The Maxwell Team
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Donald O. Thompson, Jr.
CEO
Founding the company in 1989, Mr. Thompson serves as president of Maxwell Group, Inc., which specializes in the development of and management services for CCRCs, start-up and work-out companies. Maxwell Group, Inc. is the management company for Senior Living Communities. From 1996 to 2000, Mr. Thompson also served as COO of Aaron Enterprises, Inc. which developed and operated assisted living and retirement campuses. Mr. Thompson helped found Liberty Healthcare in 1990 which owned and operated 19 skilled nursing facilities in North Carolina and Tennessee. Liberty was ultimately sold to Regency Healthcare in 1996. Mr. Thompson also founded a Long Term Care Pharmacy, a DME company, Therapy Companies, and Enteral Feeding Companies in the 1990s (all of which were sold to various public companies in the late 1990s). In addition, Mr. Thompson founded LTC Services Group which served the group purchasing need of 7,100 beds in 114 different facilities. From 1979 to 1988, he directed The Thompson Company which developed approximately 1,600 single-family homes, condominiums and 1 CCRC. Mr. Thompson received the 1985 Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He is a 1979 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration.
Wallace M. Saunders
President / Chief Financial Officer
Wallace is the President and Chief Financial Officer of Senior Living Communities. Wallace joined Senior Living Communities following a career in investment banking with Wachovia Securities and Edgeview Partners. At Wachovia Securities, he executed a broad range of transactions serving the residential and commercial mortgage industries. Subsequently, Wallace worked in mergers and acquisitions at Edgeview Partners, one of the leading middle market-focused investment banking firms in the U.S., where he advised clients in the healthcare, distribution, aerospace and defense, and consumer products industries. Wallace is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Mary T. Bowers
Chief Operating Officer
Mary has more than 28 years of progressive management experience. As Chief Operating Officer, she oversees all physical and field operations of Senior Living Communities and is the leader of person-centered living in all communities. She is also responsible for supervising the wellness programs, so that members can live independently for longer in their own homes. Most recently, Mary was the VP of Operations and Management for Banyan Senior Living. Mary attained a B.S. in Math from Valdosta State College and is a certified Aging Services Professional Fellow.
Jason D. Johnson
Vice President of Creativity
Jason is the utility infielder of Senior Living Communities having filled numerous roles on numerous projects for them over the last decade. He began his tenure with this company serving as Corporate Relations Manager at Aaron Enterprises, Inc. before moving into the Executive Director seat at Summit Hills Retirement Community in Spartanburg, SC. Finishing a five year tenure at Summit, Jason served as Vice President of Operations for Senior Living Communities before assuming his current creative services role in March of 2009. He has also served multiple terms on the executive board for the Upstate Senior Network in South Carolina and for various art groups/projects in the region. He is a graduate of Troy State University (BS), holds a MFA from the University of Southern Mississippi and is a Certified Dementia Specialist. Jason is also a regular article and research contributor to various healthcare and senior industry publications in the Southeast.
Stacy Carter
Vice President of Operations
With 13 years of industry experience, Stacy joined Senior Living Communities from a Charlotte-based company, Resources for Senior Living. She began her work with RSL as a leasing director at the community level before being promoted to Executive Director. She served in this capacity for 5 years before moving into a Regional Sales role. As a regional, Stacy provided sales support, training, business development and community relations to the communities within her region which included traditional assisted living and dementia care. Her job eventually expanded into a Regional Director of Operations position for North and South Carolina where she was responsible for the overall operations, regulatory compliance, customer and staff satisfaction for the company’s six communities. Stacy is a licensed assisted living administrator in both North and South Carolina. She serves as a North Carolina assisted living preceptor and is a nationally certified Activity Director. Stacy works with Central Piedmont Community College as an instructor for the North Carolina Assisted Living Administrator course. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Wright State University and also has several years experience in the Food Service and Hotel/Hospitality industries.
Chris Rio
Vice President of Operations
Chris is a seasoned senior operations executive with extensive experience in the senior living industry. His most recent positions included stints as a senior management consultant at GVA Advantis Company based in Durham, N.C. and as Co-CEO and Chief Operating Officer at EDCare Management also located in Durham. Rio has a proven record of performance, which includes time at Southern Assisted Living, Inc. where he was promoted from Executive Vice President of Operations to Chief Operating Officer. In his current role, Rio oversees operations at 11 Senior Living Communities and acts as a liaison and consultant for the company’s Executive Directors. Rio received a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on real estate from the University of Denver. He resides in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Tom Senger
Regional Sales Director
Tom joined Senior Living Communities in 2009 from Erickson Retirement Communities, were he was most recently Director of Sales and Marketing at Windsor Run, Erickson’s proposed twenty-second community in Matthews, North Carolina. Tom and his team were recognized as having the most successful new community start-up in the company’s 26-year history. Prior to joining Erickson, Tom was in new business development for three Charlotte-based advertising agencies and in packaged goods sales and marketing with Colgate-Palmolive and PET, Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in Business Administration.
Marti DiTaranto
Regional Sales Director
Marti has over 20 years experience in sales and management. She began her senior living career as a Lifestyle Advisor for The Lakes at Pointe West in Vero Beach, Florida and assumed the role of Regional Sales Director for Senior Living Communities shortly thereafter. She is responsible for overseeing sales programs for all Florida and Georgia communities and facilitates ongoing training for the sales and marketing teams at each location. She has training and certifications in Person Centered Care, Sales & Marketing of Seniors from the Erickson School of Aging, and Senior Sales Training from One on One – Service to Seniors. She is a graduate of the State College of Florida with a degree in Mass Communications.
Aniello Salierno
VP, Management Systems & IT
Aniello is the VP of Operations and supervises the operations of 6 retirement campuses for Senior Living. Previously, Aniello served as the finance director for The Lakes at Pointe West, a Florida retirement community now managed by Senior Living Communities. During this period, he planned, developed, implemented, organized, directed, and evaluated many aspects of the organization's functions and policies. Not only focusing on fiscal responsibilities, he also orchestrated information technology and networking, human resources, sales and marketing, and construction financing. Prior to joining The Lakes at Pointe West, he served as the assistant to branch manager for Raymond James Financial, Inc. Aniello graduated with a BS in finance from the University of Florida.
Gary C. Ventola
Comptroller
Gary directs the financial affairs of Senior Living Communities and supervises the general accounting, property accounting, internal auditing and budgetary controls. Most recently, Gary was vice president of finance at behavioral health provider IFCS, Inc. and assistant vice president of finance at Sanders Bros., Inc. