Movers & Shakers: GSI’s New Managing Director

Presbyterian Retirement Communities Northwest Expands Executive Leadership Team

Presbyterian Retirement Communities Northwest (PRCN) announced the promotion of two members of its executive leadership team—Eve Jakoboski was promoted from corporate human resources director to vice president of human resources, and DeAnne Clune was promoted from corporate marketing director to vice president of marketing.

The appointments come as several of the organization’s growth initiatives come to fruition, including the expansion of PRCN’s senior living portfolio through new development, affiliation and third-party management. 

Jakoboski has been with PRCN since October 2014, and has over 20 years of human resources and executive management experience, mostly in hospitality, as well as several years in the health care sector.

Clune joined PRCN in August 2014 and has almost 30 years of marketing experience, primarily in consumer-direct marketing. She spent several years in marketing retail, restaurant and service businesses to consumers before deciding to specialize in marketing senior living organizations and communities in 1999.

“DeAnne and Eve have both demonstrated exemplary leadership and provided strategic direction in their respective disciplines,” Torsten Hirche, PRCH President and CEO, said in a statement. “They bring the skills and experience needed to support our current and future senior living communities and help guide the strategic growth of the organization.”

GSI Names New Managing Director

International senior living research and advisory firm GSI hired David Knight as its new managing director.

Knight joins GSI from Covenant Retirement Communities, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit senior housing providers. He comes to the firm with more than 20 years of experience, including strategic planning, project development, merger and acquisition and troubled project advisory services. He has served as executive director and health care administrator, as well as financial analyst and operations consultant.

“GSI has a strong 34-year history of leadership in market research and consulting services,” Knight said in a news release. “I look forward to building on our reputation of excellence as we serve the current and future needs of our clients.”

IVY Marketing Group Appoints New Vice President

IVY Marketing Group, a Glen Ellyn, Illinois-based full-service public relations and marketing agency primarily serving the senior housing sector, recently appointed Wendy Foster as the company’s vice president.

“I trust Wendy’s judgment, value her opinion and believe she has earned her place as IVY’s second in command,” company founder Debra Ivy Sheridan said in a statement. The company was founded 25 years ago, and it has been 20 years since Sheridan appointed anyone as her right-hand person.

Foster originally applied with IVY to be a writer five years ago and was a writer and account executive before the promotion to vice president. She now focuses primarily on the company’s public relations efforts, while Sheridan oversees IVY as a whole and handles the majority of its marketing endeavors.

“Today’s senior living communities have made the lives of their residents fulfilling and exciting beyond what they could have anticipated, and in sharing their stories, we’re helping to perpetuate these possibilities,” Foster said. “Before I joined IVY, if I had sat down and written a description of what my ideal job would be, this would be it.”

Timber Ridge at Talus Hires New Medical, Nursing Directors

Timber Ridge at Talus, a 184-residence, resort-style life plan community (or CCRC) located in Issaquah, Washington, named Dr. Grinder Sahi as medical director and Maureen Manlosa as nursing director.

Dr. Sahi joins Timber Ridge from Emerald Heights, a senior living community in Redmond, Washington. He has been practicing medicine for 20 years. In his new role, Dr. Sahi will provide annual wellness exams, as well as heart disease and cancer screenings, and manage chronic illnesses including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and various skin conditions.

Manlosa has been with Timber Ridge since 2009 as assistant director of nursing. She has practiced nursing for 15 years. In her new role, she will be responsible for the development, organization and operation of nursing services and supportive services for the community’s onsite Briarwood Health Center.

Waterford Communities Promotes New Executive Director

The Waterford Communities Assisted Living and Memory Care promoted Christy Merritt to executive director of its three assisted living locations in Lincoln, Nebraska. She will be responsible for providing leadership, direction and oversight for all facilities.

Merritt brings more than 18 years of experience in marketing and business to her new role, including a special interest in elder care. She most recently held a leadership position at the company’s Waterford at Williamsburg location.

The communities Merritt will be responsible for include Waterford at Williamsburg, Waterford at College View and Waterford at Wilderness Hills, which also includes memory care.

Charlestown Retirement Community Welcomes New Board Member

The independent Board of Directors governing Charleston retirement community appointed James Mauser as its new member. Charlestown is a community located in Catonsville, Maryland, that is managed by Erickson Living and houses more than 2,000 residents.

In 1999, Mauser joined RCM&D, an independent insurance, risk management and employee benefits consulting firm. He is now the firm’s senior vice president in the health care practice group, managing the development of property and casualty, risk management and employee benefit solutions for the health care industry. He also led the firm’s senior living group, helping to form a specialized risk retention group for long-term care communities in Maryland.

Before joining RCM&D, Mauser worked in positions involving claims and risk management, including for a Fortune 500 manufacturer.

Baptist Retirement Community Names New Director of The Crest

Baptist Retirement Community announced that Tanya Slobbery is the new director of The Crest, which consists of two assisted living memory care homes in San Angelo, Texas, set to open this spring. Quinda Feli-Duncan, Baptist Retirement Community executive director, made the announcement.

Slobbery previously served as administrator of community-based services, where she supervised home health, hospice and personal assistance services. She has more than 15 years of experience in serving the elderly population overall, having worked as a registered nurse, clinical liaison, branch director and registered nurse care manager before joining the Baptist Retirement Community team.

As director of The Crest, she will be responsible for managing The Crest’s staff, making sure state regulations are being met, helping seniors maintain their independence and seeing that their everyday needs are met.

“Tanya has been with Baptist Retirement Community for seven years, and we are thoroughly impressed with her work ethic, her dedication and the goals she has set for herself and her team,” Feli-Duncan said in a statement. “When we started discussing who would be best to fill this position, Tanya came to mind immediately. She delivers sincere compassion and has contagious energy. We have noticed that the relationships she builds with elders are personable and strong. Her experience in health care, exclusively senior living, makes her extremely qualified for this role. We believe she will help us make the two small homes a wonderful success.”

Baptist Retirement Community is a 100-acre continuing care retirement community (CCRC) offering independent living, skilled or long-term nursing, memory care, outpatient therapy and more.

New National Design Director, Principal Joins KSQ Design

KSQ Design added Mark McCarthy, AIA, as principal and national design director for the firm.

McCarthy joins KSQ with more than 20 years of experience ranging from international design, teaching in a New York City public middle school and working in graphic design.

“Mark brings a level of insight and collaboration that helps to ensure a successful outcome,” the company said in a statement. “He engages others with his thoughtfulness, creativity and straightforward manner. His ability to lead our project teams, whether on a master planning assignment, new building design or complex renovation project, offers a level of expertise our clients have come to both value and trust.”

KSQ Design is a full-service firm providing architecture, engineering and interior design services to clients in various sectors, including health care and senior living.

Written by Kourtney Liepelt