Sarah Amtower

Sarah Amtower named brand marketing manager at LCB Senior Living

Sarah Amtower has been selected as the brand marketing manager for LCB Senior Living, based in Norwood, MA.

In this newly created role, she will maintain and contribute to the LCB brand, both at the corporate and community level. Amtower will ensure that LCB’s brand remains consistent across all marketing channels and with will carry out branding campaigns that contribute to LCB’s image.

Amtower has several years of experience in brand marketing and in the senior living industry. Before joining LCB, she served as a corporate marketing associate with Wingate Healthcare. She has additional experience in branding from special projects as well, having re-branded client businesses through the redesign of websites and collateral materials.

LCB has 19 communities in New England, with five more in the works.

Assisted Living by Unlimited Care Cottages promotes Marlene Wanjala to director of quality and training

Marlene N. Wanjala recently was promoted to director of quality and training at Assisted Living by Unlimited Care Cottages, The Woodlands, TX. She now is responsible for providing consistent training among all care partners within the caregiving business.

Wanjala joined the company in 2011 and for the past three years was a care partner. She received an undergraduate degree in management from Park University in Austin, TX, and earned professional certifications in gerontology and end-of-life care from Houston Community College.

“She has been a loyal member of our care team and has worked hard to improve her professional education and skills throughout her tenure with us,” said Buck Buckholtz, who founded and owns Assisted Living by Unlimited Care Cottages with Terri Buckholtz. “In her new and expanded role, she is continuing to make a difference in the lives of residents we serve each day. Our philosophy is to take care of the people who take care of our people.”

The 19-year-old company now has seven assisted living and memory care personal cottages in The Woodlands and Spring areas. Each cottage is designed to offer an alternative to larger, more traditional assisted living communities or nursing homes for families in need of care for an aging parent or relative.

Darrell Sheaffer named executive director of The Buckingham

Darrell Sheaffer has been appointed executive director of The Buckingham, a Masterpiece Living Centers for Successful Aging-certified community sponsored by Senior Quality Lifestyles Corp. in Houston.

Sheaffer comes to The Buckingham with a background in managing luxury hotels and resorts. Throughout his career, SQLC said, he has supervised complex operations, managed real estate development and overseen large construction and renovation projects.

“Darrell has the ideal background, skill set and knowledge to serve as executive director of The Buckingham,” said Stan Waterhouse, president and CEO of SQLC. “As the community nears completion of its $72 million expansion, we are pleased to have Darrell oversee the remainder of the project.”

With more than 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Sheaffer has worked in the U.S. and abroad for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Fairmont-Raffles Hotels & Resorts.

He earned an associate degree in business with an emphasis in hospitality management from Lansing College and a certificate in financial management from Cornell University.

The Buckingham has 204 independent living residences, 43 private assisted living apartments, 16 private memory support apartments and 60 private skilled nursing suites. The expansion will add 183 new residences, including 106 independent living apartment homes, 27 assisted living suites, 18 memory care residences and 32 private skilled nursing rooms.

Laura Levy promoted to executive director of The Legacy Willow Bend

Laura Levy has been promoted to executive director of The Legacy Willow Bend, the first and only life care retirement community in Plano, TX.

Levy started at The Legacy Willow Bend as director of assisted living almost five years ago. With 20 years of experience in senior living, she has worked in senior care management and education at various levels, with a specialization in memory care.

“We are thrilled to promote Laura to executive director of The Legacy Willow Bend, as she knows our community, residents, families and culture. We have seen firsthand her accomplishments as assisted living director, and her leadership impressed us on many levels,” said Brian Barnes, interim CEO and COO/CFO of parent company Legacy Senior Communities.

The Legacy Willow Bend features 103 independent living apartment homes, 12 custom independent living villas, 40 assisted living apartment homes, 18 memory support suites and 60 private skilled healthcare suites.             

Highland Springs names Terese Mugno as sales counselor

Terese Mugno has been hired as a sales counselor in the sales and marketing department at Highland Springs, a continuing care retirement community that is home to more than 925 residents in Dallas.

She brings 20 years of sales experience, most recently in the pharmaceutical industry, to the Erickson Living retirement community. As sales counselor, she will assist Priority List members and prospective residents in selecting their residences, reviewing financial considerations and moving to Highland Springs. Mungo also will serve as a resource for information about the senior living industry and the local real estate market in Dallas.

