Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected].
Lutheran Senior Services names Ron Schaefer COO
Ron Schaefer has been named chief operating officer of St. Louis-based Lutheran Senior Services.
He has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit senior living management. Previously, Schaefer was COO of Front Porch in Glendale, CA. He also was the COO of Covia until its acquisition by Front Porch.
In addition to his extensive experience in the life plan community segment of senior living, Schaefer has a strong track record in affordable housing and in community service programs, according to LSS.
He has taught in the University of Southern California’s Davis School of Gerontology master’s degree program, including the core courses Current Issues in Senior Living and Emerging Consumer Trends.
Schaefer holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry and math from Southern California College and a Master’s of Healthcare Administration degree, with an emphasis in business administration, from Chapman University.
Lasell University names Zehra Abid-Wood president of Lasell Village
Zehra Abid-Wood has been named president of Lasell Village, Lasell University’s on-campus senior living and learning community in Newton, MA. She will join the community this spring.
Abid-Wood comes to Lasell Village with more than two decades of leadership experience in residential senior care, real estate, hospitality and education. She most recently worked as senior vice president of strategy and transformation at AlerisLife (formerly Five Star Senior Living). At points in her tenure at AlerisLife, she held several management roles (head of sales, marketing and brand; chief of staff and senior director of the IT project management office), oversaw capital projects and held multiple interim C-suite leadership roles during periods of transition.
Her career also includes strategy and technology consulting with the Exeter Group and the establishment of a project and portfolio management office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Abid-Wood earned an undergraduate degree in computer science and English from Williams College. She also spent a year abroad studying at Oxford University in England.
ASC appoints Sabatine general counsel
Cate Sabatine has been appointed general counsel of American Senior Communities, Indiana’s largest senior living and care provider.
In her new role, Sabatine will oversee legal matters, real estate business and corporate transactions.
Sabatine joined ASC in 2016 as associate general counsel and then, in 2019, became chief compliance officer. Before joining ASC, she spent five years of private practice at two Indianapolis law firms with a focus on healthcare law.
Sabatine is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and received her law degree and MBA degrees from Indiana University. She volunteers with the Indianapolis Bar Association and is on the board of directors at State Bank.
Civitas’ Bluffs of Flagstaff names Heather McBride executive director
Heather McBride has been named executive director at The Bluffs of Flagstaff, a Civitas Senior Living community in Flagstaff, AZ.
McBride was in the US Army medical field during Operation Desert Storm. She has more than 20 years of experience in financial management and accounting in senior living, banking institutions and private colleges.
Ohio Living Rockynol names Bob Cameron new executive director
Bob Cameron has been named executive director at Ohio Living Rockynol, Akron, OH
In his new role, Cameron will oversee daily operations and be responsible for quality and financial outcomes, as well as resident and employee relations. Before joining Ohio Living, he held a variety of leadership roles throughout Northeast Ohio. Most recently, he was traveling administrator/executive director for LeaderStat at Clovernook.
Cameron holds an undergraduate degree in nursing home administration from Milligan College and a master’s degree in business administration from Malone College, along with a nursing home administrator license.
LCB’s Amber Evans named to dementia education body; 2 promoted
Amber Evans, director of memory care and resident engagement at LCB Senior Living, has been named the vice chair of education outreach for the National Institute for Dementia Education’s Standard of Excellence Council.
Evans joined LCB Senior Living in 2014 and currently oversees all aspects of its Reflections memory care program. She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and a registered dance/movement therapist, specializing in nonpharmacological and expressive art interventions for people living with dementia, as well as for their families.
LCB also announced promotions.
Brian Robinson has been promoted to vice president of organizational culture, learning and recruitment, and Abrina Kelly has been promoted to regional director of Reflections.
Robinson joined LCB in 2015 as a regional director of operations before moving into the human resources department in 2019, where he was director of talent acquisition and associate engagement.
Kelly also joined LCB in 2015 and previously helped support the opening of The Residence at Five Corners as Reflections director. She was promoted to Reflections and engagement specialist in 2019.
Cressey & Company announces Bud Meadows as CEO of Home Care Pulse
Bud Meadows has been appointed CEO of Home Care Pulse.
Meadows has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the healthcare information technology industry, with senior roles in both emerging growth and publicly traded companies. Immediately before joining HCP, he was president and general manager of Ability, an Inovalon company. Before Ability, he held senior executives positions at Mirixa Corp., Sage, WebMD and Medical Manager.
