Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected].
Emerald Communities promotes Denisa Feddersen to CFO
Denisa Fedderson has been promoted to chief financial officer at Redmond, WA-based Emerald Communities.
Feddersen has more than two decades of experience in accounting and finance, with many of those years spent working for senior living communities. Before joining Emerald Communities in 2023, she was president of finance and corporate controller at a senior living community based in California.
Fedderson earned an MBA from St. Mary’s College, a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from San Francisco State University and an executive certificate in management and leadership from MIT. She also is a licensed certified public accountant.
Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland adds Lisa Pearre as VP of marketing and communications
Lisa Pearre has been named the vice president of marketing and communications at Westminster, MD-based Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland.
In the role, she will lead the strategic marketing and communications efforts for LSMMD and its communities: Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, MD, and Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, Ellicott City, MD.
Pearre joins LSMMD with more than 20 years of senior living marketing and sales agency experience. She holds an undergraduate degree in communications and journalism from McDaniel College.
Clearwater Living’s Jill Zimmerman takes on expanded role as director of resident engagement and well-being
Jill Zimmerman will be taking on new responsibilities in an expanded role as director of resident engagement and well-being at Newport Beach, CA-based Clearwater Living.
Zimmerman joined Clearwater Living in 2019 as the lifestyle director for Clearwater at Sonoma Hills. She was promoted to director of Empowered Living in 2021. She is a certified grief coach.
In her newly expanded role, Zimmerman will continue to run the company’s Empowered Living program as well as be responsible for the oversight and leadership of Clearwater Living’s Clearbrook Memory Support neighborhoods, which provide specialized services and programming for those living with memory loss in a Clearwater Living community.
Lenbrook promotes Antonio Nazario to executive chef
Antonio Nazario has been promoted to executive chef at Atlanta-based Lenbrook.
Nazario joined the Lenbrook culinary team in 2008 as a fine dining line cook. Since then, he has moved up to serve in other roles, including sous chef, senior sous chef and executive sous chef, his most recent position.
Nazario is a graduate of the Unidine Executive Chef Certification Program and is a member of the American Culinary Federation. He specializes in French, Latin and American cuisine.
Varsity promotes Derek Dunham to president
Derek Dunham has been named the president of Harrisburg, PA-based senior services marketing agency Varsity. He will lead day-to-day operations of the company in support of its national footprint and expanding client base.
Dunham has more than 30 years of experience in branding, marketing and communications. He formerly was vice president of client services.
Health Dimensions Group promotes Kathy Karr to SVP of consulting services
Kathy Karr has been promoted to senior vice president of consulting services at Minneapolis-based Health Dimensions Group.
Karr, who has held various operations and consulting roles at HDG since 2012, has more than four decades of experience. She began her career as a nursing assistant and subsequently has been a director of nursing, nursing home administrator and director of operations, providing leadership for multiple skilled nursing facilities. Since 2012, she has held various operations and consulting roles at HDG.
Karr is a licensed assisted living director and registered nursing home administrator in Minnesota, Indiana and Iowa; a registered nurse in Illinois and Arkansas; and a certified infection preventionist. She is a member of the Iowa Health Care Association and LeadingAge Minnesota.
Melissa Messina rejoins Miles & Stockbridge as principal
Melissa Messina has returned to law firm Miles & Stockbridge‘s Baltimore office as a principal. She focuses on senior living communities, including life plan communities.
Messina started as a summer associate at Miles & Stockbridge in 2004 and then spent more than a dozen years at the firm before leaving for HJ Sims in 2018, where she worked as a financial adviser and investment banker, counseling nonprofit life plan communities, assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities. Most recently, she was in private practice.
Judy Wolner named Caregiver of the Year by LeadingAge Minnesota
Judy Wolner, a caregiver at Vista Prairie Goldfinch Estates, is the recipient of the LeadingAge Minnesota’s 2024 Caregiver of the Year award.
The Caregiver of the Year Award honors individuals in aging services deemed to have demonstrated exceptional commitment to older adults and to enrich the quality of life of those in their care. Wolner was selected for the award out of a field of more than 60,000 professional caregivers in LeadingAge Minnesota’s membership.
Western States Lodging and Management bestows awards
Salt Lake City-based property development and management company Western States Lodging and Management recently welcomed more than 400 of its leaders from around the country to usher in its 30th year in business. During the leadership conference, employees were recognized for their acts of service.
Among those receiving 2023 WSLM Personal Touch Awards were Chief Financial Officer Chad Griffiths and Don Gomez, executive chef/food service director of Legacy House of Logan, an assisted living and memory care community in Logan, UT.
The 2023 WSLM Matt Wittwer Award Winner, honoring an outstanding leader deemed to demonstrate WSLM’s personal touch culture by making meaningful and loving connections, went to Meagan Siler, executive director of Legacy House of Logan.
Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at [email protected]. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.