Mugno holds an undergraduate degree in public relations/advertising from Texas Christian University.

“It is an exciting time at Highland Springs,” said Christina Christie, director of sales at Highland Springs. “In the past two years, we have successfully opened two new independent living residences, Willow Ridge and Pecan Grove.” The second neighborhood clubhouse and an additional independent living building also are under construction, she added.

Joel Wherley promoted to chief operating officer of Vitas Healthcare

Joel Wherley has been promoted to chief operating officer of Miami-based Vitas Healthcare. In this position, he oversees operations of the company’s 44 hospice programs in 14 states, which care for more than 16,300 hospice patients and their families daily.

Wherley joined Vitas in 2016 as senior vice president of hospice operations, where he led daily operations for programs in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. He has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare sales and operations management, eight of them in hospice.

Wherley earned an undergraduate degree in business management and organizational design from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Bill Earley to join West Health as chief administration officer and general counsel

Bill Earley has been named chief administration officer and general counsel of West Health, a San Diego-based family of nonprofit organizations dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age, effective Aug. 1.

In his new role, Earley will be responsible for all administrative and operational aspects of West Health’s applied medical research and policy work in support of successful aging. This includes overseeing the organizations’ financial, human resources, information technology and other administrative functions. As general counsel, he will lead West Health’s legal, compliance and governance efforts. He also will play a role in West Health’s local and state advocacy endeavors.

Earley joins West Health after serving for three years as regional chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties, where he led more than 100 employees and 2,500 volunteers. Before the Red Cross, Earley was a law firm partner and attorney for more than 24 years. He also had his own law and management consulting firm. Earley earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and also is a graduate of San Diego State University.

Three promoted at Green Courte Partners

Chicago-based real estate private equity investment firm Green Courte Partners has promoted Timothy J. Jurczak to vice president, Paul S. Kim to vice president/portfolio controller and William J. Siroky to senior associate.

Jurczak joined Green Courte in 2011 as an associate and was promoted to senior associate in 2014. During his time with Green Courte, he has made significant contributions to the firm’s acquisitions team within the senior housing, land-lease community and near-airport parking strategies, sourcing and underwriting a variety of investment opportunities for the firm, according to the company.

In his new role, Jurczak will help lead Green Courte’s re-entrance into the land-lease community sector following the merger/sale transaction of its American Land Lease portfolio with Sun Communities in late 2014/early 2015.

Kim joined Green Courte in 2011 as a senior accountant, was promoted to assistant fund controller in 2014 and was promoted to fund controller in 2017. In his new role, he will be responsible for the accounting and reporting of Green Courte’s newest fund, Green Courte Real Estate Partners IV LLC, and its affiliates.

Siroky joined Green Courte in 2016 as an associate. In his new role, he will continue providing portfolio analytics and contributing to the quarterly fair value process, as well as expanding his responsibilities in asset and portfolio management.

Katsuo ‘Katsu’ Yamanaka appointed chairman of MBK Real Estate

Katsuo “Katsu” Yamanaka has been appointed chairman of the board for Irvine, CA-based MBK Real Estate LLC, the U.S. real estate development arm of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. MBK Real Estate’s three subsidiaries include MBK Senior Living, MBK Rental Living and MBK Homes.

Yamanaka, who joined Mitsui in 1989, will be responsible for the overall management of MRE. He will oversee the development and execution of the company’s fiscal strategies, evaluate the organization’s fiscal function and performance as well as direct MRE’s subsidiaries to fulfill the strategic goals of the organization.

“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead MBK Real Estate, a great company with a renowned heritage of building quality real estate developments and operating senior living communities that enhance lifestyles and families,” he said. “I have admired MRE for many years and believe the company’s history of innovation, unparalleled quality and unmatched customer service present enormous opportunities to expand the company’s reach in emerging real estate markets throughout the United States.”

Yamanaka currently is a deputy general manager at Mitsui, where he has overseen the firm’s First Real Estate Business Division in Tokyo since August 2015. In this role, he plans and manages Mitsui’s global real estate portfolio for residential, industrial, logistics and office properties. He is also responsible for all human resources aspects of the division.

Before his role as deputy general manager, Yamanaka was general manager of Mitsui’s First Overseas Business Development Department, Urban Development Division, for the U.S. and U.K. real estate markets. He also spent five years in Southern California as senior vice president of MBK Real Estate.

