Lifespace Communities appoints Mike Roach chief strategy officer
Mike Roach is the new chief strategy officer at Lifespace Communities.
He is expected to play a vital role in the development, oversight and implementation of strategic planning throughout the organization and markets. He will assist in identifying, assessing, developing and managing strategies to expand the company’s capabilities to improve competitiveness and business performance, providing and enhancing value to residents. This work will include product innovation, market expansion, capability-building, partnership creation, mergers and acquisitions, and diversification.
Roach most recently was vice president of corporate strategy and planning for 1-800-Flowers. In this role, he developed an enterprise strategy for the $2+ billion portfolio of e-commerce/direct-to-consumer brands. Before that, he served in strategy and operations roles for JCPenney Corp. and Deloitte Consulting.
Roach, who will be based in Lifespace’s Dallas office, earned his undergraduate degree in business administration in finance and accounting from Texas Christian University and his MBA in marketing, managerial analytics and strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Priority Life Care promotes Ryan Person to chief strategy officer
Ryan Person has been promoted to chief strategy officer at Fort Wayne, IN-based Priority Life Care. He will have the primary responsibility of driving decision-making to sustain organizational change and execute the vision and mission of the company.
Person officially joined the PLC family in 2017 as the executive assistant to the CEO and chief operating officer after working alongside the Petras family, founders of PLC, since 2014. He quickly rose to the position of director of operations, assisting mainly in Indiana communities. From there, Person headed up the business development department and has overseen the transition of 50+ communities.
In his new position, Person will work to further the sales and client-relationship management, proposing and developing new strategic partnerships, and guide long-term objectives to meet business needs and requirements.
Person graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 2009 with a degree in marketing and graphic design. He then was recruited to the Washington, D.C., market to be a marketing director for an advertising specialties company. He then moved to New Mexico to be the program director for a high adventure camp/ranch and then opened a CrossFit gym, where he met the Petras family.
Integral Senior Living names Zandria Stapleton regional director of sales and marketing
Zandria Stapleton has been named the new regional director of sales and marketing for the portfolio at Carlsbad, CA-based Integral Senior Living. She will oversee the sales and marketing efforts for several of ISL’s communities, which include independent and assisted living and memory care.
Stapleton comes to ISL with more than 15 years of experience in the senior living industry, with many of those years spent in management or marketing positions. In her most recent position as a regional director of sales at Eclipse Senior Living, she was responsible for occupancy growth, developing lead generation tactics and business development.
The Springs at Wilsonville names Chris Lyons executive director
Chris Lyons has been announced as the executive director at The Springs at Wilsonville, a Springs Living assisted living and memory care community in Wilsonville, OR.
In this capacity, she will oversee all aspects of the community, including operations, resident experience and care, financial performance, sales, marketing, and team culture-building.
Lyons has almost 20 years of leadership experience. She formerly had been an executive director of an Aegis Living community in San Francisco since 2020.
Lyons has an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin and a certificate in human resources generalist studies from the University of California–Berkeley.
Benchmark at Rye’s new executive director is Rob Memmolo
Rob Memmolo has been named executive director of Benchmark at Rye, a Benchmark Mind & Memory Care community in Rye, NH.
Memmolo most recently was executive director of Benchmark’s Bedford Falls assisted living and Mind & Memory Care community in Bedford, NH. He has been with Benchmark for almost a decade, earning awards for high resident and employee satisfaction.
Before joining the Bedford Falls community, Memmolo was an executive director for several other Benchmark communities in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He also was the New Hampshire nursing home and hospice administrator for Sun Healthcare and Life Choice Hospice.
Benchmark selected Memmolo to attend the Walt Disney Co.’s Disney Institute, where he broadened his knowledge of fostering leaders, creating quality experiences and engaging employees. He is a supporter and fundraiser of the American Heart Association, having raised tens of thousands of dollars in honor of his late mother, who died of heart disease.
Ativo Senior Living of Prescott Valley names Rebecca Ratliff administrator
Rebecca Ratliff has been announced as the administrator of Ativo Senior Living of Prescott Valley, AZ, an independent living, assisted living and memory care community managed by Insight Senior Living.
Before the community opens this fall, Ratliff will be responsible for overseeing sales and operations during the pre-open phase. Once the community opens, she will be in charge of all daily operations and employee management.
Ratliff began her career as a certified nursing assistant working in skilled settings. She continued her education and obtained her license to become a licensed practical nurse. As a hospice nurse, she began caring for assisted living residents and was asked to become a community’s nurse. She subsequently was promoted to executive director and since that time has worked as a senior executive director, regional managing director and mentor.
Friendship promotes Jessica Whitaker to director of marketing
Jessica Whitaker has been promoted to director of marketing at Friendship Retirement Community, Roanoke, VA.
Since 2021, she had been the director of marketing and admissions of Salem Terrace at Harrogate, where Friendship serves as the managing partner.
Whitaker has more than a decade of marketing experience and has worked in the healthcare industry for four years.
Retirement Unlimited Inc. appoints Heather Lindstrom talent acquisition specialist
Heather Lindstrom has been appointed as talent acquisition specialist for Retirement Unlimited Inc.
