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

LaSalle Group Names Executive VP of Management 

The LaSalle Group, Inc. — which designs, develops, builds, manages and owns 36 Autumn Leaves memory care-assisted living communities — has announced the promotion of Christopher Rio to executive vice president-management. 

In this capacity, he leads the company’s management division, Constant Care Family Management, as its president, and focuses on strategic initiatives for the overall company. 

In addition to his responsibility of management operations for LaSalle’s senior living brands, Rio adds responsibility for sales, health care, hospice, training and assisting with the company’s diversification efforts.

Rio has managed operations since joining The LaSalle Group in 2014 as vice president of management. 

He brings to the new position more than 25 years of experience at the executive level, including 12 years in senior living. He joined The LaSalle Group from Senior Living Communities in Charlotte, N.C., where he served as executive vice president of operations. 

Rio’s prior senior living experience also includes serving as Executive Vice President of Operations for Southern Assisted Living, Inc.’s 47-community portfolio. 

Mortgage Group Adds 3 Professionals to Help Enter Senior Housing Market

Hunt Mortgage Group, a commercial real estate lender, announced recently the addition of three new health care underwriting professionals to help the firm expand its FHA platform. All three new hires will be based in Dallas, Texas. 

Jenifer Williams has joined as director and deputy chief underwriter; Adrienne Barrow as underwriter; and Erik Kennedy as a processor. 

“Adding Jenifer, Adrienne and Erik to the Hunt team is a critical step in fulfilling our plan to enter the Senior Housing/Healthcare finance market,” said Philip Melton, senior managing director and the head of the health care lending business at Hunt Mortgage Group. “We now have the ability to process and underwrite FHA 232 health care loans, which will further expand our lending capabilities under our FHA license. This is the first step in building out our FHA Lending Platform with a focus on expanding into the Seniors Housing Lending space through other lending relationships as well.”

Williams is an experienced FHA underwriter and health care appraisal professional. She comes to Hunt Mortgage Group from another health care lender where she was an assistant vice president and deputy chief underwriter-health care managing a team of health care-focused underwriters and analysts.

Before that, she was the FHA team lead-health care at Keybank Real Estate Capital and an analyst/appraiser at Integra Realty Resources. 

Barrow is an FHA health care underwriter and appraisal professional with more than 14 years of commercial appraisal experience. Prior to Hunt Mortgage Group, she was an FHA health care underwriter at another health care lender and a senior analyst at Integra Realty Resources.

Kennedy also comes to Hunt Mortgage Group from another health care lender where he served as a processing analyst. He is an experienced commercial banking professional. Earlier in his career he was a personal banker at Amegy Bank, N.A., and held several positions at First National Bank. 

St. Louis Operator Welcomes Director of Sales

Provision Living LLC, a St. Louis-based operator of independent, assisted living and memory care communities throughout the U.S., recently announced it has named Beth Huck as its director of sales, a newly formed position.  

Huck has 15 years of sales experience specific to the senior housing industry. She spent 10 years working at the community level as a director of sales and marketing, and five years as a regional director. 

In her new position, Huck will support the sales efforts at the community level, develop and implement ongoing sales training, and create strategic sales and marketing plans for Provision Living’s 38 communities. 

United Methodist Retirement Communities Hires New CFO

United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC) has announced that Steve Fetyko has joined as vice president and chief financial officer, replacing Mark Royce, who is retiring after 15 years as CFO. 

In his new role, Fetyko will be responsible for overseeing and managing all financial operations of the organization. 

Prior to joining UMRC, Fetyko was executive vice president and CFO at Memorial Healthcare in Owosso, Mich. In this role, he managed a $100 million budget that included the entire health system, as well as having direct oversight of areas including finance, revenue cycle, health information management, facilities, public safety, physician group practice, cancer center and long-term care. 

New South Carolina ALF Hires Executive Director

Benton House, a new assisted living facility in Bluffton, S.C., has hired Collin Baranick as its executive director. 

Baranick has worked at senior living centers on Hilton Head and recently served as the director of a community in Orange Park, Fla. 

Residents are expected to move in to Benton House early next year. 

Minnesota Community Names New Executive Director 

Friendship Village of Bloomington, Minn., has named David Miller as the new executive director of the senior living community. 

Miller is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the senior living community, which has more than 300 independent living apartment homes. 

Miller has more than 20 years of leadership experience in hospitality and hotel management. He most recently served as general manager of The Saint Paul Hotel. Prior to that, Miller served in top sales positions at Hilton’s Embassy Suites properties and in various positions with Wyndham Hotels. 

Sunset Communities and Services Appoints CEO

Michigan-based Sunset Communities and Services, a nonprofit senior care provider, has announced that Steve Zuiderveen has been appointed the new chief executive officer, replacing Chad Tuttle, who held the position for the past four years. 

Zuiderveen has held various roles at Sunset since 2007, first as Brookcrest’s administrator and then as chief financial officer. He held executive positions in operations, finance and administration over the past 33 years for Sunset Retirement Communities and Services for Providence Management.

Zuiderveen has also served as an adjunct professor at Cornerstone University and as a city commissioner for the City of Hudsonville. 

Tuttle, who is leaving the CEO position, has been with Sunset Communities for a total of 14 years. He has been named president of Spectrum Health Continuing Care Services.

Juniper Communities Welcomes Regional Director of Wellness, Wellbeing

Juniper Communities, which operates long-term care communities in New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania and Colorado, has announced that Melissa “Missy” Ebner has joined Juniper as regional director of wellness and wellbeing. 

In this role, Ebner will oversee the entire portfolio of clinical care and support for the residents, provide clinical oversight and staff training. She is a licensed registered nurse in every state where Juniper currently has communities.

Ebner has worked in the health care industry since 1987. 

Written by Emily Study