After earning a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Tokyo, Yamanaka joined Mitsui in 1989 in the company’s Property Development Division in Osaka, Japan. He has worked in various capacities in Asia, Europe and the United States.

Yamanaka succeeds Kain Matsumoto, who will transition to the First Real Estate Business Division of Mitsui in Mitsui’s Tokyo headquarters as the general manager, overseeing Mitsui’s global real estate activities. Matsumoto will remain a board member for MRE when he moves to his new assignment.

Drew Allgeier to head ESCO Technologies’ new TechConnect division

Drew Allgeier has been named to lead ESCO Technologies’ new TechConnect division, devoted to providing local technical support services to senior living properties across the country.

He brings 20 years of sales, operations and channel development experience to the ESCO team. Before joining ESCO, he was the executive director and general manager of Contingent Technology Solutions, a Comcast Business company.

ESCO Technologies offers an integrated suite of wholesale communications and entertainment solutions for the senior living industry through its CareConnect managed services solution. TechConnect builds on the company’s experience with CareConnect.

Allgeier said his primary responsibility as head of TechConnect will be “to offer our clients the ability to put a field technician onsite at a moment’s notice, anywhere in the country, when ‘smart hands’ troubleshooting is required.”

Via TechConnect, ESCO hopes to expand its service offering to existing customers while also growing market share by scaling its ability to deliver service and service-level agreements.

Dennis Jakubowicz joins iN2L as sales and marketing vice president

Dennis Jakubowicz has joined It’s Never 2 Late as sales and marketing vice president.

Most recently Jakubowicz was senior vice president of MatrixCare. He brings an expertise in healthcare, sales, marketing and business development within the long-term care industry.

“Dennis is a recognized sales and business development leader in the long-term care market, and we are privileged to have him on our team,” CEO Tom Bang said. “As we continue to expand our product and services portfolio, Dennis’ expertise will aid us significantly in reaching residents, staff and their families that benefit from iN2L’s numerous engagement and digital therapy technologies.”

Keith Stanton named director of design development at Thoma-Holec Design

Keith Stanton has been named director of design development at Mesa, AZ-based Thoma-Holec Design, an interior design firm specializing in senior living. He currently is senior interior designer.

In his new role, Stanton will be responsible for design direction of interior spaces, budgeting and decisions regarding safety and welfare of senior living residents through his knowledge of construction techniques and design materials.

Stanton joined Thoma-Holec Design in 2014 after working for a variety of fine art and commercial design companies throughout New York, Washington, D.C., and Arizona. During his three years at Thoma-Holec Design, he has been a driving force in the company’s expansion in both new construction, renovation and remodeling design, according to the company. The company’s current portfolio includes hundreds of senior living communities throughout the United States and Canada.

Stanton holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in intermedia from Arizona State University and an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree in interior design from Scottsdale Community College. He is affiliated with the American Society of Interior Designers, is a LEED Green associate and is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. He was 2015-2016 president of the Arizona North Chapter of ASID.

Hudie Langston named ACHCA’s Assisted Living Executive Director of the Year

Hudie Langston, administrator at PruittHealth’s Christian City Assisted Living Center in Union City, GA, recently was named Assisted Living Executive Director of the Year for 2017 by the American College of Health Care Administrators. The award was presented June 13 during the Georgia Health Care Association and Georgia Center for Assisted Living’s Summer Convention on Amelia Island in Florida.

“I am thrilled that Hudie was named as the 2017 Executive Director of the Year,” said Neil L. Pruitt Jr., chairman and CEO of PruittHealth. “It is an honor that his hard work and dedication to the residents at Christian City Assisted Living Center is recognized among his peers statewide.”

Presented annually by ACHCA, the Executive Director of the Year Award is given to individuals who demonstrate leadership that is worthy of statewide recognition. Recipients have achieved noteworthy goals and contributed to the quality of life of their center’s residents.

“On behalf of GHCA/GCAL, I applaud Mr. Langston on receiving this recognition and thank him for his commitment to ensuring the highest quality of care is provided to the vulnerable individuals he serves,” said GHCA/GCAL President and CEO Tony Marshall.

Hudie Langston (middle), administrator at Christian City Assisted Living Center, recently was named Assisted Living Executive Director of the Year for 2017.

