CHI Living Communities names Prentice O. Lipsey president and CEO
Prentice O. Lipsey began Jan. 1 as president and CEO of Oregon, OH-based CHI Living Communities. The faith-based senior services division of CommonSpirit Health currently has 16 campuses in eight states, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.
Lipsey’s tenure with CHI Living Communities includes serving in the positions of interim president, senior vice president of operations and director of professional development. Additionally, he was executive director of the organization’s largest campus, St. Leonard, in the Dayton, OH, area.
Along with being part of CHI Living Communities for five years, Lipsey has almost 20 years of senior healthcare leadership experience, including at Wexner Heritage Village, Kindred Gateway Hospital-Stratford and UC Health Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care. Further, he has been a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the National Association of Health Service Executives for more than 20 years and has been appointed to the American Health Association’s Post-Acute Care Committee. Lipsey also has held various leadership positions with the Association of Philanthropic Homes for the Aged.
Lipsey has a Bachelor of Science degree in allied health professions from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in health administration from Xavier University, He also earned a post-graduate degree specialization in change management from Cornell University.
Insight Senior Living adds Ron Ziebart as ownership partner
Ron Ziebart has joined West Linn, OR-based Insight Senior Living as an ownership partner. The move follows the formation of a partnership between Insight and Link Development to create the Ativo Senior Living brand.
Ziebart will draw from more than 40 years of experience in various development capacities, including more than 20 years directly leading projects and teams in the development of retirement communities. Before beginning Link Senior Development in 2012, he developed numerous senior housing projects, and he has experience as a developer, owner and operator of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities.
Insight has four new developments in the pipeline as well as possible acquisitions in the works, according to CEO LisaAnn Shelton.
Ativo Senior Living of Prescott Valley has broken ground and is projected to open in early fall of 2022; Ativo Senior Living of Sundance and Ativo Senior Living of Albuquerque will be opening in 2023, and Ativo Senior Living of Santa Clarita will break ground fall of 2022. Ativo Senior Living of Yuma opened in October in Yuma, AZ.
Episcopal Retirement Services promotes Beverly Edwards to VP of residential healthcare
Beverly Edwards has been promoted to the position of vice president of residential healthcare at Cincinnati-based Episcopal Retirement Services.
Edwards, who has been with ERS since 2016, was a member of the ERS Next Generation Leadership Program to prepare her to serve as a candidate for a vice president role. Previously, she was senior executive director and, before that, executive director of the Episcopal Church Home community in Louisville, KY.
In her new role, Beverly will oversee the operations and direction of all three ERS continuing care retirement communities — two in Ohio and one in Kentucky. She will provide strategic and operational leadership to the organization in residential healthcare and serve as an ERS corporate risk manager. This position is part of ERS’ servant leadership team and reports directly to President and CEO Laura Lamb.
Beverly succeeds Ginny Uehlin, who retired after 20 years of service with ERS.
Beverly graduated from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, with an undergraduate degree in healthcare administration. She later received an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from Sullivan University, Louisville, KY.
LeadingAge Minnesota names Kari Thurlow new president and CEO
Kari Thurlow began serving yesterday as president and CEO of LeadingAge Minnesota.
Formerly senior vice president of advocacy of the organization, she succeeds Gayle Kvenvold, who retired after 40 years at LeadingAge Minnesota, 32 of them in the top leadership role.
Thurlow has headed LeadingAge Minnesota’s public policy efforts for the past 15 years. She holds a law degree from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and an undergraduate degree in political science and communications from Concordia College.
The LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors selected her following an executive search process led by board and staff members. The association has approximately 1,400 organizational members whose more than 60,000 caregivers support 55,000 older adults.
Juniper Village at Paramus names Shain Cohen executive director
Shain Cohen has been named executive director of Juniper Village at Paramus, a Juniper Communities assisted living and memory care community in Paramus, NJ.
Cohen’s career spans 25 years in senior living. She began working as a volunteer in a nursing home at age 15, waitressed at a continuing care retirement community at 16 and moved up to the position of activities director by age 18. The majority of her career in senior living was spent in sales before she moved into operations.