Home Care Pulse recently acquired technology and data firm Activated Insights and customer survey and employee retention software company Pinnacle Quality Insight in an effort to expand the management company’s technology platform.
Cura Hospitality welcomes Joeleen Kielkucki to partnership development team
Joeleen Kielkucki has joined Cura Hospitality’s partnership development team.
Kielkucki most recently was a corporate sales specialist with The Waters Senior Living Community in Minnetonka, MN.
At Recover Health in Minnetonka, MN, Kielkucki coordinated care between multiple departments for home health referrals to senior living communities, transitional care units and hospitals. She also managed a team of community liaisons who provided community outreach and education.
Kielkucki also worked at Brighton Hospice in St. Louis Park, MN, where she provided hospice education to clients and their families while coordinating sales and marketing events to help increase accounts and partnerships.
Former general counsel Craig Penny joins Baker Donelson’s health law group
Craig Penny, former general counsel for a national developer of senior living and long-term care facilities, has joined Baker Donelson as of counsel in the Health Law Group and as a member of the firm’s Long-Term Care Industry Service Team.
Penny represents senior living, long-term care and hospitality operators, lenders and investors in transactions involving finance, development, construction, acquisitions, leasing and corporate ventures.
In his almost 20 years of legal experience, Penny also spent six years in private practice, handling a range of real estate and business matters. He is a graduate of the Villanova University School of Law.
Revive agency names Chris Bevolo CEO
Chris Bevolo has been named CEO of Revive, part of the Weber Shandwick Collective. The Nashville, TN-based branding, marketing, advertising and communications agency counts Brookdale Senior Living among its clients.
Bevolo’s career extends more than 20 years, and he joined Revive in 2014 as health system practice lead. He most recently was chief brand and growth officer at Revive.
Bevolo is an author of seven books, including “Joe Public Doesn’t Care About Your Hospital,” released in 2011. In 2022, he and Revive released “Joe Public 2030: Five Potent Predictions Reshaping How Consumers Engage Healthcare,” which explores five key ways consumer health engagement may change over the coming decade, covering everything from AI and personal monitoring to consumerism, new competition, the politicization of healthcare and growing health disparities.
Bevolo is a regular keynote speaker and featured presenter at healthcare conferences and hosted two popular podcasts for more than a decade. Before joining Revive, he was the owner and lead strategist of Interval, a Minneapolis-based healthcare marketing firm he founded in 1995.
ASHA names public policy chair, board members
Michelle Kelly, senior vice president at National Health Investors, has been named the chair of the American Seniors Housing Association’s Public Policy Committee.
Kelly has been a member of the committee since 2015 and a member of the Chairman’s Circle since 2016 and has worked closely with ASHA’s legislative team for several years. She has more than 16 years of experience financing and investing in senior housing and long-term care and has been with NHI since 2017.
The ASHA Executive Board also elected the following members for board service:
- Lori Alford, chief operating officer, Avanti Senior Living;
- Tim Gary, CEO, Galerie Living;
- Stephanie Harris, CEO, Arrow Senior Living; and
- Joe Jedlowski, chairman and CEO, Distinctive Living.
The Executive Board also approved the following new representatives from existing board member companies:
- Justin Dickinson, president, Anthology Senior Living;
- Teddy Hillard, senior vice president, Brookdale Senior Living;
- Justin Hutchens, executive vice president, chief investment officer, Ventas; and
- Mike Patterson, managing director, Greystone.
(Photo by Stephanie Williams Images for Goodwin Living)
Goodwin Living names Cyrillene Clark, PhD, board chair; names Joan Renner board chair for foundation
Cyrillene “C.C.” Clark, PhD, has been elected chair of Goodwin Living’s Board of Trustees. In addition, Joan Renner has been elected chair of the Goodwin Living Foundation Board of Directors.
Clark is the owner of Crichlow Clark Group, a talent management and leadership consulting firm. She brings more than two decades of consulting expertise across industries, from work with nonprofits to biotech, education and government. She earned a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology at Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in psychology from Villanova University and a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University.
Renner previously served on the Goodwin Living Foundation Board of Directors as vice chair and chaired the board’s Governance Committee. She also is a past chairman of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Alexandria Rotary and an active supporter of many local not-for-profit organizations. Renner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Virginia.
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