IntegraCare presents awards

Erie, PA-based IntegraCare honored top leaders throughout 10 senior living communities during its “Leadership on Twelve O’Clock High” event held June 14 to 16 at the Ambassador Conference Center in Erie.

A total of 97 management and a select group of “superstar” team members from IntegraCare’s communities in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia participated in the conference. IntegraCare’s Red Carpet Gala and Awards Ceremony capped the event as 13 winners in leadership award categories were announced.

IntegraCare CEO Richard Irwin presented the CEO Award to three recipients recognized for contributions, tenacity and the resilient pursuit of personal and organizational excellence:

  • Tracey Spallone, LifeStories memory care director, Newhaven Court at Lindwood, Greensburg, PA. “Tracey leads the superior LifeStories memory care program within IntegraCare and sees herself as a leader and part of the sales process,” Irwin said. “She knows the life story of each of her residents inside and out, and she displays a tremendous attitude.”
  • Darlene Young, director of resident care, Candle Light Cove, Easton, MD. “In the face of much adversity due to staffing challenges and the growth of the community, she never lost sight of the goal,” Irwin said. “Darlene displays a calm and methodical approach even when the pressure is on. She is respected by her peers and subordinates and conducts herself with professionalism.”
  • Sarah Spardy, strategic projects analyst and financial reporting manager, IntegraCare. “Sarah demonstrated superior professional growth throughout 2016-2017 and has improved many financial tools and templates,” Irwin said. “She has worked tirelessly on many critical financial efforts, including new projects in Reston, VA, and Annapolis, MD.”

Additional awards presented throughout the event:

  • The Henry Posner Jr Award in recognition of dedication, commitment and pioneering spirit in the face of great adversity went to Lori Grant, executive director, Newhaven Court at Lindwood. “Lori was awarded for many reasons, but especially due to her perseverance and leadership through disaster when a winter flood struck her building,” Irwin said.
  • The Continuous Quality Improvement Award for a commitment to making IntegraCare communities a great place to work and a great place to live as well as for achievements in CQI scoring went to Colonial Courtyard at Clearfield, Clearfield, PA. “In its first year of operation, Colonial Courtyard at Clearfield earned this award for posting a score of 80 percent in assisted living and 77 percent in LifeStories memory care as well as for demonstrating a commitment to the culture and use of tools and processes,” Irwin said.
  • The Leadership Award was presented to Tressia Day, executive director, Magnolias of Chambersburg, Chambersburg, PA. “Tressia has worked wherever the mission demanded,” Irwin said. “She served as a regional healthcare compliance coordinator after previously serving as director of resident care at Magnolias of Chambersburg, where she’s ultimately been able to return and serve as their executive director. In between these shifts, she served as interim executive director at Magnolias of Lancaster and was engaged in establishing new and healthy routines after the Lancaster team lost their long-term ED.  She consistently leads with poise and resolve and is an inspiration to every team she serves.”
  • The Teamwork Award went to Newhaven Court at Clearview. “This team demonstrates an alignment of interests and values in everything they do,” Irwin said. “There is a common trust, respect, commitment and follow-through by each member of the team, and they celebrate each individual’s success as part of a team.”
  • The Occupancy Award in recognition for achievements in occupancy for the previous year was awarded to Colonial Courtyard at Bedford, Bedford, PA.
  • The 10-in-10 Award in recognition of achievements in healthy living and weight loss during IntegraCare’s 10-in-10 Challenge was awarded to Newhaven Court at Lindwood, which achieved back-to-back victories in 2016 and 2017 during the challenge.
  • The Best of the Best Award, which highlights the most impressive initiatives taken at the community level to make it a great place to work and a great place to live, included submissions of initiatives from each community. The home office team voted to narrow the category to a Top 4. From there, a live vote was conducted at the conference across all attendees, and Candle Light Cove was named the winner. “Candle Light Cove was recognized for its implementation plan across all teams for ‘Absence,’ a play about dementia. The community leveraged the play as an educational tool and opportunity to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.
  • The Safety Award in recognition of excellence in workplace safety went to Magnolias of Chambersburg.
  • The Executive Director of the Year award was presented to Lori Grant, Newhaven Court at Lindwood.

Send personnel news to Senior Editor Lois A. Bowers. Please include a photo.