Lindstrom is responsible for using various platforms and methodology to drive recruitment efforts. She will work with leadership teams and communities to support company recruitment efforts as RUI expands across Virginia and Florida.
With more than 17 years of experience in the healthcare field, Lindstrom has a background in sales and marketing in a variety of industries, including healthcare. She has been with RUI since 2004, serving in a human resources capacity.
LeadingAge PA welcomes Garry Pezzano as president and CEO
Garry Pezzano, EMBA, MS/CCC-SLP, FNAP, has been appointed LeadingAge PA’s new president and CEO. He succeeds Bob Bertolette, who had been serving as interim president and CEO since October.
Pezzano served more than 10 years in executive roles within Genesis Healthcare and Genesis Rehabilitation Services, most recently as senior vice president of clinical practice.
He earned his Executive Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology from Rutgers University, as well as his Bachelor of Science degree in speech-language pathology from the College of New Jersey.
PharMerica names Jennifer Yowler president
Jennifer Yowler has been named president of PharMerica Corp.
She succeeds Robert Dries, who is retiring. Kentucky-based PharMerica told Louisville Business First that Dries is remaining onboard temporarily as an executive adviser to assist with a smooth transition.
Yowler has been PharMerica’s chief financial officer since 2019, playing a lead role in the development and execution of the financial and operational strategy of the company. PharMerica quietly moved Yowler to the top of its leadership website and shared news of her promotion on LinkedIn a few weeks ago.
Yowler joined PharMerica following 20 years as a senior healthcare executive. She has experience in finance and operations at multiple companies in the long-term care and healthcare industry, including PwC, Omnicare and Partners Pharmacy. Her background includes work in corporate finance, operations, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in accounting from Ohio University.
With more than 140 pharmacies and 6,000-plus employees, PharMerica is one of the nation’s largest providers of pharmacy solutions for skilled nursing, senior living, hospice, behavioral health and specialty settings.
Blueprint announces CEO, chief vision officer, partners and executive managing directors
Ben Firestone and Jacob Gehl have been named CEO and chief vision officer, respectively, of Chicago-based Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors. Additionally, longtime employees Ryan Chase, Michael Segal and Steve Thomes are now partners and executive managing directors.
The company said that the title of CEO better describes the leadership role Firestone has embraced for several years. He will continue to focus efforts on leading the firm’s management team and trying to perfect Blueprint’s service offering to continue its mission of delivering optimal solutions. In the role of chief vision officer, Gehl is primarily tasked with developing and executing the firm’s long-term growth plan. The roles of CEO and CVO are structured to work hand-in-hand, and Blueprint said that the changes do not affect either person’s primary function of investment sales adviser.
Blueprint’s year-to-date activity is 15 transactions valued at just under $500 million. The activity represents trades in seniors housing, skilled nursing and medical office, as well as financing solutions through Blueprint’s capital markets practice. Current offerings represent an additional $3.7 billion in market value, the company said.
CareTrust REIT apppoint Careina Williams to succeed Allen Barbieri on board
Allen C. Barbieri has retired as a member of the board of San Clemente, CA-based real estate investment trust CareTrust REIT after six years of service. Careina D. Williams succeeds him.
Barbieri was chairman of both the nominating and corporate governance committee and the sustainability and corporate responsibility committee, and he was a member of the audit and compensation committees.
Williams has a background in analyzing, underwriting, financing, acquiring and managing commercial real estate across multiple asset classes. She is a principal and advisory board member at Sundance Bay, a real estate private equity firm that specializes in multifamily investing, net lease investing and real estate debt lending nationwide. She previously was chief operating officer of Zero G Capital Management and was principal of acquisitions and asset management at Artemis Real Estate Partners. She also was a principal of investments at Capri Capital Partners. She began her career as a financial analyst in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs.
Williams’ philanthropic work currently includes serving as a trustee and vice chair of the investments and endowment committee of the United Church of Christ. She received a degree in economics from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
ServingIntel brings on Angela Landry as strategic marketing manager
Angela Landry has joined ServingIntel, Chicago, as strategic marketing manager. The company is a provider of point-of-sale and transaction management solutions for the senior living sector.
Landry brings more than 15 years of marketing and strategy experience to the role, having previously worked at All Coast as director of marketing.
She studied finance at the University of Louisiana–Lafayette.
Brookdale board member named to Ellipsis Health board
Rita Johnson-Mills, an independent board director for Brookdale Senior Living, has been named the first independent member of the board of mental health-focused Ellipsis Health.
Johnson-Mills has a combined 30 years of federal, state and private industry experience. Previously, she spent almost 11 years in progressive leadership positions with UnitedHealthcare, including serving as CEO of the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee. In addition, she was CEO of Managed Health Services and Buckeye Community Health Plan, both wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corpo., and led the operational turnaround of each health plan.
Johnson-Mills spent 10 years in progressively expansive leadership roles in the state of Ohio, the last of which was chief of the Bureau of Medical Assistance, and almost two years with the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, where she was director of Medicaid managed care.
Among her awards are being named a 2019 National Association of Corporate Directors Governance Fellow, Women Inc. Magazine’s 2019 Most Influential Corporate Director and a 2017 Nashville Business Journal Most Admired CEO award honoree.
In addition to serving on Brookdale’s board, she also is an independent director on the board of Quest Analytics.
