CBRE Strengthens Senior Housing Practice With Key Hires
CBRE Group, Inc. has strengthened its National Senior Housing Investment Sales Practice in the Americas with the appointment of Lisa Widmier as executive vice president of CBRE Capital Markets, and Deborah Street as vice president of Capital Markets.
Widmier and Street join CBRE from VantAge Pointe Capital Management, a company that Widmier founded in 2008 to provide senior housing investment sales and advisory services.
Widmier will partner with Matthew Whitlock and Aron Will, both executive vice presidents, to provide national senior housing investment sales, and debt and structured finance services.
Since beginning her career in real estate in 1988, Widmier has been involved in more than $8 billion of senior housing investment property, capital sourcing and consulting engagements. She has developed a broad range of experience including tenure as the manager of McDonnell Douglas Realty Pension Fund’s real estate portfolio totaling $40 billion in value. Previously, she was senior director of institutional marketing for CBRE Investors.
With more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience, Street has been involved in more than $3 billion of senior housing investment brokerage and capital sourcing.
These professionals will provide national coverage and will be committed to providing CBRE clients with advisory services in the areas of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing assets. Overall, the team has more than 60 years of senior housing industry experience, a combined investment sales volume of $13 billion, and a combined debt origination volume of more than $6.3 billion.
“CBRE is committed to providing best-in-class service to our clients in the accelerated growth area of the senior housing sector. The addition of Ms. Widmier and Ms. Street catapults CBRE into the dominant position in the sector,” said Brian McAuliffe, executive managing director of CBRE Capital Markets.
Healthsense Appoints Chief Customer Operations Officer
Healthsense, Inc., a provider of technology-enabled care solutions for the senior care continuum, announced today that Katie Christopherson has joined the company as Chief Customer Operations Officer.
Christopherson brings to Healthsense 25 years of experience in driving outcomes and process improvements by building high performance teams for various software, technology and health care information services companies.
She most recently served as director of clinical service solutions for Philips Healthcare, where she led a team of nearly 100 technical and clinical support professionals and managed health care imaging software solution call centers nationwide.
Other experience includes senior leadership positions focused on customer service excellence and driving improvement for the State of Georgia Governor’s Office of Customer Service and for health IT and software companies including PICIS, NDCHealth’s pharma division, Surgical Information Systems and McKesson HBOC, Inc.
Christopherson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication and Development from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She is also the winner of the 2013 Philips Pinnacle Gold Award for outstanding achievement and holds other industry honors recognizing organizational and service delivery improvements.
New Nonprofit CCRC Selects Executive Director
Paula O’Neill has been selected as executive director of The Lutheran Village at MILLER’S GRANT, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) under construction in Ellicott City, Md.
O’Neill brings to the position more than 25 years of senior living experience. She has been the executive director and nursing home administrator for the Maryland Masonic Home in Cockeysville since 2005.
Her experience also includes leadership roles at Oak Crest Village in Parkville and Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village in Boonsboro. She served on the Maryland LifeSpan Network Board for four years, was the president of the Masonic Communities and Services Association for two years, and now serves as treasurer for LeadingAge Maryland.
O’Neill will begin her new role in early April and will initially be located at Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, the sponsor organization of The Lutheran Village at MILLER’S GRANT. Construction on the 50-acre site along Frederick Road in Ellicott City is currently underway. The first residents are expected to move in at the end of this year.
Erickson Living Community Promotes Stephen Aigner to Executive Director
Houston, Texas-based Eagle’s Trace, one of 18 CCRCs managed by Erickson Living, promoted Stephen Aigner to executive director.
Aigner brings 15 years of experience in the senior living industry to the position. Prior to joining Eagle’s Trace, he served as the associate executive director for Ashby Ponds, a sister community in northern Virginia. Aigner was also a regional director of dining services with Erickson Living.
Prior to Erickson Living, he worked within the restaurant/hospitality industry in the Washington, D.C., area.
In his position as executive director, Aigner will be responsible for directing operations and the delivery of services to residents and staff at the 70-acre community in West Houston that is home to more than 650 residents and 425 employees.
Masterpiece Living Community Names Senior Living Counselor
The Buckingham, a Masterpiece Living community in Houston, Texas, has named April Dillon as senior living counselor.
In her role, Dillon will assist seniors during the sales process and help them navigate through the move-in process, while also having a variety of responsibilities in supporting the marketing team.
