glenmeadow announces new board leadership, members

Glenmeadow, Longmeadow, MA, recently elected new leadership and new members to its board of directors.

Michael Tremble, chief executive officer of Valley Communications, will serve as chair. Kelly Koch, probate and family law attorney with Raipher, will serve as vice chair. Erin Koebler, executive director of the East Longmeadow Council on Aging, will serve as clerk. Retired banking executive Mary Meehan serves as treasurer.

The board of directors also welcomed three new members: Barbara Buddington, Glenmeadow resident; Rory O’Brien, vice president, chief compliance officer and assistant portfolio manager with Schwerin Boyle Capital Management; and Meredith Wise, retired president of the Employers Association of New England.

LeadingAge Florida promotes Nick Van Der Linden to senior director of operations

Nick Van Der Linden has been promoted to the position of senior director of operations at LeadingAge Florida. 

He also will continue the responsibilities he formerly had as the organization’s director of communications, now overseeing the day-to-day operations and communication functions and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that the organization’s goals are met.

He earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in communications from Auburn University.

LeadingAge Florida promotes Kasey Anderson to director of administrative services and executive support

Kasey Anderson has been promoted to the position of director of administrative services and executive support at LeadingAge Florida. She most recently served as the association’s executive assistant.

In her new role, Anderson will oversee administrative services critical to the smooth operation of the association. She also is expected to play a pivotal role in providing executive support, managing key administrative priorities and executing strategic projects.

She is a graduate of Emory University.

ATI Advisory adds Brian Fuller as managing director

Brian Fuller has been named managing director at ATI Advisory. He will lead the firm’s value-based care design and delivery practice.

Enseo announces new Senior Living Advisory Committee

Enseo has formed a Senior Living Advisory Committee to help explore the current technology challenges communities are facing and potential areas of growth where technology can positively influence the resident experience as well as community operations. 

The committee will meet regularly to provide feedback on experiences, best practices and future technology needs as communities work to meet expectations of seniors. Committee members: 

• Brad Adams, vice president of IT, Merrill Gardens
• Albert Castaneda, chief development officer, Arete Living
• Susie Finley, principal, Ascent Living Communities
• Jon Kelter Gehrig, director, research and analytics, ISL Ventures
• Gary White, president, GCW Consulting

Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at lois.bowers@mcknights.com. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.

During the holidays, it is easy to take the little things for granted. A simple holiday gift might not be in the cards for some, but residents at Highline Place, an Anthem Memory Care community in Littleton, CO, worked to change that situation by packaging shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child.

Being a former Operation Christmas Child recipient as a military child, Highline Place Life Engagement Director Annalise Wasberg is especially familiar with the program’s impact and sees it as a way to “pay it forward.” 

“No matter where we’re at in life, I think it’s important to give back in any way we can,” Wasberg said. “We have a lot of volunteers that love to just come in and sit with our residents that need that attention. We have so many residents that need that help, so it’s important to give back any way we can, because we have those resources and the capability to do that.”

The residents packed 15 shoeboxes full of toys and other basic essentials and delivered the boxes to South Suburban Church. The supplies included stuffed animals, puzzles, books, coloring supplies and much more. Since 1993, more than 209 million children in more than 170 countries have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. According to Wasberg, because of recent COVID-19 surges in the community, the initiative was a way for residents to interact with younger generations from a safe distance. 

“We haven’t been able to have a lot of our intergenerational stuff the past month, so it’s good to still be able to do something and bring that light to their face,” Wasberg said. “I don’t know what it is, but kids just do so much for our senior living residents. Some of our lower-functioning residents have baby clothes that we will give them, and they’ll just hold baby clothes all day because it just lights them up.” 

They will be making some children very happy over the holidays, but the residents received a nice gift of their own: a chance to make a difference in their own community without having to leave it.

“It’s important for even memory care residents to have that feeling of purpose and to give back during the holidays,” Wasberg said. “Even if we just collect one box or make one box, at least we made one child smile. Some of our residents have worked with kids in the past as teachers and educators, so they really just understood the assignment.”

