Cadence Living brings on Shelly Stewart-Girton as regional VP of marketing

Shelly Stewart-Girton headshot
Shelly Stewart-Girton

Shelly Stewart-Girton has been hired by Cadence Living of Scottsdale, AZ, as regional vice president of marketing for the mountain region. 

In her new role, Stewart-Girton will be responsible for marketing and strategic solutions for the company’s managed communities in Colorado. She has more than 25 years of experience in sales, real estate and nursing. Of those 25 years, 10 were spent in the senior living sector managing healthcare services and being in charge of sales and marketing. 

Stewart-Girton formerly was director of sales and marketing for Avenida Partners, MorningStar Senior Living and Brookdale Senior Living.

Legacy Retirement Communities welcomes Robyn Childs as corporate director of sales

Robyn Childs headshot
Robyn Childs

Robyn Childs has been hired by Legacy Retirement Communities / Western States Lodging and Management Senior Division, Salt Lake City, as corporate director of sales.

In this role, Childs will be in charge of sales strategy and activities for the company’s growing portfolio of senior living communities in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma and Utah.

Childs has more than 13 years of experience in sales, marketing and operations in the senior living field. She has also worked in many corporate, divisional and regional positions. Before joining Legacy, she worked in sales and marketing roles at Cadence Living, The Wolff Co., Koelsch Communities, MBK Senior Living and Atria Senior Living.

In 2020, Childs was named a Rising Star by the McKnight’s Women of Distinction program. She holds an MBA degree from Brigham Young University as well as an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah.

Masonic Homes Kentucky hires Kevin Adams as operations officer

Kevin Adams headshot
Kevin Adams

Kevin Adams has joined Masonic Homes Kentucky as operations officer for the Village Active Lifestyle Community, Louisville.

In this role, Adams will communicate with Village residents and family members, as well as coordinate services, maintenance and upkeep of Village buildings and apartments. 

Before joining the company, Adams was a branch manager for the Illini Fire Services. He also formerly was senior account manager for DC Plus. He has 30 years of experience in director and manager-level roles.

Juniper Communities announces 2 wellness promotions

Theresa Bush headshot
Theresa Bush

Dawn Anderson, RN, and Theresa Bush, RN, have been promoted by Bloomfield, NJ-based Juniper Communities.

Bush has been promoted to regional director of wellness for Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She has spent most of her 35-year nursing career in management roles. In her new role, she will consult and lend support to directors in the buildings overseeing best practices, quality assurance and fall reduction programs. 

Dawn Anderson headshot
Dawn Anderson

Her credentials include being a licensed RN in three states, holding a healthcare management degree, having training in infection control prevention and COVID-19 vaccine administration, and being a certified dementia practitioner.

Anderson has been promoted to director of wellness at Juniper Village at Brookline, State College, PA. In this role, she will oversee the entire nursing department. 

Before this promotion, Anderson was responsible for the company’s quality assurance program and restorative care. She has been a nurse for 31 years and has experience in many healthcare settings, including long-term care, hospice, home health and hospitals.

Buckner’s Calder Woods hires David Ummel as executive director

David Ummel headshot
David Ummel

David Ummel will join Calder Woods, Beaumont, TX, as the community’s new executive director, effective Sept. 7.

After 13 years of working for Buckner Children and Family Services and Buckner church and ministry engagement, Ummel is joining Buckner Retirement Services, Calder Woods’ operator. He succeeds Shane Gabis, who stepped down in June.

This role is Ummel’s first position in the senior living field. Before his current position, Ummel worked as the Buckner church engagement officer. In this role, he oversaw Faith Fosters Texas, a statewide initiative working with the child welfare system’s faith-based community.

Ummel holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute and is working toward a nonprofit management certificate from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

Fox Hollow Residential Care hires Terri Seifert as executive director

Terri Seifert has joined Fox Hollow Residential Care, Eugene, OR, as executive director.

In her new role, she will oversee the daily operations of the community in accordance with all federal, state and local regulations and all company policies and procedures.

Seifert has more than 25 years of experience in the field. Before joining the organization, she was director of business development at a Colorado-based skilled nursing facility.

She earned her LPN from Cloud County Community College.

Sagewood hires Kelly Streck-Rider as director of admissions for assisted living – memory care

Kelly Streck-Rider headshot
Kelly Streck-Rider

Kelly Streck-Rider has been hired as director of admissions for Desert Willow assisted living and memory care at Sagewood, a life plan community in Phoenix.

Streck-Rider has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of healthcare settings. Previously, she was a sales counselor at the Terrace of Phoenix. Before joining Sagewood, she worked in a variety of positions in continuing care retirement communities.

She has a degree in health information management from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. 

Ohio Living welcomes Rebecca Grunden as executive director of palliative care

Rebecca Grunden headshot
Rebecca Grunden

Rebecca Grunden is joining Ohio Living Palliative Care, Maumee, OH, as the new executive director of palliative care, effective Sept. 8.

In this role, Grunden will support the organization’s efforts to expand palliative care services statewide. In 2017, she played a key role in establishing the initial Ohio Living palliative care program.  

Grunden served on Ohio Living’s Greater Toledo’s home health and hospice team for the past six years. She is experienced in the areas of hospice, palliative care, wound care and nursing home care.

Grunden has a master’s degree in nursing science from the University of Cincinnati as well as an undergraduate degree in science from Lourdes College.

Watercrest promotes James Brassard to executive director of Pelican Landing

James Brassard hedshot
James Brassard

James Brassard has been promoted to executive director of Pelican Landing Assisted Living and Memory Care, a Watercrest Senior Living Group property in Sebastian, FL. 

In his new role, Brassard will be responsible for maintaining the company’s industry presence after being awarded “Best Assisted Living Community” two years running by Hometown News.

Brassard joined Watercrest in 2019 as director of sales at Palm Bay Memory Care. He subsequently was promoted to executive director.

Brassard has much experience in senior living start-ups and turnaround communities and is a former recipient of the Florida Assisted Living Association Sales and Marketing Director of the Year award. He holds an MBA degree from Gulf Coast University. 

LeadingAge Ohio announces award winners, including Ohio Living’s Larry Gumina

man flanked by two women
Larry Gumina, center, with family members.

Larry Gumina, president and CEO of Ohio Living, Toledo, OH, has received the Visionary Leadership Award from LeadingAge Ohio.

The Visionary Leadership Award recognizes contributions to the aging services field via inspirational and visionary leadership. Gumina was recognized for anchoring relationships between healthcare providers, hospitals and insurers to streamline and improving aging services both at his organization and nationwide.

Gumina serves on several committees and boards in the aging services sector, including LeadingAge, LeadingAge Ohio, Link•age and the Ziegler/Link•age Longevity Funds Investment Committee.

LeadingAge Ohio also bestowed several other awards. Debra Durbin, United Church Homes Chapel Hill Community received the Emerging Leader Award. Kelly Rose, Shepherd of the Valley received the Excellence in Caring Award. Sister Marguerite Lamberjack of Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice, Ohio’s hospice nursing honor guard of Ohio’s Hospice, earned the Excellence in Volunteer Service (Individual) Award. Jennifer Stonebrook of Hospice of the Western Reserve received the Excellence in Volunteer Service (Group) Award. Michael Grey and Eliza Jennings received the Rose and Sam Stein Heart of Hospice Award. And Ohio state Rep. Scott Oelslager received the Excellence in Pandemic Innovation and Public Service Award.