Movers & Shakers — People and Positions for February, Part IV

New Executive Chef Brings ‘International Flair’ to Calif. CCRC

Klaus Richter has been named executive chef at Covenant Village of Turlock in California, a faith-based, not-for-profit continuing care retirement community (CCRC). He is employed by the community’s dining services provider Sodexo and will report to Covenant Village of Turlock Dining Services Director Anne Dean.

In his new position, Richter will manage day-to-day food operations for the resident community, including casual and formal dining in the residential, assisted living and health care settings. He is responsible for managing and training a kitchen staff of 60, creating innovative, healthful menus, and managing the community’s catering services.

“Chef Klaus brings an international flair to our cuisine at Covenant Village, and our residents are already raving about his Mediterranean snapper dish,” said Executive Director Bob Howell. “We’re pleased to have him on board.”

Born and raised in Vigo, Spain, Richter graduated from Escuela de Hosteleria San Javier Culinary School in La Coruña, Spain, where he earned his Culinary Arts diploma.

He brings to Covenant Village 25 years of culinary experience, during which he worked at The Arona Gran Hotel and Hotel Paradise Park, both four-star hotels in The Canary Islands, and trained with Swiss-born Chef Reto Demarmels in Boca Raton, Fla. Most recently, he was executive chef at Harbor’s Edge in Delray Beach, Fla.

EPOCH Senior Living Welcomes New Leadership 

Massachusetts-based EPOCH Senior Living has recently filled two positions at communities that will open in summer 2015. 

Nicole Tatara has been named director of community relations at Bridges by EPOCH at Trumbull, a 72-apartment memory care assisted living community opening in Connecticut this summer.

Tatara will offer guidance and support to families considering memory care assisted living, conduct outreach and provide community tours.

She has three years of experience in senior living, and more than 10 years of experience in sales and marketing. She previously worked as the sales and marketing director for a national senior living chain in Stamford.

Additionally, Jill McDonald was named executive director of Bridges by EPOCH at Mashpee, a 54-suite memory care assisted living community being built in Massachusetts.

McDonald will direct the overall operations of the community, leading staff in providing a secure, relaxing and enjoyable environment for residents.

McDonald is a dementia care specialist with extensive experience leading memory care assisted living communities in Massachusetts. 

Legacy Senior Services Names Director of Sales, Marketing 

Renita Carnes, formerly executive director of Renaissance Marquis retirement community in Rome, Ga., has been named director of sales and marketing for the Cleveland, Tennessee-based parent company, Legacy Senior Services, LLC, according to local reports. 

Carnes has served on Renaissance Marquis’ management team since 2005. In her new role, she will be responsible for daily marketing activities of all nine senior living communities operated by Legacy Senior Services throughout the Southeast.

She will provide consistency for the Legacy Senior Services brand, oversee operations related to advertisement, individual marketing plans and a community’s census. Though she will be stationed at an office at Renaissance Marquis, she will be traveling frequently to each of Legacy’s senior living communities in five states, assisting with each one’s local marketing efforts.

Mike Levitt Elected VP of Missouri Board of Nursing Home Administrators 

Mike Levitt, vice president and chief compliance officer for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, has been elected vice president of the Missouri Board of Nursing Home Administrators. His two-year term began in January 2015. Appointed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Levitt has served on the Board since 2011.

The Missouri Board of Nursing Home Administrators is responsible for protecting and advocating for Missouri’s long-term care residents by licensing prospective and current long-term care administrators. The board is responsible for developing and enforcing standards for long-term care administrators.

Levitt brings more than 28 years of experience as a licensed nursing home care administrator with Tutera Senior Living & Health Care where he oversees Tutera’s Continua Home Health & Hospice Division. He manages government relations for Tutera’s senior living facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states.

Levitt is also the treasurer of the Missouri Health Care Association Board and member of the Health Care Compliance Association. Levitt recently retired as board chair of Our Lady of Mercy Country Home, where he led the development of a $7 million retirement community owned and operated by the Mercedarian Missionaries in Liberty, Mo.

MedHOK Appoints Chief Growth Officer

MedHOK, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that provides an integrated platform for care, quality and compliance for health entities, has announced the appointment of Doug Fleishman as chief growth officer.

In this newly created role, he will lead all sales, marketing and account growth efforts for MedHOK.

Fleishman brings more than 20 years of experience in health care information technology and business development to MedHOK. Previously, he held the position of executive vice president of sales at Verisk Health. During his tenure at Verisk Health, Fleishman held senior positions in sales, marketing, account management, channel partnerships and strategic relationships. 

Oakbrook Builders Promotes 2 Employees to VP Positions

Round Rock, Texas-based Oakbrook Builders, a general contracting, design-build and construction management company specializing in senior living and health care facilities, has recently promoted two of its employees.

