Movers & Shakers: New Senior’s Interim CFO, Symphony Exec Hires

New Senior Appoints Interim CFO

The board of directors of New Senior Investment Group Inc. (NYSE: SNR) appointed Bhairav Patel as interim CFO and treasurer, effective as of Sept. 26. The announcement comes as Justine Cheng resigned from the roles to pursue a new professional opportunity, according to an SEC filing from the company.

Patel has worked as the company’s chief accounting officer since March, and he will continue to serve in this role. He is a managing director at Fortress Investment Group LLC, an affiliate of New Senior’s manager, FIG LLC.

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Patel joined Fortress in 2007, serving in various capacities within the corporate accounting and finance divisions, including a role as he’d of Fortress’ financial planning and analysis group. Before coming to Fortress, Patel was an accounting manager at GSC Group, a credit-based alternative investment manager.

New Senior is a publicly traded real estate investment trust with a portfolio of senior housing properties located across the United States.

Symphony Senior Living Welcomes New Executives

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Symphony Senior Living welcomed new executives to its international team—Aaron D’Costa as COO and Rob Brehl as CFO.

D’Costa has spent his career in senior housing, beginning with Marriott Senior Living, and later worked with Sunrise Senior Living and Pathway Senior Living. He also owned a successful consulting agency for eight years, focusing on sales, marketing and operations. Most recently, he was director of senior living acquisitions with Virtus Real Estate Capital.

“Like many of us that have worked in both operations and finance over the years and have a passion for this business running through our blood, Aaron adds tremendous value by supporting our team members in the field in their service to our seniors, while understanding the needs of our investors,” CEO and Founder of Symphony Lisa Brush said in a news release.

Brehl served as chief accounting officer at Ventas Inc. (NYSE: VTR). Before that, he was senior vice president and controller with Atria Senior Living, and he also spent 10 years in public accounting with E&Y.

“Rob and I worked together at Ventas REIT in 2006/07, and I have a great deal of respect for his ability as a professional accountant and leader,” Brush said. “I am absolutely thrilled that he is joining our team.”

Symphony Senior Living has six properties in Canada, six in Iowa and six soon to come in the Southeast.

Center for Excellence in Assisted Living Chooses New Board Member

The board of directors for the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living (CEAL) chose Martha A. Roherty to join its board. Roherty is the executive director of the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD).

In her role at NASUAD, Roherty and her team educate Congress, the Administration and advocacy groups on the realities of seniors and people with disabilities. They also facilitate the exhcange of information between states. Before joining NASUAD, Roherty served as director of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors.

CEAL is a collaboration of national provider, consumer and advocacy organizations committed to enhancing the care provided to those in long-term care communities.

“I am honored to be selected to serve on the board of such an important organization,” Roherty said in a news release. “CEAL’s emphasis on expanding access to assisted living services for those who need it, while simultaneously promoting high-quality, person-centered services is crucial to our nation’s ability to support individuals who require these supports.”

Provision Living at West County Announces Memory Care Management Team

Provision Living at West County, a memory care community under construction in Des Peres, Missouri, announced its senior management team.

Felieta Boaz will serve as community mentor and administrator. She has 20 years of experience in the long-term care field, and will oversee all community operations, staffing and resident care.

Linda DeSmet was named family support mentor. She joins Provision Living at West County after 18 years with the Alzheimer’s Association working with families on disease education, community resources, care options and consultation.

Katy Rice was appointed as community relations mentor. She has been working with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia for more than 10 years.

Teresa Stamey will be a memory care neighborhood mentor. She comes to Provision Living at West County with 23 years of experience in music therapy, with a focus on seniors, hospice and Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Ryan Muzzey will also be a memory care neighborhood mentor. He is a certified person-centered care specialist with more than 15 years of experience in serving elders.

Kathryn Britt will serve as clinical mentor, and she brings 40 years of experience in nursing and management to the role.

Finally, Kewana Brown was named as work life mentor. She has more than 10 years of experience in hospital and long-term care operations.

“We believe memory care requires a strong willingness to embrace and respond positively to change, which is why we decided to create a unique care model that focuses on care partnerships between the elders and the individuals who support them,” Provision Living Co-Founder Todd Spittal said in a news release. “The essential component to making this model work is having employees who are not only experienced in this arena, but passionate about creating a culture change in how long-term care services are provided.”

Provision Living is based in St. Louis, Missouri, and operates independent living, assisted living and memory care communities for seniors across 10 states.

Maplewood at Chardon Reports Promotion to Senior Director

Maplewood Senior Living announced the promotion of Kevin Cook to senior executive director of Maplewood at Chardon, located in Chardon, Ohio.

In his new role, Cook will be responsible for leading Maplewood at Chardon, and support staff development and training at all three Maplewood Senior Living communities in the Ohio region. Cook joined Maplewood Senior Living in 2014 as the executive director at the community in Chardon. He has more than 25 years of experience in human services and health care management.

“Kevin exemplifies Maplewood’s mission and philosophy in all that he does,” Maplewood Senior Living Chairman and CEO Gregory D. Smith said in a news release. “I am extremely proud to have him as part of our executive leadership team in Ohio.”

Westport, Connecticut-based Maplewood Senior Living offers senior living in three states—Ohio, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Oak Crest Names New Director of General Services

Oak Crest, an Erickson Living continuing care retirement community (CCRC) located in Parkville, Maryland, named Wendy Kelly as the community’s director of general services.

Kelly has served as the director of human resources at Oak Crest since 2008. She previously worked at Mercy Medical Center for 27 years, including as director of employment and employee relations.

In her new role, Kelly will oversee daily operations of the general services department, which consists of 250 employees responsible for the physical plant and infrastructure of the 87-acre campus. She will also be tasked with oversight of master planning projects associated with a three-phase, long-range plan for Oak Crest that includes an expansion and renovations.

“During the last eight years, Wendy has done an outstanding job with training advancement and benefits management programming for our award-winning, diverse workforce,” Oak Crest Executive Director Mark Roussey said in a news release. “We are excited that she is bringing her considerable experience to lead another department essential to the overall success of our community. I know that Wendy is looking forward to working even closer with our residents to deliver services and amenities that meet their needs.”

Oak Crest is one of 19 CCRCs managed by Erickson Living. The campus is home to more than 2,100 residents.

Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services Selects Directors of Gift Planning

Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services (OPRS) selected Ellen Barney and Bob Ampthor as directors of gift planning for the OPRS Foundation. Barney will serve the Sarah Moore Community in Delaware, Ohio, and Senior Independence Hospice in the Greater Columbus Area. Ampthor will serve Senior Independence Hospice in the Greater Toledo Area.

Barney comes to the OPRS Foundation with more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, marketing and program development. She has worked with St. Joseph’s Hospice, Columbus Boys and Girls Club, Columbus Museum of Art and National Kidney Foundation of Ohio. In her new role, her responsibilities will be to formally grow the major gift fundraising programs at Sarah Moore and Senior Independence Hospice.

Ampthor has been involved with organizations like Boy Scouts of America, Rotary Club of Toledo and others for 26 years. With the OPRS Foundation, his duties will include growing awareness and support for Senior Independence Hospice, strengthening the hospice major gift fundraising program and working with donors interested in supporting hospice services.

OPRS operates 12 retirement communities, home and community-based services, five adult day centers and two senior centers under its wholly owned subsidiaries OPRS Communities and Senior Independence. The OPRS Foundation raises several million dollars annually to support charity care, special programs, capital expansion and endowment.

Written by Kourtney Liepelt

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