Before Juniper, Cohen worked as an assisted living operator for more than 10 years. She is a licensed and certified assisted living administrator and completed certificate programs for dementia practitioner and gerontology and dementia care. She now is pursuing a certificate as a dementia trainer.
East Ridge Residence names Amy Silvers executive director
Amy Silver was named executive director of East Ridge Residence, a Tennessee-based independent living community managed by Veritas Senior Living.
Silvers will oversee all day-to-day operations and manage employees at the community. A certified dementia practitioner, Silvers has an extensive background in independent living communities and skilled nursing facilities over the past 18 years.
Silvers comes from a family involved in senior living and healthcare. Her mother was a certified nurse assistant at a skilled nursing facility, her sister is a nurse, and her grandmother volunteered in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.
Watercrest Myrtle Beach welcomes Executive Director Hunter Weaver
Hunter Weaver has been named executive director of the newly constructed Watercrest Myrtle Beach assisted living and memory care community in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Weaver joins the Watercrest Senior Living family having begun her time in healthcare as a teen, following in her mother’s footsteps and volunteering at the senior living community that her mother operated. She has a degree in healthcare administration and a long-term care administrator’s license.
Crestwood Manor names Donna Schwartzman assistant executive director, administrator
Donna Schwartzman has been named the new assistant executive director / administrator of Crestwood Manor, a Springpoint life plan community in Whiting, NJ.
Schwartzman will assist in directing the overall function of Crestwood Manor’s ongoing operations, including planning and development. She has more than 22 years of experience as an administrator.
WesleyLife appoints Frank Tafta director of community nutrition
Frank Tafta has been named director of community nutrition for Johnson, IA-based WesleyLife.
In his new role, Tafta will oversee and grow the WesleyLife Meals on Wheels program in Central Iowa.
Tafta has served WesleyLife for the past four years as director of food and beverage for Hearthstone, a full-continuum senior living and care community in Pella, IA. He joined Hearthstone from Tassel Ridge Winery in Leighton, IA, where he was executive chef. Prior to that, he served in a similar role at the Hotel Ottumwa, Ottumwa, IA.
Waterstone on High Ridge appoints Jeanie Ricci as senior adviser
Jeanie Ricci has been appointed by Stamford, CT-based Waterstone on High Ridge, an Epoch Senior Living community, as a senior adviser to assist with marketing, community outreach and customer service in anticipation of the community’s opening later this year.
Before joining Waterstone of High Ridge, Ricci was senior adviser at Bridges by EPOCH at Norwalk. She also was director of sales and marketing, and director of sales and external business director, at senior living communities in Stamford and Brooklyn, NY. Earlier in her career, she was a marketing director for a physical medicine and rehabilitation center.
In her new role, Ricci will be responsible for all aspects of internal and external sales and marketing. Waterstone on High Ridge will offer independent living, assisted living and memory care.
Brandon Wilde announces 2 appointments
Sarah Applebaum has been named life enrichment manager, and Chris Kerley has been appointed chaplain, of Brandon Wilde, an active retirement community in Evans, GA.
Applebaum is responsible for assisting the health center wellness coordinator in planning, scheduling and coordinating activities for residents.
Kerley is responsible for all aspects of spiritual enlightenment, including ministry through vespers, Bible studies, special services and counseling to independent living and health center residents, as well as staff members.
Kerley has been a chaplain intern at University Hospital in Augusta, GA, and as minister of youth with Grace Baptist Church in Evans, GA. Over the past several years, he has worked within the Brandon Wilde accounting and human resources departments, as well as with the health and wellness teams.
Pennant Group announces new director, Gregory K, Morris, M.D.
Gregory K. Morris, M.D., will fill the Pennant Group Board of Directors seat recently vacated by Roderic W. Lewis, who announced his retirement effective Dec. 31, 2021.
Morris will serve on the quality assurance and compliance committee along with JoAnne Stringfield, Christopher Christensen, Barry Smith and Pennant CEO and Chairman of the Board Daniel Walker. He will serve as a class II director with an initial term ending in 2024.
