Lutheran Life Communities selects Sloan Bentley as president, CEO
Sloan Bentley has been selected to serve as president and CEO of Lutheran Life Communities, effective Sept. 14.
Lutheran Life Communities is a system of senior living communities and services that began at the Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights, IL. Today the organization serves older adults and their families on five campuses in Illinois, Indiana and Florida.
During her 30-plus-year career, Bentley co-founded Seniority Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of American Baptist Homes of the West (which merged with be.group to become HumanGood), where for nearly 20 years she provided management, sales and marketing consultation to organizations nationwide. She served as CEO and chief operating officer of national senior living firms. She also co-authored a book, “Believing in Senior Living,” providing insights and inspiration for senior living communities.
Bentley formerly was CEO of Lifespace Communities and founded Bentley and Associates in West Des Moines, IA. Her business focus has been organizational strategic planning, executive coaching and leadership development. Recent consulting also has included COVID-19 risk management, as well as internal and external communication.
Lifespace Communities appoints Eddie Fenoglio as COO
Eddie Fenoglio has been appointed chief operating officer at West Des Moines, IA-based Lifespace Communities, effective Oct. 12.
Fenoglio brings more than 25 years of operations leadership experience in both public and privately held senior living organizations to the role. During his time with previous senior living companies, he provided oversight for leading operational strategy, leading turnarounds, and large-scale acquisitions of retirement communities across a broad, multi-state area.
Brenda Connelly named COO of The Springs Living
Brenda Connelly has been promoted to chief operating officer at The Springs Living, McMinnville, OR. In this role, Connelly is responsible for the daily operations of all Springs Living communities and the infrastructure that supports them. She will oversee all aspects of community operations, including facilities management, healthcare services, culinary services, sales and marketing.
Connelly joined The Springs Living in 2010 as executive director of The Springs at Whitefish in Montana. As the company’s chief quality officer, she oversaw continuous improvement and helped ensure that the company’s standards of care and services were continually practiced throughout its senior living communities in Oregon and Montana.
In 2015, Connelly was named director of community operations, leading regional operations teams and supporting each community with the necessary resources and systems to deliver the highest quality care and services to residents.
Connelly earned her master’s degree in quantitative management–health analytics from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She has an undergraduate degree in nursing from North Dakota State University.
Connelly worked for nine years in a skilled nursing facility, where she began as a certified nursing assistant then was a charge nurse and later was promoted to various management positions until overseeing facility operations.
Vista Prairie Communities appoints Anna Petersmeyer as vice president, COO
Anna Petersmeyer has been appointed vice president and chief operating officer at Vista Prairie Communities, a nonprofit provider of assisted living, independent living, memory care and care suites in Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio.
Petersmeyer will join VPC on Nov. 2 from Volunteers of America – Minnesota and Wisconsin, where she has served as COO for nearly three years. She also held the role of vice president of services and director of housing management and senior services for the organization. In her current role, she is responsible for all operations.
Prior to VOA, Petersmeyer was director of housing and community-based services for Cerenity Senior Care.
She is a licensed social worker and serves on the VOA National Housing Board of Directors. She also served on LeadingAge’s Housing, Home Care & Assisted Living and HUD/Affordable Housing committees.
Petersmeyer received the 2015 leadership Award from National Volunteers of America for outstanding operational management in housing, older adult services and assisted living. She’s a member of the Executive Non-Profit Round Table, a group of executives from LeadingAge and several long-term care trade organizations.
Petersmeyer has an undergraduate degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MBA from Bethel University.
Oakmont Senior Living promotes Rina Younan, Andrew Moret
Oakmont Senior Living has created two positions into which two employees have been promoted.
Rina Younan has been named vice president of program development and will oversee culinary, memory care and activities. Chef Andrew Moret has been promoted to director of culinary.
Younan joined Oakmont in 2013. She has more than 16 years of experience in the culinary arts and more than half of that in an executive leadership role. She successfully executed new programs from concept to implementation during her Oakmont tenure in culinary, as well as other key areas of operations. In her new position, she will collaborate with community leaders companywide.
Moret joined Oakmont a year ago as a regional executive chef specialist for the company’s Central Region, supporting communities in Central California and two in Las Vegas. He has been working in the senior living space for approximately seven years.
As director of culinary, Moret will have general oversight of the culinary department in all areas. He will lead the culinary specialists in supporting all communities in every aspect of culinary operations.
Moret and Younan will continue to work closely to create, develop, implement and execute programs in an effort to bring increased value to the overall operation and performance of the culinary department.
Sonata Senior Living appoints Bridget McNally Perers as regional director of business development
Bridget McNally Perers has been appointed regional director of business development at Sonata Senior Living of Melbourne, FL. In this new role, she will direct the strategic growth, sales and marketing efforts of all Sonata new developments, acquisitions and turnarounds while assisting with portfolio communications, public relations and strategic planning.
During the past 12 years in the senior living industry, Perers has pursued additional training and education to be a stronger resource to both her employer and the clients she serves. She is CORE trained, has a certificate as a dementia practitioner and is as a Brevard Parkinson’s Alliance Advisory board member.
