Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected].
Lloyd Jones appoints David Grady to lead Aviva Senior Living
David Grady has been named president of Aviva Senior Living, owned by the Lloyd Jones real estate investment firm.
Lloyd Jones is expanding its senior housing platform throughout the country with the acquisition of five communities since January. Grady will oversee the integration of the new acquisitions into the Aviva brand.
Grady has spent his career in executive positions with major senior housing firms, including Elmcroft Senior Living as a divisional vice president, Somerby Senior Living as president, and Bridge Investment. He has a master’s degree in healthcare administration as well as a PhD.
He previously was a member of the Aviva advisory board.
Lenbrook promotes Felecia Sveda to COO, announces additional promotions
Felecia Sveda has been promoted to chief operating officer of Lenbrook in Atlanta.
Sveda, who started with Lenbrook in 2006 in the marketing department, has served as vice president of hospitality services for the company since 2014.
In addition to Sveda’s elevation to COO, Lenbrook announced several other internal promotions to round out an organizational realignment:
- Allison Booker Perry, former director of sales and marketing, has been named vice president of sales and marketing.
- Joe Goodwin, previously director of security, is now Lenbrook’s vice president for community services.
- Stephen West, former director of dining services, has been appointed vice president, community life.
LCS promotes Greg Williams to SVP/senior director of operations management
Greg Williams has been promoted to the position of senior vice president and senior director of operations management at Life Care Services in Chicago.
In his new role, he will join the LCS leadership team, overseeing multi-state operations for the company.
Williams’ career with LCS spans more than 24 years, during which time he has served in a variety of roles, including executive director, director of operations management and vice president director of operations management.
American Healthcare REIT appoints Mark Foster EVP, general counsel
Mark Foster has joined American Healthcare REIT, as executive vice president, general counsel.
Foster has more than 23 years of experience representing institutional owners, operators and developers. He also brings with him exposure in joint venture formations, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing and real estate-related lending.
Before joining American Healthcare REIT, Foster was a partner at Snell & Wilmer, concentrating primarily on the representation of institutional owners, operators and developers as well as financial institutions and investors.
Foster also previously served as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary to Sabal Financial Group, and he began his legal career in real estate at the law firm of Allen Matkins.
Juniper selects Patricia Jacobs to lead new health and well-being program
Patricia Jacobs has been picked to lead Catalyst, Juniper Communities’ new membership-based health and well-being program.
Juniper said Jacobs was chosen based on her performance at Juniper at Cubigo, where she helped create and deploy the technology platform that supports Catalyst.
In her new role, Jacobs will deploy Catalyst at all 30 Juniper Village communities, which will serve as community hubs for a network of opportunities focused on an individual’s interests, social interactions, fitness and health maintenance.
Catalyst is a membership-based collection of programs and services addressing individuals’ health and well-being.
Buckner Westminster Place names David Ummel executive director
David Ummel, a 14-year veteran of Buckner International, has been appointed the new executive director at Buckner Retirement Services’ continuing care retirement community Buckner Westminster Place Longview, TX.
Ummel most recently was executive director for senior living community Calder Woods in Beaumont, TX, also operated by Buckner Retirement Services.
Before his move to Buckner Retirement Services, he worked for Buckner Children and Family Services and Buckner church/ministry engagement. As a Buckner church engagement officer, he oversaw a statewide initiative engaging the faith-based community with the child welfare system.
In Buckner Children and Family Services, his roles included senior executive director for preservation programs, senior executive director of Northeast Texas, executive director of Longview/Tyler and ministry engagement director for Houston and Dallas.
Anthem Memory Care appoints Blair Miller community relations director
Blair Miller has been named community relations director for Chisholm Place, an Anthem Memory Care community in Wichita, KS. In this position, she will be responsible for community outreach and marketing.
Miller previously was associate director of philanthropy for United Way of the Plains and has served as a development professional for more than a decade in the Wichita area. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health services management and community development from Wichita State University and an MBA from Friends University in Wichita.
Monarch Communities appoints Patricia Senft director of sales
Patricia Senft has been named director of sales for Monarch Coopers Corner, a senior living community under construction in New Rochelle, NY, and scheduled to open later this year.
Senft brings more than 10 years of senior living sales experience to her new position. She previously was community sales director at Atria Woodlands in Ardsley, NY. She also previously was manager of worldwide sales for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in New York City.
AHEPA National Housing Corporation Board President elects Ike Gulas
Ike Gulas has been elected to the Board of Directors of the AHEPA National Housing Corp., the parent company of AHEPA Affordable Housing Management Co.
Gulas will be working with AMC’s president and CEO and the executive team in an effort to provide safe, healthy and enriching affordable residential communities and quality services for older adults.
Gulas is an attorney with Morgan & Morgan and has been practicing law since gaining admittance to the Alabama Bar in 1990. He is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Southern Trial Lawyer Association in addition to other organizations.
NCAL bestows Thayer Award on Gardant CEO Rod Burkett
Rod Burkett, co-founder and CEO of Gardant Management Solutions in Illinois, has been named the 2022 recipient of the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award by the National Center for Assisted Living.
NCAL said that Burkett was chosen for the honor because during his 24-year career in senior living, he has pioneered accessibility and affordability in assisted living, sparking awareness, conversation and advocacy within the profession.
Burkett was one of the first responsive operators approved by the state of Illinois for development and certification under the licensed supportive living program, according to the association, which also said that he has been instrumental in leading and growing the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition, which remains the driving force in advocating, promoting and protecting the Illinois Supportive Living Program.
Burkett also is a leader at the national level and has served on Argentum’s CEO Roundtable, has chaired NCAL’s Finance & Policy Committee for five years and has served on the NCAL Board of Directors since 2015.
LCS awards Chef of the Year title to Mike Prager
Mike Prager, executive chef at senior living community Clarendale of Algonquin, has been named Chef of the year for 2022 by his employer, Life Care Services, after battling in a three-round, “Chopped”-style cook-off July 21 at the Sysco Test Kitchens in Houston.
In addition to earning the title, Prager will receive a $10,000 grand prize.
The annual competition celebrates the hospitality and culinary talents of chefs in senior living communities owned and managed by the LCS company.
Prager has been with Clarendale of Algonquin for two years. He graduated from the culinary program at Elgin Community College and worked in hotels and restaurants for almost a decade before joining LCS. Through his career, he has won culinary competitions at Fisher Nuts and the Grand Victoria Casino.
Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected]. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.