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Kendal chooses Vassar Byrd as next CEO

Vassar Byrd has been selected by The Kendal Corp. Board of Directors to be the organization’s next chief executive officer. She will join the Newark, DE-based company Jan. 9.

Byrd formerly was the CEO of Rose Villa Senior Living, a nonprofit life plan community in Portland, OR, since 2006. In July, Rose Villa announced that she would be leaving the organization at an unspecified time “to explore new growth and development opportunities” after having led the process of developing a 10-year master plan and campus redevelopment plan for Rose Villa.

Bryd, a 2020 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor inductee and McKnight’s Senior Living contributor, also recently was president of the LeadingAge Oregon Board of Directors.

The CEO position became open with the departure of Sean Kelly, who had headed the organization since 2006 and left about a year ago to become CEO of Front Porch Communities. Amy Harrison, who has served as interim CEO of Kendal since the beginning of the year, will resume her former role as chief financial officer upon Byrd’s start with Kendal.

The not-for-profit Kendal has 11 operating affiliates across nine states: California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Covenant Living CEO Terri Cunliffe announces retirement

Terri Cunliffe has announced that she will retire as president and CEO of Skokie, IL-based Covenant Living Communities and Services in the spring.

Cunliffe, a 2021 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor inductee, has been with the nonprofit Covenant Living for 34 years. Cunliffe started her career in 1987 as an administrator in training at Covenant Living of Golden Valley in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. While working to obtain her healthcare administrator license, she was asked to move to Florida to help open a new assisted living community at Covenant Living of Florida. She eventually became the healthcare administrator of both assisted living and skilled nursing at the Florida community. In 1996, Cunliffe was promoted to executive director at the senior living community.

Cunliffe subsequently held positions as vice president of health and wellness, and executive vice president of operations/chief operating officer. She became president and CEO in 2015.

Today, the company serves 5,700 residents at 19 retirement communities in 10 states and offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Covenant Living has hired a search firm and identified a search committee from the board of directors to seek candidates and ultimately select a successor.

­Erickson Senior Living names Cheryl Jones regional VP of HR

Cheryl Jones has been named the new regional vice president of human resources at Erickson Senior Living. 

For the past 15 years, Jones held senior leadership roles in human resources at CRISP Shared Services in Columbia, MD, and most recently, as vice president of employee experience and operations at CommunicateHealth in Rockville, MD.

She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Spelman College and dual master’s degrees in health administration and business administration from the University of Florida.

White Horse Village names Michael Shaw president and CEO

Michael Shaw has been named the president and CEO of White Horse Village, a nonprofit senior living community in Newtown Square, PA. The appointment was effective Dec. 1. 

Shaw has worked in senior living management for 25 years and has held leadership roles in senior living in multiple locations, managing nonprofit life plan communities within the large networks of Erickson, Westminster Communities of Florida and Pinnacle Living communities in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, Kansas and Florida.

He has certifications in Lean Six Sigma, Action Pact Choreography of Culture Change, the Eden Alternative and as a Pennsylvania personal care home administrator. Additionally, he is a licensed nursing home administrator in Virginia and Florida.  

Anthem Memory Care names Iva Prinsen executive director at Chelsea Place

Iva Prinsen has been named executive director at Chelsea Place, an Anthem Memory Care community in Aurora, CO. 

Prinsen previously was executive director for Springbrooke Senior Living in Denver. She also was the licensed nursing home administrator for Azria Health in Blue Hill, NE.

Prinsen brings more than 35 years of senior living experience to the position. She earned her undergraduate degree from Stevens-Henager College.

The Springs Living names Elizabeth Sourbeer director of sales 

Elizabeth Sourbeer has been named director of sales at The Springs Living. 

Sourbeer brings 30 years of real estate sales experience to her new role. Most recently, she spent six years in sales and marketing for Trilogy by Shea Homes. She has an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Washington, Bothell.

Charter Senior Living of Charlotte names Carson Smith lifestyles director

Carson Smith has been named lifestyles director at Charter Senior Living of Charlotte.

Smith joins the Charter Senior Living team after serving as a teacher at Wolf Meadow Elementary in Concord, NC. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education.