Perers brings nearly 20 years of leadership in sales and marketing strategies across multiple professional industries to her new role.
Atlas Senior Living hires new leadership team members
Atlas Senior Living of Birmingham, AL, welcomes the following key leadership team members this month: Lauren Hamilton as regional sales and marketing director, Ashley White as regional director of clinical compliance, and Amy Cole as area sales and marketing director.
Hamilton has worked in previous sales and marketing roles, most recently expanding to an area sales manager position, where she supported multiple communities by mentoring sales teams and assisting with growth within the local market.
White has a certificate as a dementia practitioner. She has multiple years of experience in the opening of new communities.
Cole began her career in senior living in 2012 and has mentored both activities and sales professionals, as well as assisted with onboarding of corporate policies and department standards with each company she joined.
The Claiborne at Thibodaux names LaDane Washington executive director
LaDane Washington is the new executive director at The Claiborne at Thibodaux in Thibodaux, LA, Claiborne Senior Living of Hattiesburg, MS, announced.
Washington, who will oversee the community’s strategic direction and daily operations, comes to The Claiborne with several years of experience in managing personnel, finances, marketing and operations. He previously was operations manager at Surge Medical Transportation and executive director at Claiborne Healthcare Center and Unity Nursing and Rehab.
Washington earned his MBA and an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Arrow Senior Living names Katie Burrage executive director of The Parkway Senior Living
Katie Burrage has been named executive director at The Parkway Senior Living in Blue Springs, MO.
Burrage joined The Parkway in May at the height of the pandemic. Under her leadership, Parkway implemented the use of mask-detecting technology and thermographic cameras to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The community has been COVID-free since June.
A graduate of Lindenwood University, Burrage has a double master’s degree in gerontology and healthcare management. She also is licensed to administer medication as a certified nursing assistant.
The Parkway Senior Living is a continuum-of-care community managed by Missouri-based Arrow Senior Living. The community includes 110 independent living and assisted living units, plus a 32-unit memory care cottage.
Retirement Unlimited Inc. announces new signature program, staff promotions
Retirement Unlimited Inc. has announced two hires related to its new RUI FIT program, which offers residents a daily fitness program with a variety of classes and the chance to work with a certified personal trainer and receive nutritional guidance.
Crystal Koch, who has been with RUI since 2015, has been named RUI FIT coordinator. Koch has held positions with the culinary experience department at several RUI communities in Northern Virginia. She formerly offered both weight training and boxing classes at Paul Spring Community.
Koch is a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer with a senior fitness specialization. In her new position, she will expand her training options and fitness strategies to all 10 RUI communities throughout Virginia.
Koch will report directly to Melissa Ferdock, corporate director of life enrichment, who will oversee RUI FIT as well as life enrichment activities, events and the Inspiritas team and signature programming for memory care.
Ferdock joined RUI in 2019 with experience in nutrition, recreational therapy and activities in the senior living industry. She earned her undergraduate degree in recreation, parks and tourism management from Pennsylvania State University.
Ferdock has an activity director certification from the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals as well as a fitness instructor certification with Chair One Fitness.
Argentum announces Maggie Elehwany as senior vice president, public affairs
Maggie Elehwany, J.D., has joined Argentum in the newly created position of senior vice president, public affairs. In this role, she will be responsible for leading Argentum’s public policy team and working closely with Argentum’s Public Policy Committee to build on the association’s government relations efforts and strengthen its public affairs strategy.
Elehwany joins Argentum from the National Rural Health Association, where she had been vice president, government affairs since 2007. Most recently there, she successfully advocated for $10 billion in relief funding from the CARES Act to assist rural providers with preparedness and financial losses due to COVID-19.
Elehwany also has held positions as legislative counsel for Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Frank Murkowski (R-AK) and Bob Packwood (R-OR), as well as assistant director of government affairs with the American Medical Association.
Elehwany received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and her undergraduate degree in journalism from Oregon State University. She is a member of both the Washington State Bar Association and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar Association.
Brookdale CEO Cindy Baier receives 2020 Corporate Citizenship Award
Brookdale Senior Living President and CEO Cindy Baier will accept the 2020 Corporate Citizenship Award from the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board next month at the CED Distinguished Performance Awards virtual celebration.
The Corporate Citizenship Award is presented annually to a company that demonstrates a strong commitment to corporate responsibility practices and whose leaders are actively engaged in supporting and expanding those efforts. The award highlights companies that integrate relevant societal concerns into their core operating strategies and embrace them as positive for businesses, customers, employees and their communities.
In advance of the awards ceremony, CED posted an interview with Baier discussing several topics for corporate leaders.
Colin Milner appointed to WHO Global Network on Long-Term Care
Colin Milner, founder and CEO of International Council on Active Aging, has accepted an invitation from the World Health Organization to join its Global Network on Long-Term Care.
The network will advise WHO on ways to create equitable and sustaining long-term care models for older people, with a focus on optimizing functional ability and achieving health aging.
Milner, who heads the International Council on Active Aging, is already a member of the WHO Integrated Care for Older People team. The GNLTC will help define key principles to be included in long-term care provision; develop technical guidance and training material; and review and categorize practical assessment tools for domains of functional ability.
