Movers & Shakers: Brookdale Hires Interim CFO, Ventas’ New MOB Leader

Brookdale Senior Living Hires Interim CFO

Brookdale Senior Living’s board of directors has appointed Teresa Sparks as the company’s interim CFO, effective March 28.

Sparks is taking over for Lucinda Baier, who left the CFO role to become Brookdale’s new president and CEO last month. The company will continue to search for a permanent CFO during Sparks’s tenure.

In her new role, Sparks will receive a bi-weekly salary of roughly $19,200, which is equivalent to $500,000 on an annualized basis, according to public SEC filings. She will also be eligible to participate in a cash bonus program.

Previously, Sparks served as executive vice president and CFO of Surgery Center Holdings.

Ventas Names New Leader for Medical Office, Life Science Portfolio

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR) has appointed Peter Bulgarelli as executive vice president of office and president and CEO of Lillibridge Healthcare Services (LHS), which manages the real estate investment trust’s (REIT) medical office building and university-based life science portfolio. His appointment is effective on April 9.

Bulgarelli joins Ventas after 28 years with Jones Lang LaSalle, a global professional services firm specializing in real estate. Most recently, he led that company’s health care, life sciences and higher education businesses, including academic medical centers.

In his new role, Bulgarelli will serve as a member of the Ventas executive leadership team in the company’s Chicago headquarters and report to Ventas Chairman and CEO Debra Cafaro.

Todd Lillibridge, Ventas’s executive vice president of medical property operations and president and CEO of LHS, will remain at Ventas to help with Bulgarelli’s onboarding and integration with health systems, employees and partners. Lillibridge will also represent Ventas on selected strategic initiatives and innovation projects in the future.

The Waters Senior Living Hires COO

The Waters Senior Living has named Tami Kozikowski as its new COO.

Kozikowski, who most recently served as corporate executive vice president and president of LifeSpa at Life Time Fitness, will assume her new role for the Minnesota-based senior living provider on April 16.

In addition to her time with LifeSpa, Kozikowski also served in multiple executive positions at companies that include Best Buy, Advance Auto Parts and Arthur Anderson.

Frontier Management Promotes New Vice President of Operations

Frontier Management has promoted one of its employees, Justin Wray, to the role of vice president of operations. Wray has been in a variety of executive roles with Frontier since 2014, most recently serving as its regional vice president over the company’s Texas region.

The senior living company also named Matthew Dunham as a vice president. In his new role, Dunham will direct the human resources, risk and licensing, legal and some financing aspects.

Other newly appointed employees include Aliki Picologlou-Tanner, who was hired as a vice president of accounting and finance, and Angela Doms, Frontier’s new human resources manager.

Wingate Names Life Enrichment Director, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing

Wingate Healthcare, a senior living and health care provider in the Northeast, appointed Michael Spearin to the title of senior vice president of sales and marketing.

In his new role, Spearin will support Wingate’s sales team and lend expertise for accountable care alignment, physician relations, contracting and strategic planning for Wingate’s portfolio.

Spearin joins Wingate with more than 20 years of post-acute sales and business development experience. Prior to Wingate, he served as vice president of business development for the sub-acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing provider Marquis Health Services.

Wingate also announced it named Makenzi Fitzsimmons as life enrichment director of its Wingate Residences at Melbourne Place community in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In her new role, Fitzsimmons will coordinate and plans activities for residents, as well as welcome new residents to the community.

Cadence Senior Living Adds Controller to Management Team

Cadence Senior Living has added Thomas Rosin to its corporate team as a controller.

Rosin has more than 30 years of accounting, auditing and management experience, and served as a consulting professional with Resources Global Professionals as well as director of accounting and controller for MCO Properties prior to joining Cadence.

WESTLiving Hires Executive Chef for California Community

Estancia Del Sol, a WESTliving 117-unit senior living community in Corona, California, has welcomed Hector Velez as its new executive chef.

Velez came to Estancia with 14 years of experience in the senior living industry, having previously worked at Sunrise Senior Living, Atria Senior Living and Senior Lifestyle.

He also has experience working in restaurants, hotels, catering services, schools, private country clubs and led the culinary program for the Boy Scouts of America.

Senior Living Innovators Recognized in Annual ‘What’s Next’ Summit

The 15th annual “What’s Next Boomer Business Summit” conference in San Francisco is recognizing a handful of forward-thinking people and organizations for their achievements in the senior living industry.

This year’s Leadership Longevity Award recipients include Sharon Emek of Work At Home Vintage Experts; Lori Bitter of The Business of Aging; Tom Riley of Seniorlink; and Brewster Kahle and Mark Graham for The Wayback Machine.

AARP also won accolades for partnering with the Ad Council to show macho men as caregivers for aging loved ones.

Written by Tim Regan