Football season has officially kicked off, and NFL players aren’t the only ones making plays—senior living professionals are moving around in their field, too, highlighted in this edition of Movers & Shakers.
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Senior Star Announces New Hires for Wexford Place
Senior Star at Wexford Place, a senior living community in Kansas City, Mo., recently announced the hiring of two staff members as part of the organization’s investment in its assisted living and memory support expansion. Charlene Jaeger joins the community as nurse administrator, and Ann Van Horn will be the community’s assistant administrator. Jaeger and Van Horn bring extensive experience in health care and senior living to Wexford Place Assisted Living and Memory Support.
Jaeger will lead all staff operations at Wexford Place Assisted Living and Memory Support and ensure implementation of the community’s health services and programs. She most recently acted as a consultant for multiple companies in long-term care and home care management. Jaeger’s experience as a health and nursing administrator at various senior living and rehabilitation communities provides Wexford Place Assisted Living and Memory Support with a caring and knowledgeable leader for its expansion.
Van Horn will support the health administration staff’s day-to-day operations at Wexford Place Assisted Living and Memory Support. She was most recently a senior call center nurse, and has more than 17 years of experience in nursing and health care operations management.
Highland Springs Appoints Lana Van Giesen as Director of Resident Life
Highland Springs, an Erickson Living retirement community in Dallas, Texas, recently announced the appointment of Lana D. Van Giesen, M.A. as Director of Resident Life.
Van Giesen holds more than 20 years of experience in the senior living and healthcare fields. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the Legacy at Willow Bend in Plano.
In her new leadership position, Van Giesen will partner with the Community Resources, Pastoral Care, Social Work, Home Health and Fitness Center Departments, as well as resident committees, to maximize the benefits of living at Highland Springs.
The Plano resident has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Religion from Hendrix College and a Master of Arts degree in Gerontology from Webster University.
The Congress Companies Announces Three New Hires
The Congress Companies, a construction management and development company specializing in the Senior Living, Health Care, and Multi-Family market sectors throughout New England, New York, and New Jersey, is pleased to welcome three Project Managers to their team. Stephen T. King, Senior Project Manager, Robert M. Mini, Project Manager, and Andrew DiFraia, Assistant Project Manager, recently joined the Peabody-based firm.
As Senior Project Manager, King is the firm’s primary customer contact and interfaces with owners and architects for selected projects. He is also responsible for projects’ overall performance, final cost, and schedule.
In addition to his previous tenure with Congress, King spent five years as a Senior Project Manager for Walsh Brothers, Inc. of Boston where he was responsible for managing an onsite construction management project at the Gillette World Shaving Headquarters in South Boston. He has also served as a Senior Project Manager and Vice President of Operations for numerous Massachusetts construction firms, where he was responsible for all aspects of building construction, overall profitability, and for building relationships with clients and architects.
In his role as Project Manager at Congress, Mini coordinates and oversees completion of activities in all phases of the project cycle for construction projects. He is responsible for the oversight of Project Superintendents’ activities, and serves as the liaison between clients and architects.
Mini brings more than 20 years of experience as a Project Manager and Project Superintendent for various engineering and construction firms in the Boston area. His project management experience includes an impressive list of notable projects including the 240,000 square foot out of ground, four-phased construction of the Ken Olsen Science Center at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. Mini played a key role in the construction of the five-story, 320-room Hilton Garden Inn project in Plymouth, MA, which was completed in 44 weeks. In addition to managing all phases of the Hilton construction schedule, Mini worked closely with the landlord, building owner and local union representatives to help resolve a local labor dispute, allowing the project to be completed on time.
As Assistant Project Manager at Congress, DiFraia is responsible for the management of submittals, schedule updates, quality control documentation, changes in the work, and other construction management and engineering functions.
DiFraia previously worked with Homans Associates as a Mechanical Equipment Application Engineer. In this role, he provided technical support on product specifications, layout, design, and the application of CITY MULTI and unitary systems. He also served as Project Engineer at Total Interior, where he managed all project plans, contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, shop drawings, and other project-related materials.
Luther Manor Welcomes New Director of Hospice
Luther Manor, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community, recently welcomed Milly Desnoyers of New Berlin as the new director of hospice.
Desnoyers has been with Luther Manor as a hospice nurse and also an interim hospice director. She has 30 years of hospice experience.
Stoneridge Creek NAmes Francis Rodgers Executive Director
Francis X. Rodgers has been named executive director for Stoneridge Creek, the new continuing care retirement community in Pleasanton, Calif.
With more than 30 years of experience in the long-term care administrative field, Rodgers will serve as head of staff and have complete oversight of the community, including operations, planning, performance and review of all departments and activities. He will also oversee the financial management of Stoneridge Creek to sustain the community’s long-term economic health and viability.
Rodgers has an extensive background in skilled nursing, assisted living and continuing care retirement communities. He was previously director of operations for La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad, Calif., where he supported various departments and customer service for more than 830 residents.
Prior to La Costa Glen, Rodgers served in various positions with ARV Assisted Living (now Atria Senior Living), Alterra Healthcare Corp., Senior Lifestyle Corp. and Kindred Healthcare. His responsibilities encompassed regulatory compliance, financial analysis, operating standards, acquisitions, resident relations and management of other professional healthcare professionals.
