Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected].
Springpoint names John Martin CIO, VP of IT
John Martin has been named vice president of IT and chief information officer at Springpoint.
Martin joins Springpoint with more than 15 years of executive experience in information technology. Most recently he was CIO for Recovery Centers of America, where he was responsible for IT operations, information security, infrastructure and communications.
Martin received his undergraduate degree in computer and information sciences at Temple University and his MBA, with a concentration in IT management, at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.
Trilogy Health Services names Staci Woods chief growth officer
Staci Woods has been named chief growth officer at Trilogy Health Services.
Woods most recently was group vice president, strategic messaging and experience at Oracle, as well as an adjunct professor at the Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama.
Prior to Oracle, she spent 11 years with Atria Senior Living in multiple roles.
Integral names Cassondra Blair VP of operational services
Cassondra Blair has been named national vice president of operational services at Integral Senior Living.
Blair has been with Integral for 11 years, previously serving as national director of organizational services, project manager and licensing expert.
United Church Homes adds Megan Kelley, Kevin Deegan as VPs
Megan Kelley has been named vice president of general counsel and Kevin Deegan has named vice president of corporate ventures at United Church Homes.
Kelley has more than 15 years of experience in the legal field. Deegan brings a background in business development and strategic planning.
Priority Life Care promotes Marilou Hudanick to VP of quality services/assurance
Marilou Hudanick has been promoted to vice president of quality services/assurance at Priority Life Care.
With more than 30 years of experience as a registered nurse, Marilou embarked on her nursing journey in acute care settings, specializing in pediatric transplant and adult cardiac care. Eventually, she transitioned to home health, where she discovered a passion for geriatric care.
Meth-Wick Community President and CEO Robin Mixdorf announces retirement
Robin Mixdorf, Meth-Wick Community president and CEO, has announced her retirement after 24 years in the role.
During her tenure as CEO, she led the community in steady growth in services and facilities.
Springs at Anna Maria name Teresa Hill executive director
Teresa Hill has been named executive director at The Springs at Anna Maria.
Hill brings almost a decade of senior living experience to the role, having served most recently as community manager at Marian Estates Independent Living in Sublimity, OR, and Holiday Rogue Valley in Grants Pass, OR. She also has more than 15 years in the real estate industry.
Hill studied business at Katharine Gibbs College in New York while working in the hospitality industry.
Pines Village names Brenden Garozzo executive director
Brenden D. Garozzo has been named executive director at Pines Village, a FellowshipLife community.
Garozzo has more than two decades of experience within the senior living and aging services industry. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in business from Rowan University. He also holds an associate degree in nursing.
Terraces at Tuckerman Lane announces new senior executive director
Laura Holden has been named the new senior executive director at The Terraces at Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, which has launched a multi-million-dollar renovation.
Planned improvements include a fully renovated lobby, main dining room, café and bar. Elegantly designed lounges – situated at the center of each residential wing – will feature multiple soft-seating options as well as groupings of activity tables and chairs to accommodate a variety of uses of the space.
Work has begun on the corridors and residences, which will all have upgraded bathrooms, kitchenettes, flooring and lighting.
Enso Village names Florence Van Heusden health and well-being director
Florence Van Heusden has been named health and well-being director of The Kendal Corp. affiliate Enso Village.
With more than 30 years of experience delivering care, Van Heusden brings a track record in supporting widespread healthcare system improvements. Her most recent role was as a nursing manager. She is a California state board-certified registered nurse and has served in an array of healthcare settings spanning Marin and Sonoma counties.
Van Heusden holds an associate of science in nursing from the College of Marin.
Hebrew SeniorLife promotes Leticia Prieto-Alvarez to director of expressive therapies and brain health initiatives
Leticia Prieto-Alvarez has been promoted to director of expressive therapies and brain health initiatives at Hebrew SeniorLife.
Prieto-Alvarez is a licensed music therapist, a neurologic music therapy fellow and a mental health counselor. She received the 2019 Massachusetts Assisted Living Association Program Innovation award and loves supporting people’s creativity and artistic expression.
Prieto-Alvarez holds an undergraduate degree in piano, chamber music performance and viola performance from Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Madrid and a Master of Music in viola performance, as well as a graduate diploma, from New England Conservatory, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. In 2010, she obtained a Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling, with a specialization in music therapy, from Lesley University. In 2021, she completed a PhD in Health Sciences from Rey Juan Carlos I University in Madrid, Spain.
Highland Springs promotes Jennifer Fox to associate executive director
Jennifer Fox has been promoted to associate executive director at Highland Springs, an Erickson Senior Living-managed community.
Since joining Highland Springs in 2015, Fox has served as the director of continuing care, overseeing the daily clinical services and experiences for residents and their families. She brings more than 17 years of senior living experience to her new leadership position.
Fox holds a master’s degree in public administration, with an emphasis in health services administration. She is a member of LeadingAge.
Former Sonata COO Jamie Merrill now president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida
Jamie Merrill has left her position as chief operating officer of Sonata Senior Living and is now president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida.