Dillon joins The Buckingham with more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit CCRCs. She has worked with seniors in a variety of roles, including director of life enrichment, director of social work services and, most recently, community outreach director for Franke at Seaside in Charleston, S.C.
Rebecca Lingold Joins Validus Senior Living as SVP of Operations
Tampa, Florida-based Validus Senior Living has announced that Rebecca Lingold will join its executive leadership team as senior vice president of operations.
Lingold has more than 25 years of operational experience in the senior living industry overseeing startups, acquisitions and multisite facilities.
Her senior living experience includes executive leadership positions at IntegraCare Corp., Bell Senior Living, HHHunt and Horizon Bay Retirement Living.
Prior to joining Validus, Lingold most recently spent four years in the senior living technology sector as vice president of business development for Silversphere, a provider of emergency call systems.
Mainstreet Continues Hiring Streak, Adding 6 New Team Members
Carmel, Indiana-based Mainstreet, the nation’s largest developer of post-acute health care properties, has added six new hires to its growing team.
Eric Gelatt has joined Mainstreet as an associate construction project manager. He joins Mainstreet from Gaylor Electric, Inc., where he served as a project engineer.
Gelatt has a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in building construction management with a concentration in health care construction.
Brooke Glassburn is Mainstreet’s new hospitality specialist. She joins Mainstreet from Salesforce Marketing Cloud where she served first as executive assistant to the president of technology and strategy, and then later as an employee experience specialist in global services.
Glassburn has an associate degree from Ivy Tech State College, a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne and is pursuing a master’s degree from Ball State University.
Denise Holaday has joined Mainstreet as a legal assistant. Most recently, she worked at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP as a litigation support analyst and legal administrative assistant.
Holaday has an associate degree from Walker College and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama.
Ashley Mattox is Mainstreet’s new communications specialist. Her previous experience includes time at Flaherty & Collins Properties as a development associate and public relations director, and INDYCAR as VIP and guest services.
Mattox is a graduate of Indiana University and studied telecommunications, business, communication and culture.
Julie Meeks has joined Mainstreet as a senior project coordinator of capital markets. Most recently, she worked at Avant Healthcare as the executive assistant to the president. Prior to that role at Avant Healthcare, she served as a market research associate and budget/financial analyst for Deborah Wood and Associates.
Meeks has a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the University of Pittsburgh.
Derrick Smith is Mainstreet’s new director of investments. He joins Mainstreet from HTB Holdings, LLC, an independent private equity business search he launched, focused on the health care, aerospace, food and agriculture industries. His experience also includes time at CHV Capital, the venture capital arm of Indiana University Health.
Smith has a B.A. from Indiana University and a dual MBA/MHA from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis.
Emerald Heights Welcomes Director of Nursing Services
Redmond, Washington-based Emerald Heights, a nonprofit CCRC, has welcomed Kris Ladwig to the management team as director of nursing services.
Ladwig joins Emerald Heights most recently from a director of nursing services position with Ballard Care and Rehabilitation in Seattle. Prior to that position, she has served as director of nursing services at other skilled nursing facilities in the Puget Sound area, where she was instrumental in improving clinical outcomes and resident satisfaction. Under her leadership, the communities she served also demonstrated improved state survey outcomes.
Ladwig will work with staff and residents at Emerald Heights’ on-site skilled and long-term care facility, Corwin Center, which recently underwent a renovation to refresh its look and feel. The center has a total of 56 private suites, 16 of which are specifically designed for residents who benefit from memory support programs. In addition, the Corwin Center provides 61 Medicare-certified skilled nursing accommodations.
Ladwig earned an associate degree in nursing from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from South Dakota State University.
Brookdale Names National Brain Health Director
Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD), the nation’s largest senior living provider, has appointed an expert to broaden its cognitive fitness programs.
Paul Nussbaum, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., a board-certified psychologist specializing in neuropsychology, has been named national director of brain health for Brookdale. The company, which operates nearly 1,150 senior living communities in 46 states, is also America’s largest provider of Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
“There is growing concern about brain health and people are interested in doing all they can to protect and improve memory skills,” said Chris Hyatt, Brookdale executive vice president of operations support. “We’re excited that Dr. Nussbaum has come aboard to expand our programming in this particular area of importance.”
According to Nussbaum, it is possible to boost cognitive heath and to potentially slow memory loss regardless of age.
“Exercise, nutrition, engaging in novel and complex mental challenges, socialization and spirituality all have a role in brain health and will be key to Brookdale’s programs,” he said.