A licensed nursing home administrator, Rodgers is also a certified Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) administrator. He holds a master’s degree in public administration with a certificate in gerontology from the University of Arizona after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the same university. Rodgers is a resident of Livermore, Calif.
Cobblestone Health Center at Park Springs Hires Community Relations Coordinator
Cobblestone Health Center at Park Springs, an Isakson Living CCRC in Georgia managed by Life Care Services, recently announced the hiring of Leslie Chapman as community relations coordinator.
As the Community Relations Coordinator, Chapman will build relationships with civic groups, physician practices, church groups and others to enhance their knowledge of the health care services at Park Springs. She has experience with innovative approaches to programming, especially in the areas of dementia and memory care.
Cobblestone’s health care services include home care, assisted living care, memory care, and skilled nursing care.
Prior to joining Cobblestone, Chapman worked with the Arbor Company for more than 13 years, including 12 years as Executive Director of Arbor Terrace at Cascade. She also worked as a consultant implementing senior programming in the Atlanta Public Library System and other senior organizations.
Inc. 5000 Names The Douglas Company a 2013 “Fastest Growing Company”
For the third time in less than a decade, The Douglas Company, a general contractor headquartered in Holland, Ohio, has been named to the Inc. 5000 List of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
For 32 years, Inc. has invited the fastest-growing companies in the country into a very exclusive club, reporting on the firm’s revenue, number of employees and three-year growth percentage. Previously making the list in 2007 and 2009, The Douglas Company’s 2013 position is 3607 out of 5000 thanks to revenues of over $90 million for 2012. The construction company has experienced 84% growth since 2009, while the aggregate growth rate of companies in the construction industry making this year’s Inc. 5000 list was 81%.
According to the list, The Douglas Company is the second fastest growing construction company over 35 years old, and they are the only Ohio-based general contractor to make the list. They are among 14 total companies in the Northwest Ohio/Southeast Michigan region to secure a spot on the list this year as well.
The Kenney Names Bill Lange as New Interim CEO
William (Bill) Lange is named as the new interim Chief Executive Officer for The Kenney, effective October 1, 2013. Lange assumes this interim role at the time that Ed Mawe, current interim CEO, leaves to take a new position with another retirement organization. Mawe is an employee of Ontrac Management Services and he was hired in July 2012 to act as an interim CEO. Lange is also an employee of Ontrac and has been working in a supportive operations role with Mawe, the Kenney board of directors, and staff over the past year.
Lange has been a Vice President with Ontrac since fall 2011. Prior to that appointment, he served as Executive Director of Covenant Village of Colorado, one of 12 continuing care retirement campuses within Covenant Retirement Communities. Before joining Covenant Retirement Communities, Lange’s career included leadership positions in acute urban, rural and multi-hospital systems, a medical and rehabilitation post-acute care hospital, and three additional continuing care retirement communities.
Lange holds a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration from Washington University, St. Louis, MO., and is accredited as a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives. In the interim CEO role at The Kenney, Lange remains an employee of Ontrac Management, the organization which has been retained by The Kenney Board of Directors to provide management for the West Seattle retirement community.
The Kenney continues to explore sponsorship by Wesley Homes, based in Des Moines, Washington. Wesley Homes began its due diligence in June and is expected to complete its process in the next several weeks. Due diligence typically involves an in-depth review of the operations, physical plant, legal issues and finances, including discussions with the bank lender. Non-profit sponsors are governed by a volunteer board of directors and within the non-profit sector, the term “sponsorship” is used instead of “ownership.”
Kathy Chambers Named Sales & Marketing Director of LCB Senior Living Community
Kathy Chambers has been named Sales & Marketing Director of the Residence at Watertown Square, a 90-apartment independent living, assisted living, and memory care community located in Watertown, Mass. The project is being developed and will be operated by LCB Senior Living, LLC, based in Norwood, Mass.
Chambers has more than two decades of marketing experience in the senior housing industry, which extends from assisted living communities and CCRCs to long-term care settings.
She was employed in the past by Newton Senior Living (which was founded and eventually sold by LCB Senior Living’s management team), and was involved in the start-up operations at both Longmeadow Place and Merrimack Place. A licensed nursing home administrator and is a licensed social worker, Chambers earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Westfield State University.
The Residence at Watertown Square is currently under construction and will open in the Fall of 2014.
LCB Senior Living Names Maria Reid as Sales & Marketing Director for New Community
Maria Reid has been named Sales and Marketing Director of the Residence at Riverbend, a 75-apartment independent living, assisted living, and memory care community to be in Ipswich, Mass. The project is being developed and will be operated by LCB Senior Living, LLC.
Reid has more than more than 15 years’ experience in senior living compliance, sales and marketing, including time at both Sunrise and Atria Senior Living. She has been recognized as a successful liaison with families, helping them find the right living solutions for their loved ones and winning a number of awards in the process. Reid is well-known among the North Shore’s senior living professional community, being part of many local senior professional and advocacy groups including Lahey Clinic’s SEN-NET, the North Shore’s EPNG and Alzheimer’s Partnership.
The Residence at Riverbend is currently under construction and will open in the Fall of 2014.