Morris is a partner in MorrisHuml, a consultancy that supports Fortune 1000 firms across industry sectors. His areas of focus include strategy implementation, strategic alignment, prospective risk mitigation and shaping culture through action learning.
Before MorrisHuml, he was a partner at Morris & Gunter Associates. He also was senior vice president for strategy and business development for Advocate Health Care, as well as vice president of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and senior partner at Ernst & Young.
Morris’ insurance experience includes serving as senior vice president of healthcare delivery and corporate medical director for Blue Cross and Blue Shield National Capital Area and eastern region medical director for CIGNA Healthcare of Georgia.
Morris achieved the rank of major with the Army National Guard and was awarded the Bronze Star.
ReNew announces four promotions
ReNew, a Toledo, OH-based real estate investment trust, has announced the promotions of four employees, effective Jan. 1.
Katie Meyer was promoted to the position of senior vice president of operations, Ben Eddingfield was promoted to the position of senior analyst of investments, and Erin Claus and Tom Fogarty each were promoted to the position of senior analyst of asset management.
Douglas Wilson Companies names Michele Vives president
Michele Vives has been promoted to president of the Douglas Wilson Companies, a San Diego-based firm engaged in senior housing development, workout and receivership services, land entitlement and brokerage, and real estate and wealth-transfer advisory services for legacy families and large private, public and non-profit institutions. She succeeds Douglas Wilson, who will continue as CEO and chairman of the board.
Vives joined the company in 2014, most recent serving as vice president, where she led the real estate practice working with families, family offices, government agencies and major corporations. She has overseen the development of office, research, residential and retail projects. In recent years she worked on dozens of new developments, entitlements and master planning projects.
As president, Vives will maintain her development practice and increase her involvement with a growing number of receivership and real estate advisory assignments nationwide.
Before joining DWC, Vives was associated with two San Diego design and development firms. She served as marketing and development manager for Tucker Sadler Architects and as business development manager for Lankford & Associates.
Vives is an officer on the Downtown San Diego Partnership executive committee and is chair of the placemaking committee. She is past president of the San Diego chapter of Lambda Alpha International, an honorary global land economics society.
Guest Services names Nico Foris as CEO
Nico J. Foris has been appointed CEO of national hospitality management company Guest Services of Fairfax, VA.
Guest Services offers a range of support channels for senior living, having recently added St. Anthony’s in Kansas City. Foris said he sees this work as an example of the company’s ability to offer full-service management of independent living, assisted living and memory care properties. He said he intends to use it as a model for expansion and plans to add new similar properties each year.
Foris joined Guest Services in 2012 as chief financial officer and has been chief operating officer for the past three years. As CEO, he succeeds Gerard T. Gabrys, who will continue to serve as chairman of the board.
During his time at Guest Services, Foris has led growth initiatives among National Park Service contracts, including Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Lake Roosevelt, and he led the acquisitions of Boating in Boston and the Lodge and Spa at Breckenridge, CO. He was integral in executing the company’s disposition and sale of Maryland-based Lancaster Foods in 2020.
Foris created the Guest Services Culinary Forum, a collaborative group of chefs exploring improvements within culinary operations. He most recently was focused on leading the company through the coronavirus public health crisis.
Before joining Guest Services, Foris was with the audit practice group at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he served several large clients within the banking and capital markets space, including Bank of America, PNC and the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States. He was promoted to the national office–Securities and Exchange Commission Division, where he served as a senior manager.
Foris subsequently was hired to be CFO of what is now known as the Washington Football Team in the National Football League, where he was responsible for the financial activities and oversight within the organization.
Foris holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from Penn State University and is a certified public accountant.
myLifeSite names Tripp Higgins vice president of sales
Tripp Higgins has been named vice president of sales by Raleigh, NC-based myLifeSite. He will lead the business-to-business sales strategy for a suite of online products used by the senior living industry to increase sales and occupancy.
Higgins brings 25 years of sales and marketing experience to the company. He previous was the director of sales and marketing at a life plan community, where he increased occupancy to 98%. He also revamped the brand and messaging for the community.
Most recently, he consulted with several start-up companies in upstate New York to develop and execute their go-to-market strategies.
