Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at lois.bowers@mcknights.com.
The Arbor Company welcomes A.J. Cipperly as VP of memory care
A.J. Cipperly is the new vice president of memory care at The Arbor Company.
Cipperly has 20 years of experience.
In her previous role, she was the national director of memory care, a position in which she implemented training and development for memory care directors and led strategic direction and guidance regarding memory care initiatives.
Jefferson’s Ferry taps Susan Loucks to lead philanthropy, community outreach
Susan Loucks has joined Jefferson’s Ferry life plan community in South Setauket, NY, as vice president of philanthropy and community relations.
As head of the Jefferson’s Ferry Foundation, she will provide leadership related to the foundation’s planned giving programs, the annual fundraising gala and community outreach initiatives in collaboration with area nonprofits and other stakeholders.
From 2016 to 2022, Loucks held several roles on the development team at St. Joseph’s University, most recently serving as manager of planned giving. There, she was responsible for all aspects of the university’s planned giving efforts, including marketing, stewardship and portfolio management.
Earlier in her career, she was an associate attorney at a real estate and estate planning law firm, and she also taught media studies at Sacred Heart Academy in Hampstead, NY.
She holds a law degree from Hofstra University School of Law, a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree from Hofstra University.
Anthem appoints Lebana Prahl executive director
Lebana Prahl has been named executive director of Willowbrook Place, an Anthem Memory Care community in Littleton, CO.
Prahl is a certified dementia practitioner and brings more than 26 years of senior living experience to this position. She previously was executive director for HighPointe Assisted Living & Memory Care in Denver. Prahl also previously was executive director for Highlands Assisted Living and Memory Care in Lakeland, FL.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music therapy from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.
The Rivers at Puyallup welcomes Patricia Santos Love as new executive director
Patricia Santos Love has been named the new executive director at The Rivers at Puyallup, a Pegasus Senior Living community in Puyallup, WA.
Santos Love started in the industry as a caregiver, growing within the same company to ultimately take on various roles such as med tech, assisted living director, health services specialist, executive director, operations support and then an area executive director.
Wesley Des Moines names Joni Mauritz new executive director
Joni Mauritz has been named the new executive director of Wesley Des Moines, Des Moines, WA.
She will oversee independent and assisted living along with a care center with memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.
Mauritz is a licensed nursing facility administrator.
Wesley Lea Hill names Mark Hansen new executive director
Mark Hansen was named the new executive director of Wesley Lea Hill, Auburn, WA.
He will oversee independent living, Wesley’s signature Catered Living program, memory care, and a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center.
Hansen is a licensed nursing home administrator with a track record of achieving a 5-Star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and deficiency-free surveys.
Previously, Hansen held an executive director role for a faith-based, nonprofit senior living community in Texas. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree in healthcare administration from Long Island University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and government from the University of Hartford.
Morning Pointe of Brentwood names Lisa Melby executive director
Lisa Melby has been announced as the new executive director at Morning Pointe Senior Living in Brentwood, TN.
Melby comes to Morning Pointe from Good Samaritan Society Loveland Village in Loveland, CO, where she was senior director. She has 34 years of experience in senior living, all with the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society.
Melby has master’s and undergraduate degrees in health and hospital services administration.
The Buckingham names Cynthia Lamison healthcare administrator
Cynthia Lamison, LNFA, RN BSN, has been named the new healthcare administrator at The Buckingham.
She brings almost 30 years of healthcare-related experience to her new role. She began her career as a licensed vocational nurse in 1993 and has held management roles across all levels of senior living and care, including independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.
In 2007, Lamison earned her Bachelor of Science degree in business and healthcare administration and became a skilled nursing administrator. In 2020, she went back to school and completed an RN BSN program.
Sagewood welcomes Nicole Roenius, Melissa Alexander
Nicole Roenius is joining as therapy director, and Melissa Alexander will be filling the role of life enrichment director at Desert Willow Assisted Living and Acacis Health Center at Sagewood, a life plan community in Phoenix.
As the new life enrichment director at Desert Willow and Acacia, Alexander will be providing oversight and support to the community life coordinators in assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.
Alexander has worked in senior activity programming for more than 25 years. She began working in long-term care during high school. She became an activity assistant for several years before deciding to pursue a higher education.
Alexander received her undergraduate degree in therapeutic recreation and a certificate in gerontology from The University of Northern Iowa.
At Acacia, Roenius will be managing the therapists, providing updates to family members, caring for residents, creating discharge plans and training new employees.
Roenius is joining Sagewood after many years of working for a sister Life Care Services community in Milwaukee and prior to that she worked with people with stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis in a skilled nursing facility.
Roenius received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Marquette University. Since starting her career in healthcare, she also earned a certification in lymphedema therapy.
Life Care Services and Westminster Capital are the joint-venture partners of Sagewood.
The Osborn announces Jonathan Carafa new executive chef
Jonathan Carafa is the new executive chef at The Osborn, Rye, NY.
Carafa has more than a decade of experience working in dining in senior living and in corporate facilities as well at event venues.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he honed his skills at The Rockleigh and then served as executive chef at Kendal on Hudson.
Tabula Rasa HealthCare names April Gill CCO
April D. Gill has been named chief commercial officer at medication safety solutions provider Tabula Rasa HealthCare.
Gill has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare. In this newly created role, she will oversee development and execution of TRHC’s commercialization, with broad responsibility for strategy, product, marketing, communications, sales, and account management activities.
Previously, Gill was executive vice president and general manager of health plans and health systems for Virgin Pulse (formerly Welltok), where she led development of value-based products, software, and services for the health plan and health system markets. Before that, she was chief strategy officer and senior vice president of solution management for Welltok, with a focus on execution of strategic initiatives and leading a cross-functional team responsible for product, marketing, sales and consumer experience.
MedBest’s Bryana Yocum earns CTS credential
Bryana Yocum, interim talent solutions coordinator at senior living executive search firm MedBest, recently added certified temporary staffing specialist to her credentials.
In early October, Yocum and a delegation of MedBest recruiters attended the National Association of Personnel Services annual conference in Alexandria, VA. While there, she sat for the CTS exam and passed.
Yocum joined MedBest as a researcher in 2019.
Jefferson Ferry’s Michele Berti named to Top 50 list
Michele Berti, vice president of human resources at Jefferson’s Ferry, was named one of Long Island’s “Top 50 Women in Business” by Long Island Business News.
Since joining the leadership team of Jefferson’s Ferry in 2015, Berti has served the facility’s employees and residents with “a unique balance of professionalism and friendliness” according to a nomination letter by the life plan community’s president and CEO, Robert Caulfield.
Berti is active with Girls Inc. of Long Island, where she has been a board member since 2019. She has served as chair of the nonprofit’s nominating and governance committees as well as on the human resources committee. She holds memberships in the Society for Human Resource Management, the Leading Age NY’s HR Council and the Hauppauge Industrial Association, where she currently serves on the HR committee. Volunteer projects have included the Welcome Friends Soup Kitchen, Breast Cancer Awareness, the Alzheimer’s Association, United Cerebral Palsy and the ASPCA.
Send your personnel news to Lois Bowers at lois.bowers@mcknights.com. High-quality color headshots are welcome but not required.