JLL names Anthony Marten principal, healthcare division sales lead

Anthony Marten has been named a principal and healthcare division sales lead for JLL’s solutions development team. 

Marten’s career spans 25 years and two continents. He began his commercial real estate career with JLL in 1998 and served in various roles until 2007, gaining experience in sectors including healthcare, life sciences, financial services and manufacturing. He re-joins JLL from Cushman & Wakefield, where he formerly was an executive vice president with its Enterprise Solutions team.

Marten retired as captain in the Honourable Artillery Co., Territorial Army, London. He graduated from the London South Bank University with a Bachelor of Science degree, has a professional accreditation as chartered surveyor from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in London and has two CoreNet Global Master of Corporate Real Estate designations with a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt from Global CoreNet.

Morning Pointe recognizes Exceeding Expectations award winners

Dec. 6, Morning Pointe Senior Living recognized eight Exceeding Expectations Award winners during its annual holiday awards banquet, honoring dedication to residents and fellow employees. 

This year, Morning Pointe expanded the Exceeding Expectations Awards from four region-based categories to eight role-based categories. The goal was to provide a greater level of recognition for those who go beyond their job descriptions.

The winners:

• Home Office: Josh Rhodes, director of IT.
• Resident Care: Loretta Cameron, certified nursing assistant at Morning Pointe of Richmond, KY.
• Nursing: Kahlalishia Williams, director of nursing at Morning Pointe of Tuscaloosa, AL.
• Life Enrichment and Alzheimer’s Programming: Beverly Smith, life enrichment director at Morning Pointe of Powell, TN.
• Sales and Marketing: Megan Dunaway, community relations director at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley, TN.
• Business Office: James Ford, business office director at Morning Pointe of Lenoir City, TN. 
• Food Service: Cindy Morris, food service director at Morning Pointe of Russell, KY.
• Maintenance and Housekeeping: John Hempel, maintenance director at Morning Pointe of Collegedale at Greenbriar Cove, TN.

Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at lois.bowers@mcknights.com. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.

Editor’s note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are publishing focused articles on the 2023 winners of the McKnight’s Excellence in Technology awards Nov. 29 through Dec. 5. Look for the nomination period for the 2024 awards program to open in May.

This article is published on this site as part of McKnight’s Tech Daily e-newsletter coverage.

Anyone who has seen the “Terminator” movies may be predisposed to have a healthy skepticism of artificial intelligence. The work being done at Swift Medical, however, might cause them to reconsider a bit. 

Thanks to its use of artificial intelligence in wound care, the organization was awarded Gold in the Tech Partner of the Year category in the Skilled Nursing track of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards. 

Swift Skin and Wound, is a digital, AI-powered wound care solution with advanced, high-precision imaging, compliant documentation, clinical analytics and remote care. The FDA-registered technology is easily accessible through a smartphone, helping clinicians deliver effortless wound care to any patient in any care environment — from large, urban academic hospitals to remote, fly-in, remote communities.

“We are so proud and honored to see Swift Skin and Wound prevail as the Gold Award winner in one of McKnight’s most competitive categories,” said Brian Litten, Swift Medical’s CEO. “Our AI-powered digital wound management platform continues to demonstrate its ability to improve the lives of both clinicians and patients whether they are receiving care in the hospital, at home, or any setting in between. Our hope is that more organizations and clinicians start to utilize our technology to revolutionize their wound care programs.” 

Other award winners in the Skilled Nursing track’s Tech Partner of the Year category:

Silver: ShiftKey + OnShift for its SAMI scheduling technology, which led to an 89% reduction in unfilled shifts at Touchstone Communities.

Bronze: MatrixCare for its Clinical Advanced Insights (CAI) patient data dashboard, which saw a pilot group of customers using CAI register a decrease in falls of at least 50%.

Read about other 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology award winners in the Skilled Nursing track on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website, in the Senior Living track on McKnight’s Senior Living website and in the Home Care track on the McKnight’s Home Care website.

Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare, PointClickCare and ShiftKey + OnShift.To view the virtual awards presentation and recordings of the Summit webinars, visit mcknightstechawards.com (free registration required)