Discovery names Akah Gaur as first president of development, construction and design division

Akash Gaur headshot
Akash Gaur

Akash Gaur has been appointed by Bonita Springs, FL-based Discovery Senior Living to be the first-ever division president to head up Discovery Development Group and Discovery Design Concepts, the senior living provider’s in-house development, construction and design companies.

Most recently, Gaur was director of development for Legacy Ventures and had been in this role since 2017. He brings more than 20 years of real estate development and leadership experience into his new position, including directing from prospect to building closeout and activation of a variety of commercial, mixed-use and hospitality projects in the Atlanta area.

Gaur has a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Florida and an MBA degree from Emory University. He also is a registered architect and a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living names Shelly Fritz, MSN, Ph.D., as first affiliate faculty member

Shelly Fritz headshot
Shelly Fritz, MSN, Ph.D.

Shelly Fritz, MSN, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing at Washington State University  Vancouver, is the first person to be officially appointed by the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living, Pullman, WA, as an affiliate faculty member. 

Fritz has more than 30 years of experience in the nursing field, as well as expertise in the smart home health technology sector, supporting the institute’s focus on problem-solving in senior living communities. Recently, she was accepted to the second Cohort of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators.

WSU’s School of Hospitality Business Management celebrated the formal naming of the institute, first publicly announced in 2017, in October 2019. Its name honors the late industry veteran, who founded assisted living company Cobbco; served as president, CEO and director of Summerville Senior Living; was president and CEO of Emeritus Senior Living; and then became a board member of Brookdale Senior Living when Emeritus and Brookdale merged.

Cobb, a former chairman of Argentum’s board (when the organization was known as the Assisted Living Federation of America), died in September 2015 after an intermittent battle with cancer over several years. He had helped build the WSU senior living curriculum and taught a semester-long course in senior housing administration.

Penick Village appoints Alva ‘Chip’ Cromartie, MPA, as chief executive officer

Alva “Chip” Cromartie, MPA, will be the new CEO at Penick Village, a life plan community in Southern Pines, NC, effective Sept. 7.

Before accepting this position, Cromartie was executive vice president of home and community-based services with the Well-Spring Group in Greensboro, NC, where he was responsible for developing and managing both Well-Spring Solutions and Well-Spring Home Care.

Cromartie serves on the board of directors for LeadingAge North Carolina as well as on several other boards and committees. 

He holds a Master of Public Affairs degree, with a concentration in nonprofit management, from the University of North Carolina–Greensboro. 

Ridgeline Management Co. hires Tod Murray as new chief operating officer

Tod Murray has joined West Linn, OR-based Ridgeline Management Co. as chief operating officer.

Previously, he worked at another senior living operator for 11 years, where he managed a variety of service levels, ranging from independent living, assisted living, memory care, continuing care retirement community and skilled nursing. 

Murray has more than 20 years of experience in senior living and care leadership. He has worked in the industry since 1992.

Legacy Senior Living promotes Blake Ray to vice president of asset management

Blake Ray headshot
Blake Ray

Blake Ray has been promoted to vice president of asset management at Cleveland, TN-baaed Legacy Senior Living, which operates a family of senior living and memory care communities throughout the Southeast.

In his new role, Ray will help the organization acquire strategic developments that will grow its capacity for serving older adults and their families. He will oversee construction and renovation projects, coordinate facility financing and support executive leadership in real estate and operational analysis.

Since joining Legacy Senior Living in 2014, Ray has served in a variety of leadership roles, including administrator-in-training, special projects coordinator and financial analyst. As executive director of the Renaissance Marquis community in Rome, GA, he supervised a full-scale renovation of the 100,000-square-foot Class A property. He was promoted from special projects coordinator to director of asset management in 2018.

Ray holds degrees in psychology and accounting from Lee University.

Morrison Communities promotes Shannon Lynch to executive director 

Shannon Lynch headshot
Shannon Lynch

Shannon Lynch has been promoted to executive director of Whitefield, NH-based The Morrison Communities, a new position. She continues to be executive director of Summit by Morrison Senior Living Community.

As executive director of the Morrison Communities, Lynch is in charge of leadership spanning all parts of the organization, including the Morrison Skilled Nursing Facility, Sartwell Place Assisted Living, Morrison Rehabilitation, and Summit by Morrison. 

Lynch directly reports to the Board of Trustees while overseeing the daily operations of Summit by Morrison as its administrator. Patti Roy will fill the dual role of the Morrison Communities finance director and interim nursing home administrator.

Juniper Glen welcomes Marion ‘Mimi’ Piciullo as executive director

Mimi Piciullo headshot
Mimi Piciullo

Marion “Mimi” Piciullo has joined Juniper Glen Assisted Living and Memory Care, a Sunshine Retirement Living community in East Amherst, NY, as executive director. 

She will be in charge of all daily management and operations of the community, such as financials, marketing, government and community relations. She also will oversee all health and safety programs, including new heightened procedures and protocols to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 infection. 

Piciullo has more than 27 years of experience in the senior living industry and has served in an array of senior administrative positions at retirement communities, mostly in upstate New York.

Vetter Senior Living promotes Tracy Zamora to administrator at Heritage of Bel-Air

Tracy Zamora headshot
Tracy Zamora

Tracy Zamora has been promoted by Vetter Senior Living, Norfolk, NE, to become the new administrator of Heritage of Bel-Air.

Zamora has 28 years of experience in the long-term care sector. She previously held roles in dietary assistance, nursing assistance, restoration, marketing and activities. She has worked in the social services department for the past 18 years. 

In May 2017, Zamora joined the Heritage of Bel-Air as the social services director. She is also a 2021 McKnight’s Women of Distinction inductee in the Veteran VIP category.

Landis HCBS welcomes Kate Good to board or directors

Kate Good headshot
Kate Good

Kate Good has joined Landis Home and Community-Based Services, an affiliate of Landis Communities of Lititz, PA, as a member of the company’s board of directors. 

Good has worked as executive director of the Parish Resource Center in Lancaster, PA, since 2013. She also is associate publisher and partner at Walnut Street Media Group and has served as a creative, marketing and content strategist for many publishing companies. 

She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from George Mason University as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in English from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA.

Stewart promotes Trina Agnello to assistant manager of structural engineering

Trina Agnello headshot
Trina Agnello

Trina Agnello, P.E., has been promoted to assistant manager of structural engineering by Stewart, Raleigh, NC.

In her new position, Agnello leads a team of professionals encompassing building information modeling designers, construction administrators, engineers and project managers. Agnello also oversees and is a senior project manager for structural engineering projects in North and South Carolina.

She has more than 20 years of experience working in North Carolina and Florida on an array of projects in multifamily, commercial, retail, public safety, private residential and healthcare settings. Her work is featured statewide in venues such as the Trevi Village senior living community in Charlotte, NC.

Agnello also is immediate past president and communications chair for the Structural Engineers Association of North Carolina.

LeadingAge Washington bestows award on Annie Zell 

Annie Zell headshot
Annie Zell

Annie Zell, health services administrator of Emerald Heights, a life plan community in Redmond, WA, has been recognized by LeadingAge Washington with the Award of Excellence for Advocacy, a part of its Excellence in Leadership 2021 awards. 

Zell was the first female health services executive in the state to advocate for the adoption of more advanced certification and leadership in long-term care, according to LeadingAge Washington. She has been a licensed nursing home administrator for more than two decades and has served on the nursing home administrator board in Washington in various capacities for the past eight years.

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