Dr. Nussbaum is a fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and American Academy of Clinical Psychology. He serves as an adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and is the author of “Save Your Brain.”
Nussbaum previously served as national director of brain health for Emeritus Senior Living, with which Brookdale merged in 2014.
Nebraska Community Welcomes Executive Director
Leslie Tenski has joined Columbus, Nebraska-based Cottonwood Place as executive director, according to local reports.
Previously, Tenski worked in the skilled nursing and assisted living fields for 15 years, including at Mid-Nebraska Lutheran Home, a nursing home in Newman Grove.
As executive director, Tenski will oversee the management and quality support of the residents. Other job duties include working with residents’ families, ensuring compliance with local and state policies, assisting with the move-in process and other operational tasks.
Tenski recently earned her assisted living license and is pursing a nursing home administration license from Southeast Community College.
Cottonwood can accommodate 40 residents and offers assisted living, respite care, short-term stay and urgent placement.
GlynnDevins Names Kay Moore Director of Talent Development
Overland Park, Kansas-based GlynnDevins, a marketing and advertising agency, specializing in senior living, has announced the addition of Kay Moore as director of talent development.
Moore has more than 25 years of experience in human resources and recruitment. Moore previously served as the executive vice president of human resources at Barkley in Kansas City, Mo.
In her new role, Moore will be responsible for recruiting, training and development, performance management and associate recognition, evaluating, recommending and implementing agency-wide programs to support leadership development, training and coaching, and professional goal development.
“Our agency continues to grow as a national leader in the field of senior living marketing,” said Sue McClure, executive vice president and general manager at GlynnDevins. “Having Kay leading talent development demonstrates a strategic commitment we’ve made to recruit the most knowledgeable professionals available and to continue developing the talents of those associates already here.”
Sue Coppola Joins Sunrise as SVP of Care
Sunrise Senior Living (NYSE: SRZ) has recently hired Sue Coppola as senior vice president of care. In a Q&A, she details her background in the senior care industry.
Coppola started her career as an intensive care and emergency room nurse before moving to developing and implementing care management programs for a large HMO insurer and then a hospital.
In 2002, she got an opportunity to work with a skilled nursing provider in Boston. Fast-forward to today, she sees 2015 as a year of learning.
“I’m really excited to get to know the Sunrise team and learn more about our team members, communities and our residents, so that I can work with the team to make a difference,” she said.
The Osborn Adds to Senior Management Team
Rye, New York-based The Osborn has named two new seasoned professionals to its senior management team.
Michele Thomas, former president of Florida-based Family Home Health Services/Family Home Physicians, has been named to the new position of executive vice president of Osborn Home Care, The Osborn’s business unit which provides a wide range of care and personal assistance in a client’s own home.
Thomas joined Family Home Health Services/Family Home Physicians, based in Sarasota, in 2007, as regional director of sales. She was subsequently named vice president of sales and marketing and, ultimately, was appointed president in 2012.
Earlier in her career, Thomas held positions with several leading health services companies, including Doctor’s Orders, Physician’s Choice Home Health Services, and Heartland Home Health & Hospice.
Also joining the executive team is Robert Davis, The Osborn’s new chief financial officer and treasurer. Davis comes to The Osborn with a quarter century of financial leadership in the senior health care/housing industry. He has been with Jewish Home Lifecare since 1989, rising through the ranks to become the vice president of finance for a system that included 13 organizations throughout Manhattan, Westchester and the Bronx.
Davis received his B.A. and M.B.A. from Iona College.
Connecticut Community Names New Fitness Manager
Meadow Ridge, a senior living community in Redding, Conn., has welcomed Paul Brown as its new fitness manager, according to local reports.
Brown will be responsible for creating individual fitness programs, coordinating wellness programs and overseeing group exercise classes.
Formally serving in the U.S. Navy, Brown gained extensive educational background in the fitness industry. Receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degree in exercise science and nutrition from Sacred Heart University, he holds widespread experience in the field and will extend his knowledge to the Meadow Ridge residents.
With certification as a health fitness specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine, Brown has worked extensively as an exercise physiologist developing individual programs along with instructing exercise classes for active seniors. At Meadow Ridge, Brown will work to improve the quality of life for residents, prescribe exercises toward improving activities of daily living and provide assistance to new and experienced fitness center users.
Written by Emily Study
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