Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected].
Avail adds Cody Harvey as partner, owner-operator
M. Cody Harvey, MBA, BSN, RN, has joined Cleveland, TN-based Avail Senior Living as partner and owner-operator.
He will partner with founders Chris Beckstrand and Rob Cuthbertson. Together, they have more than 30 years of collective experience in operating senior living communities.
Harvey’s experience in long-term care began during his high school years as a certified nursing assistant. This experience led him to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2015, where he later received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the School of Nursing in 2019. Harvey also holds a MBA, with a focus on healthcare, from Southern Adventist University.
Before joining Avail, Harvey was the executive director at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga.
Calson Management welcomes new COO and VP of sales
Sadek Nassar has joined Calson Management as chief operating officer, and Susan Bowser has joined as vice president of sales.
Nassar will be responsible for leadership, strategic planning and operations guidance for the company’s portfolio of communities. He brings more than 10 years of senior living leadership experience and an additional 11 years in multifamily housing and hospitality to the role. Nassar holds an undergraduate degree in business administration and finance from California State University.
Bowser will lead the sales teams and oversee all of the organization’s sales initiatives. She brings more than 20 years of senior living sales and marketing experience to the position. Bowser is a graduate of the University of Phoenix with an undergraduate degree in human services management.
Press Release Professional Doc in Bright Blue Black Bold Modern Style
Calson Management is a second-generation, family-owned and operated group with more than 30 years of experience in the senior housing industry. The company provides pre-development, development, owner representation, horizontal and vertical construction services as well as long-term operations. The organization has focused operations that target the California market.
Christian Horizons promotes 2 to SVP level
Brenda Brandl has been promoted to the position of senior vice president of operations, and Dora Silvia has been promoted to the position of senior vice president of sales and marketing, at St. Louis-based Christian Horizons.
Brandl will manage and direct the operations, clinical and quality functions of the organization’s senior living communities and support services. She has more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience and has provided clinical oversight to dozens of senior living and care communities and facilities in her career, from assisted living to skilled nursing.
Silvia will lead all sales and marketing efforts within the organization. She has more than 20 years of hospitality and healthcare sales and marketing experience.
Lifespace Communities names Swapna Tavtum VP of data and analytics
Swapna Tavtum joined Lifespace Communities as vice president, data and analytics, on Oct. 2. She will lead the organization in harnessing and serving up data as business intelligence to support Lifespace in making informed decisions, improving operations, achieving strategic objectives and finding revenue-generating opportunities.
Lifespace has home offices in West Des Moines, IA, and Dallas. She will be based in Dallas.
Tavtum has more than 17 years of experience leading digital transformations to improve operations and grow revenue through advanced analytics strategies. She has led large digital transformation projects for organizations such as Starbucks, PVH, Southeastern Grocers and Rent-A-Center and also held leadership roles at Infosys Limited and The Hackett Group.
Tavtum earned her Executive Master of Science degree in technology management from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Chennai, India.
NIC names Jamie Gray director of volunteer engagement
Jamie Gray has been named the director of volunteer engagement for The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.
Gray will develop programs to recruit, onboard and integrate new volunteers and build a robust system of training, support and stewardship to support the staff’s work to maximize the talents and contributions of NIC volunteers.
Gray is a certified volunteer administrator and was the volunteer engagement specialist at the Project Management Institute for more than a decade, where she served as the staff liaison for two strategic-level volunteer committees.
Elancé Luxury Living hires 3 executive directors
Collin Baranick, Denise Kircher and Kellie Baker have been named executive directors leading three of Roanoke, VA-based Elancé Luxury Living’s senior living communities in Florida and Virginia. The brand is part of Retirement Unlimited Inc.
Collin Baranick is taking on the role at Elancé at Pasadena, St. Petersburg, FL. He has almost a decade of leadership experience as an executive director in senior living and specialized in high-end luxury living and new development communities in his previous employment.
Denise Kircher is joining the Elancé at Sarasota campus community in Sarasota, FL. She has almost 30 years of experience in the field of healthcare. Prior to becoming an executive director four years ago, she held titles such as business office manager, accounting director and office coordinator.
Kellie Baker joins Elancé at Old Town Alexandria, Alexandria, VA, after having worked in senior living for more than a decade. She began her career in the field as a volunteer ombudsman. Since completing her administrator in training program, she has held titles such as associate executive director, skilled nursing administrator and executive director. Kellie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Social Work degree from Howard University.
Watermark announces several appointments at Laguna Niguel
Christopher Tharp has been named the executive director of Laguna Niguel, a Watermark Retirement Communities assisted living and memory care community set to open in November in California.
Before joining Watermark Laguna Niguel, Tharp led luxury senior living communities as an executive director in Carlsbad, CA, and Charleston, SC.
Additionally, Tharp has appointed Hector Gonzalez community life director and Ashley Davidson, LVN, wellness director.
Gonzalez formerly was the director of services at a senior living community in Carlsbad, CA, and Davidson was a group fitness instructor and previously a supervising licensed vocational nurse in Laguna Hills, CA.
Kendal at Ithaca names Danielle Chontey director of marketing and community relations
Danielle “Dani” Chontey has been named the director of marketing and community relations at Kendal at Ithaca in New York.
Chontey has more than 30 years of experience in marketing, operations and leadership for a local non-profit cooperative. She already has connections to the retirement community, having previously served as a volunteer there through the Cornell Companions program.
Chontey holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and is certified as a yoga instructor. She joins Kendal at Ithaca following the retirement of Betsy Schermerhorn, who led the community’s marketing department for more than 17 years.
Design Environments adds Kevin Wildes as VP of sales
Kevin Wildes has been named vice president of sales for Design Environments, a full-service design, sourcing and installation firm serving the senior living and other industries.
Wildes has served in a variety of merchandising, sales and marketing roles for companies including Mohawk Industries, The Home Depot and Moss Retail & Environments. Most recently, he was the head of Banko Wilhome, a comprehensive brand marketing company and worked with Model No. Furniture developing their design and sales teams.
Wildes holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in design from the University of Georgia and an MBA from the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University.
Guardian Pharmacy of Southwest Florida names Jay Mandra president
Jay Mandra, PharmD, has been named president of Guardian Pharmacy of Southwest Florida.
Before joining the company, Mandra was executive vice president and acting chief operating officer at Symbria, where he oversaw pharmacy and therapy operations. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Mike Klein, former president and founder of Guardian Pharmacy of Southwest Florida, remains actively involved in pharmacy operations.
Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected]. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.
