Movers & Shakers: Harbor Retirement Associates’ New CEO

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Smick Transitions to Chairman of HRA, Hanson Appointed New President and CEO

Vero Beach, Florida-based Harbor Retirement Associates (HRA), a regional senior living development and management company, has announced that President and CEO Tim Smick will transition to chairman and managing partner, effective immediately.

In his new role, Smick will devote his time in new business development, strategic planning and capital development.

Succeeding Smick is Sarabeth Hanson, previously chief operating officer with HRA, who has been appointed president and CEO.

Hanson brings 25 years of senior living experience to her new role. She is active on the executive board of the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) and Florida Argentum, the Florida arm of the national senior living trade organization.

Handelson Steps up to CEO Role for Harmony Senior Services

Stephanie Handelson has been appointed CEO of Roanoke, Virginia-based Harmony Senior Services, effective January 2.

Prior to joining Harmony, Handelson served as the president and chief operating officer for a regional senior living provider in the northeast for more than eight years. Her professional experience also includes her tenure at a national senior living provider, where she served as the senior vice president of the east coast operations. In this role, she was responsible for more than 200 communities.

Stephanie is a current board member for Argentum, a current advisory board member for Senior Living 100, an active member of ASHA, as well as a former member of the NIC Operations Advisory Board.

Solinity Welcomes New Communications Director/Client Relations Manager

Solinity, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based senior living owner/operator, has welcomed Sara Mitchell as communications director and client relations manager. Solinity provides boutique-style, affordable communities in the independent living, assisted living and memory care continuum.

In her new role, Mitchell will ensure consistent communication both internally and externally while overseeing projects, objectives, timelines and deadlines.

While new to the senior living industry, Mitchell has more than five years of professional experience as an anchor and host for various television networks, including ESPN, SEC Network and CBS Sports Network, where she produced, shot, scripted, edited, anchored and reported news. In addition, she has served as social media manager for multiple organizations and brings public relations experience to the team.

Juniper Village at Bucks County Names New Executive Director

Bloomfield, New Jersey-based Juniper Communities has appointed Peter A. Farewege, Jr. as the new executive director of Juniper Village at Bucks County in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a life plan community.

Farewege brings more than 13 years of experience in senior care and executive leadership to his role.

Ross, Sanders Step Up to New Roles for EPOCH Senior Living

Waltham, Massachusetts-based EPOCH Senior Living has named Christine Petricca Ross director of community relations at Bridges by EPOCH at Mashpee, a 54-suite memory care assisted living community located based in Mashpee, Massachusetts.

In her role, Ross will assist and guide families through the process of choosing a memory care assisted living community for their family members. She will also develop and build relationships with professional partners and identify resources for families affected by dementia.

Ross is a licensed practical nurse and has worked as a memory care professional for more than 15 years, including roles as a wellness nurse, hospice nurse and clinical liaison. Prior to joining the EPOCH team, Ross worked as the sales director at another memory care community in Massachusetts.

EPOCH Senior Living has also welcomed Amy Sanders as director of sales and marketing of Waterstone at the Circle, an independent living community operated by EPOCH based in Boston. She joins the team at Waterstone at the Circle with 20 years of experience in marketing and sales for senior living communities.

Sanders has worked in a variety of roles within the senior living industry, including tenures at assisted living, independent living and skilled nursing facilities. In addition, she has helped various senior living organizations expand to new locations. Prior to Waterstone at the Circle, Sanders served as sales director for a Massachusetts-based senior living organization.

Copeland Assumes Director Role for Avanti Senior Living 

The Woodlands, Texas-based Avanti Senior Living has appointed Angela Copeland as the new national director of its brand of memory care, titled Salize Memory Care.

She joined Avanti Senior Living three years ago, most recently serving in the role of operations strategist. Previously, she served as the executive director of Avanti Senior Living at Vision Park.

Copeland will be responsible for hiring and selecting Salize directors and helping them set up and run their communities. Avanti partnered with Woburn, Massachusetts-based dementia and memory care training program Hearthstone Institute, and Copeland will coordinate training with the organization for all team members.

Age Wave Promotes Savage to Senior Vice President Post

Age Wave has promoted Erin McInrue Savage to senior vice president.

The San Francisco-based organization focuses on research and issues related to the nation’s aging population. In her new role, Savage will lead Age Wave’s research efforts both in the U.S. and abroad.

She joined Age Wave five years ago as a research associate, where she worked on studies pertaining to aging, longevity, and retirement, with focuses on housing, healthcare and technology, leisure travel, volunteerism and financial planning.

She holds a master of public health egree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, specializing in gerontology and epidemiology. Previously, she held research positions related to aging, health, and sleep during her time at Brown University, Johns Hopkins, and the University of California, San Francisco.

Written by Carlo Calma