Movers & Shakers — People and Positions for August, Part II

Ohio-Based Otterbein Names New Executive Director at Cincinnati Area CCRC

Otterbein Senior Lifestyle Choices has named Bill Wexler as the new executive director at its continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Lebanon, Ohio, part of the Cincinnati metro area. 

Wexler had been chief operating officer since last year at Ohio-based Deaconess Long Term Care, which owns and operates senior housing organizations ranging from independent living to skilled nursing. Previously, he was director of operations for Deaconess from 1993 to 1999. 

He also was CEO of Hillandale Communities in Ohio’s Butler County, executive director of Seasons Retirement Community in Montgomery County and director of senior housing for Miller-Valentine Group, a commercial and residential real estate development company based in Dayton. 

Kansas Retirement Community Hires Executive Chef

Carl Scavuzzo, Jr. has been named executive chef of Tallgrass Creek retirement community in Overland Park, Kan. 

Scavuzzo has more than 20 years of culinary and hospitality experience in a variety of settings, including restaurant, hotel and senior living. 

Before joining Tallgrass, which is managed by Erickson Living, Scavuzzo worked at the Marriott Hotel at four different locations, The Art Museum Cafe in St. Louis, Hotel Philips in Kansas City, Foxwood Springs Senior Living and the Overland Park Regional Medical Center. 

Missouri Assisted Living Community Welcomes New Executive Director

Crystal Creek Assisted Living, located in Canton, Mo., has hired Kelley Walerski as the new executive director. 

Walerski will be responsible for strategic planning, ensuring operational stability and providing business support in order to maintain affordability and quality of services for the residents of Crystal Creek. 

Walerski is a licensed nursing home administrator who has worked in senior services for 15 years. She spent 12 of those years at Erickson Living, and also spent time working at Evangelical Homes of Michigan, based in Farmington Hills. 

California Nonprofit Hires Social Media Director 

Northern California-based Eskaton, which operates the full range of senior housing types, has hired Lola Rain as the director of social media to address a shift in consumer demands.   

“We need to differentiate our services to the public where they interact every day, and today media is being consumed in a totally different way,” said Eskaton President and CEO Todd Murch in a statement. “We want to educate the children of older adults about ways they can help turn the aging experience into a positive and enjoyable one for their parents. Reaching out into the social networks is the place to do this.”

Rain brings 15 years of communications expertise to the position. 

New Assisted Living Community Announces Staff Appointments 

The Bristal Assisted Living has named new staff to fill the roles of dining room manager, housekeeping supervisor and administrative assistant at its new community, The Bristal at Armonk, near Greenwich, Conn. 

Juan Adrover will be the dining room manager, Clement Walsh will be the housekeeping supervisor and Jessica Oliveras will be the administrative assistant. 

Prior to joining The Bristal, Adrover was an assistant manager at Atria Senior Living in Rye Brook, N.Y., and also was the dining room manager at Atria Senior Living in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. 

Walsh was previously assistant executive of housekeeping at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City for six years. 

Before joining The Bristal, Oliveras worked at Atria Senior Living in Rye Brook. 

Lifespace Communities Names New Director of Communications

Lifespace Communities Inc., a not-for-profit operator of 12 senior living communities in seven states, named Lisa Lavia Ryan as its new director of communications. 

In her new position, Ryan will oversee all Lifespace Communities’ internal and external communications, including social media, organizational newsletters and other publications, corporate reports and executive communication.

Ryan brings more than 20 years of experience as a journalist and writer, as well as more than 10 years of experience in corporate communications with companies in the mortgage, financial and health insurance fields.

Prior to joining Lifespace, Ryan worked as a news writer for The Des Moines Register, in addition to serving as assistant vice president and senior content strategist for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, and worked in marketing communications management positions at Principal Financial Group and at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Florida Retirement Community Welcomes New Director of Human Resources

Devonshire at PGA National, a Palm Beach Gardens retirement community managed by Erickson Living, has named Shelli Giardino as the director of human resources. 

Giardino brings to the position nearly 20 years of human resources experience in the senior living or health care industries. 

As director of human resources, she will be responsible for recruiting, developing and retaining team members. She will also focus on implementing programs and practices that achieve performance goals and promote the values and vision of Erickson Living. 

Giardino has been working with Erickson Living since 2003. Her first position was at Charlestown, an Erickson community in Catonsville, Md., where she was senior human resources manager. After four years, she relocated to Overland Park, Kan., to assist with the opening of Tallgrass Creek. In 2009, Giardino worked at Riderwood in Silver Spring, Md., as a senior human resources manager. She was promoted to director of human resources at Riderwood in October 2010 and continued in that position until her most recent move to Devonshire. 

Prior to working with Erickson Living, Giardino worked at two Baltimore area hospitals in human resources for seven years.

Riderwood Appoints New Director of Human Resources

Riderwood, an Erickson Living retirement community located in Silver Spring, Md., has announced the appointment of Nicole Walker as the director of human resources.

In her role, Walker will oversee all aspects of the employee experience, from on-boarding to retirement. She will lead training and development efforts and employee engagement strategy. 

Walker has served as an administrator in human resources with Erickson Living, the manager and developer of Riderwood, for 15 years. Previously, she has worked at Ashby Ponds and Greenspring in Northern Virginia, and Sedgebrook in Illinois. 

Written by Emily Study