Movers & Shakers: The Goodman Group’s New COO

The Goodman Group Appoints New COO

Minnesota-based senior living developer and manager The Goodman Group appointed Craig Edinger as its chief operating officer.

In his new role, Edinger will be responsible for The Goodman Group’s operational and business functions of its 70 senior living and health care, residential and commercial properties.

Edinger has worked with The Goodman Group for 12 years, most recently as vice president of senior living and health care. He has more than 27 years of experience in senior living, and he served in several positions at Extendicare, a long-term care management company, including director of operations, regional director of operations and senior administrator.

“Craig knows my passion and direction for the company,” John Goodman, The Goodman Group’s chairman, said in a prepared statement. “He has extensive experience in the health care field and understands its complexities.”

The LaSalle Group Names New Senior VP of People and Culture

The LaSalle Group, a company that designs, develops, builds, manages and owns memory care and assisted living communities, promoted its human resources executive Kim Alleman to senior vice president of people and culture.

In her new role, Alleman will lead the company’s commitment to providing an outstanding work environment for employees at its communities in seven states and at The LaSalle Group’s home offices in Texas. She will head human resources, recruiting and training teams.

Alleman brings more than 25 years of corporate human resources experience to the newly created position. She served previously as the vice president of human resources at Blockbuster Inc., Bank One and VHA Inc., a health care organization. Most recently, she was a senior consultant at the George W. Bush Foundation.

“We want to maintain a people-centric culture of caring, in which employees, who interact most with our residents, have a strong voice in strategic decisions,” The LaSalle Group co-owner and CEO Mitchell Warren said in a news release. “Kim has the experience to help us refine, define and better communicate our company culture and reinforce our mission and values as we continue to grow.”

The Bristal Assisted Living Announces New Regional Director

The Bristal Assisted Living at Woodcliff Lake, an assisted living community that offers memory care located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, announced the appointment of Elaine Jeffers as regional director of health care for the New Jersey region.

In her new role, Jeffers will provide regional support for resident services to executive directors in the area through a quality assurance and improvement program. She will serve as a resource to executive directors in the area of wellness including resident care programs, staffing, budgeting and resident issues.

Jeffers is a registered nurse with more than 30 years of experience in various aspects of patient care. She previously worked as the vice president of health services at another senior living facility, overseeing all resident and employee health programs at communities in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. She was also charged with compliance with state and federal health regulations, quality improvement and training.

The Bristal Assisted Living at Woodcliff Lake is The Engel Burman Group’s first assisted living foray in New Jersey. It consists of 156 assisted living units and 32 apartments for memory care.

The Terraces of Los Gatos Names New Executive Director

The Terraces of Los Gatos, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Los Gatos, California, named Tyler Ichien as its new executive director.

Ichien is tasked with running day-to-day business operations, including supporting the leadership team, overseeing strategic planning and executing the budget. Previously, he worked as a dining director and health services administrator within the senior living field, most recently serving as the executive director at Grand Lake Gardens in Oakland, a sister community of The Terraces.

The Terraces is managed by ABHOW, a California nonprofit benefit corporation.

The Westerly Residences Hires New Chef, Concierge

The Westerly Residences at Wichita Presbyterian Manor hired a new executive chef and concierge for the independent living campus in Wichita, Kansas.

Dany Chebat will serve as the community’s executive chef, and will be responsible for managing the kitchen’s daily operations, menu development, meal preparation and food presentation for more than 300 residents at the 90-unit facility. He joins The Westerly Residences with more than 18 years of culinary experience, having most recently served as head chef at several hotels and resorts in Las Vegas.

Georgia Green will serve as the community’s new concierge, where she will be tasked with greeting potential residents, families and visitors, along with managing external and internal calls and helping residents with various requests. She has 10 years of experience in hotels and hospitality.

“Dany and Georgia will certainly enhance the resident experience, and we look forward to them joining our team,” Jill Coleman, The Westerly Residences’ director of sales and marketing, said in a news release.

Health Dimensions Group Appoints New Vice President of Post-Acute Care

Health Dimensions Group, a consulting and management services company, appointed John Whitman as the company’s vice president of post-acute care.

In his new role, Whitman will assist hospitals and health systems to come up with post-acute strategies, implement programs, respond to changes in regulations and reimbursement and refine existing programs and services.

Previously, Whitman served as a consultant, educator, executive and entrepreneur at startups, consultancy firms and public health and research organizations. He also founded a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and developing solutions to care gaps, and established geriatric strategy plans to help hospitals pick the best programs and services for senior needs. Whitman originated the sub-acute care concept, as well, converting used hospital beds to hospital-based skilled nursing facilities, working with thousands of hospitals across 49 states.

“John brings additional post-acute care specialization to HDG’s suite of services,” CEO Sergei Shvetzoff said in a prepared statement. “Throughout his career, he has shown tremendous aptitude for innovative thinking that improves the patient care experience. We look to John’s guidance on improving the continuum of care in a manner that prioritizes each patient’s individual recovery and allows seniors to move from hospital to post-acute care, and on to a long-term care setting or back into their community.”

Love & Company Welcomes New Member of Creative Services Team

Love & Company, a marketing firm based in Frederick, Maryland, that specializes in senior living, welcomed Marcia Lusk to its creative services team as an associate creative director.

Lusk joins Love & Company with more than 25 years of experience in advertising, copywriting and community master planning. She will help the marketing firm accommodate a growing client base.

“Each client is unique, and their marketing language should reflect that,” Lusk said in a news release. “The work we do for each client must be as unique as the organization itself.”

Meadow Ridge Welcomes New Director of Security and Transportation

Meadow Ridge, a CCRC in Redding, Connecticut, welcomed Cliff Scharf as its new director of security and transportation.

In his new role, Scharf will oversee all aspects of the community’s security and transportation, including coordination of all budgeting, scheduling and reports. He will also be a liaison with the local police and fire departments.

Scharf joins Meadow Ridge with a background in law enforcement, having retired from the Ridgefield, Connecticut, police department. He also worked with senior citizen groups in the area, developing a senior watch program that helped improve overall home safety.

Meadow Ridge employs five full-time drivers and five part-time drivers who transport residents for medical appointments, church services, shopping trips and social events.

Leo A Daly Hires New Director of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

International architecture, planning, engineering, interior design and program management firm Leo A Daly hired Lance Kempf as director of mechanical and electrical engineering for its Minneapolis office.

Kempf will be tasked with managing and mentoring teams on a wide range of educational, institutional, government, corporate, manufacturing/distribution, science and technology projects. He joins Leo A Daly from LKFB Engineers, Inc., where he was responsible for all aspect of project engineering and construction management on large commercial and educational facilities.

“With 24 years of experience in both large A&E firms and consulting, he understands the functional, aesthetic and interpersonal sides of successful project delivery,” Matthew Johnson, managing principal of Leo A Daly, said in a news release. “As the leader of our engineering practice, he will provide an immediate benefit to both our design teams and our clients.”

Written by Kourtney Liepelt