Castle Senior Living names Diana Howell new director of operations
Diana Howell was named director of operations at Castle Senior Living, which provides assisted living, independent living and memory care residences for older adults in communities throughout southeast Wisconsin.
For the past 12 years, Howell served in numerous roles for assisted living providers, including director of memory care, area training specialist and executive director. She is a certified dementia practitioner with experience in skills nursing facilities as a dementia specialist.
Howell has a master’s degree in gerontology and biological anthropology from Purdue University and completed the coursework for her Ph.D. in the same fields. She has been a research scientist for several large-scale studies examining aging and health issues, such as the World Health Organization and the National Social Health Life and Aging Project.
Jefferson’s Ferry promotes Elissa Gargone to vice president of sales and marketing
Elissa Gargone was promoted by Jefferson’s Ferry, a not-for-profit life plan community, to vice president of sales and marketing. In her new role, she will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing programs, touring and counseling potential residents, and tracking occupancy in independent and assisted living.
Gargone first joined the Long Island, NY, company in 2010, most recently serving as director of sales and marketing. In her new position, she will be an integral part of the company’s Journey to Renewal, a multi-year expansion and renovation of the Jefferson Ferry campus, which includes additional independent living apartments, a new assisted living building specially designed for memory care, a rehabilitation center, and expanded common spaces in assisted living and skilled nursing.
White Horse Village announces new senior director and team member promotions
White Horse Village, a senior living community in southeastern Pennsylvania, welcomed David G. Kelble as senior director of information technology and digital Innovation, and announced the promotions of Emily Leaman as director of environmental services and John Keogh as director of maintenance.
Kelble has 30 years of experience in information technology. In his new role, he will lead the Information Technology Department and develop and implement new technology initiatives. He previously was vice president of information technology for Abramson Senior Care and taught at the College of Science and Technology at Temple University.
Kelble is active with industry and charitable organizations, including the Philadelphia Philanthropic Society for Information Technology Foundation, CIO Advisory Board for Tech Impact and the Philadelphia chapter of the Society for Information Management.
He has a master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s of business administration and information systems degree from Temple University, and an undergraduate degree in business from LaSalle University.
In her new role, Leaman will support campus-wide housekeeping services, landscaping and residential unit turnover processes. She previously was maintenance coordinator and housekeeping manager. Leaman completed a leadership development program with LeadingAgePA in 2019.
Keogh brings more than 14 year of experience at White Horse Village to his new role as director of maintenance. He previously held positions as maintenance supervisor and maintenance mechanic. He also has nearly 30 years of previous experience in computer field service repair and computer support.
NHI names David Travis new chief accounting officer
National Health Investors has named David Travis as its senior vice president and chief accounting officer, effective May 1. He has more than 20 years of accounting and financial reporting experience, including more than 12 years as a chief accounting officer for publicly traded healthcare real estate investment trusts.
Before joining NHI, Travis was the chief accounting officer with MedEquities Realty Trust, and chief accounting officer for Healthcare Realty Trust. He also was an auditor for Ernst & Young, where he led audits of public and private enterprises across multiple industries.
Travis earned his BBA summa cum laude in accounting from the University of Memphis and is a certified public accountant. He succeeds Ron Reel, who will retire in December.
Cindy R. Kent joins Vanderbilt University Board of Trust
Brookdale Senior Living President of Senior Living Cindy R. Kent was selected as one of four new members to join the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust. Kent, who will serve a five-year term, was the first student at Vanderbilt to earn dual master’s degrees — a Master’s of Divinity in Pastoral Care & Leadership, and an MBA in marketing. She completed an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and management sciences from Northwestern University.
Kent, who joined Brookdale in December, has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, previously holding leadership roles with 3M, Eli Lilly and Medtronic. A philanthropist, she manages an active family endowment and gives to causes in healthcare and education, with a special focus on advancing STEM programs. In 2018, her alma mater, the Hume Fogg Academic Magnet High School in Nashville, TN, dedicated the “Cindy Smith Kent Science Wing.”
Kent has several awards under her belt, including being named the 2018 Lead360 Executive of the Year, and in 2017 named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Business” and one of the “Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America.” She also was designated one of the “Top 35 Women Leaders in Healthcare” by the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST in 2014, named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of America and a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute in 2013.