Merrill spent the past 16 years in positions in the senior living and healthcare industries. Before serving as COO of Sonata, she was regional vice president of operations, Florida, for Brookdale Senior Living, directing the operations for 72 senior living communities across the Sunshine State. During that time, in 2022, she was named a McKnight’s Women of Distinction Rising Star.
Merrill is a graduate of Wayne State University.
Serviam Care Network names Alan Fairbanks president of value-based care initiative
Alan Fairbanks has been named president of Serviam Care Network’s value-based care network.
Fairbanks formerly was the executive vice president of operations and a principal for 27 years at Bickford Senior Living in Olathe, KS, which owns and operates more than 55 senior living communities across the country. He spent the early part of his career as an administrator in a skilled nursing facility.
SAGE names 3 to board of directors
Loren Ostrow, Staci Alexander and David de Figueroa have joined the board of directors at LGBTQ+ elder advocacy organization SAGE.
Ostrow’s career includes serving as the president of Silver Slipper Gaming and Bossier Casino Venture and principal in KOAR International. He has expertise spanning major commercial real estate acquisitions, developments, and management, including casinos, hotels, shopping centers and restaurants.
Ostrow holds an undergraduate degree with magna cum laude honors from the University of Rochester, an MBA in finance and accounting from the same institution, and a law degree from Stanford Law School.
Alexander, vice president of thought leadership at the AARP, holds an MPA from City University of New York, Baruch School of Public Affairs, and an undergraduate degree in political science from Vassar College. She also is a graduate of the Leadership Fairfax (VA) Class of 2020.
de Figueroa is a veteran with more than 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has held roles at Wells Fargo Bank and Greater Bay Bank.
NCAL awards Sarah Silva the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award
Sarah Silva, president of Arete Living in Oregon, is the 2023 recipient of the Jan Thayer Pioneer Award from the National Center for Assisted Living.
Silva was regional director of operations before assuming her role as president of Arete in 2019. She is secretary/treasurer on the NCAL Board of Directors and chair of the NCAL Quality Committee. She also is active on numerous committees both on the state and national levels and previously was NCAL state leader for Oregon and a 2015 American Health Care Association/NCAL Future Leader.
The Jan Thayer Pioneer Award recognizes individuals deemed to have moved the senior living profession forward, positively affecting the lives of those served and those who serve. Recipients must demonstrate dedication, leadership and considerable contributions to the profession, according to NCAL.
Mass-ALA honors several
The Massachusetts Assisted Living Association honored several people working in assisted living Aug. 1 at its annual Excellence Awards Dinner. Honored individuals, nominated by their peers, are deemed to have demonstrated a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of residents and stand out as role models in the industry.
Awardees included:
- Eitan Berechman, volunteer at Hebrew Senior Life, honored with Volunteer Award.
- Scott Butler, chef and dining service director at Bridges by Epoch at Mashpee, honored with the Dining Services Award.
- Meghan Colantonio, sales manager at Brookdale of Attleboro, honored with the Sales and Marketing Award.
- Jennifer Gelinas, resident engagement director at Autumn Glen at Dartmouth, honored with the Employee Leadership Award.
- The late Larry Gerber, president and CEO of Epoch and Mass-ALA Board Chair, honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Frank Gorman, maintenance director at Stone Hill at Andover, honored with the Facilities and Maintenance Award.
- Ansu Kinteh, resident care director at Cohen Florence Levine Estates, honored with the Care and Wellness Award.
- David Price, executive director of Benchmark Senior Living Leominster Crossings, honored with the Executive Director Award.
- Kathleen Richard, life enrichment coordinator at Wingate Residences at Haverhill, honored with the Activities Service Award.
- Joe Samartano, resident at Laurelwood at The Pinehills, honored with the Resident Spirit Award.
- George Silvia, engagement director at Stonebridge at Burlington, honored with the Program Innovation Award.
NAHCA presents Key to Quality Awards at CNA Fest 2023
The National Association of Health Care Assistants honored recipients of its 2023 Key to Quality Awards July 26 during CNA Fest in Little Rock, AR. Each year, NAHCA presents the awards to recognize exceptional caregivers from across the country for their noble and humanitarian services to older adults and individuals with disabilities.
Among the winners:
- Bobbie Hartgrave Rookie of the Year Award: Alexandrea Stiltner, Sheboygan Senior Community, Sheboygan, WI.
- Assisted Living Caregiver of the Year: Melissa Mccall-Maffin, Bickford Senior Living, Lancaster, OH
DIGroup Architecture principal Swarupa Samant honored among Women of Influence in Commercial Real Estate
Swarupa Samant, AIA, principal at DIGroup Architecture, has been named a 2023 Woman of Influence for architect/design professionals.
To be considered, nominees must demonstrate leadership as well as significant accomplishments over the past 12 months, and they must be active in business, career-oriented, charitable and/or civic-minded organizations.
A licensed architect in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, Samant is a member of the Professional Women in Construction-NJ Chapter. Her licenses and certifications include the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, American Institute of Architects and the United States Green Building Council’s LEED AP designation.
DIGGroup Architecture serves the senior living and other industries.
Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected]. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.