Tyler Humes was promoted to vice president. Humes has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering and is certified EIT, LEED Green Associate, CQM and Business Foundations through the University of Texas. 

Additionally, Oakbrook Builders announced the promotion of Randy Smith to vice president of finance. Smith is a CPA overseeing all accounting and finance functions with more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of construction and is the current president of the Central Texas CFMA Chapter. 

Valley Health Care Center Appoints Executive Director

Billings, Montana-based Valley Health Care Center, a senior living and health care community providing rehabilitation and long-term care services, has announced the appointment of Tra Williams as executive director, effective Feb. 23.

The appointment was announced by Craig Edinger, vice president of senior living & health care at The Goodman Group, which manages Valley Health Care Center.

As executive director, Williams will play a key role in the management of all departments and processes, and providing information and direction to all staff.

He brings to the position more than 11 years of experience in skilled nursing and health care management. Most recently, he served as director of nursing operations at Advance Care Hospital of Montana. Prior to that, he was director of regional operations at Billings Clinic. Before joining The Goodman Group at Billings Health & Rehabilitation, he worked at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Del.

Williams started his career and education in the military. He has a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from Norwich University and a Master of Science in Education from Montana State University-Billings.

He is a registered nurse and is board certified as an American Nurse Credentialing Center Nurse Executive. He is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives and American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Florida CCRC Hires Hospitality Professional to Serve as Executive Director 

Delray Beach, Florida-based Harbour’s Edge has named Steve Miller as the CCRC’s new executive director.

Miller joins Harbour’s Edge with more than 20 years of leadership experience in hotel and resort management. In his role as executive director, Miller will oversee all aspects of daily operations at Harbour’s Edge, which features more than 250 independent living apartment homes and a variety of amenities, in addition to offering on-site health services to its more than 300 residents.

Miller comes to Harbour’s Edge from the Marriott Suites in Clearwater Beach, where he served as general manager. Previously, he held the same position for nearly 10 years at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Birmingham, Ala., and at the Hilton Sedona Golf Resort and Spa in Sedona, Ariz.

Miller has worked in hotel management since graduating in 1983 from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with a bachelor’s in Hotel Management.

His hiring reflects the continued emphasis on hospitality in the service culture at the Florida senior living community. 

Lore Brownson Named SVP of Quality Services and Chief Compliance Officer

Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based New Perspective Senior Living has named Lore Brownson as senior vice president of quality services and chief compliance officer.

As SVP of Quality Services, Brownson is responsible for clinical programs, quality assurance initiatives, as well as development and implementation of resident programs for the company’s Betty’s Harbor memory care and Vivid Living assisted living neighborhoods.

In her role as chief compliance officer, Brownson will be responsible for ongoing development and oversight of the company’s Corporate Compliance Program.

Previously, she served for 14 years as corporate counsel, most recently as vice president and chief counsel for a Fortune 500, long-term health care provider. In this role she was responsible for providing guidance on health care regulatory and compliance matters.

Prior to obtaining her law degree in 1997, she worked as a registered nurse for 10 years.

Oak Crest Welcomes Dameon Fletcher as Director of Extended Care

Parkville, Maryland-based Oak Crest, one of 18 CCRCs managed by Erickson Living, has appointed Dameon Fletcher to the position of director of extended care.

The extended care neighborhood at Oak Crest provides assisted living, respite care, post-acute rehabilitation and nursing care and outpatient rehabilitation services. 

Fletcher brings 16 years of experience in health care administration to his new position. For the last 14 years, he has been with Genesis HealthCare, where he most recently served as the administrator for the Patapsco Valley Center in Randallstown. 

He has been a licensed nursing home administrator for nearly 10 years. Additionally, Fletcher received Genesis HealthCare’s 2012 Administrator of the Year Award and the 2013 Center Leadership Award.

55+ Housing Industry Veteran Joins KTGY Group

National architecture and planning firm KTGY Group, Inc. has added 55-plus housing industry veteran Doug Ahlstrom as a director to lead and expand the firm’s Los Angeles 55+ Studio.

With more than 35 years of programming, planning, design and construction experience in the seniors industry, Ahlstrom has directed and overseen the design of high-end as well as affordable and market-rate assisted living and independent care communities, Alzheimer’s/memory support, adult day care, seniors’ special needs and community wellness centers.

Ahlstrom most recently served as a director of seniors housing at KEPHART and a principal with Professional Design Consultants.

KTGY also added Soo Im, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB as a senior project manager in the Los Angeles 55+ Studio. Im will serve as a project leader on age-qualified communities.

With more than 18 years of industry experience, she most recently served as a senior project architect/designer for DiMella Shaffer, specializing in senior living and health care including CCRCs, assisted living, dementia care and long-term/short-term skilled nursing facilities. 

Written by Emily Study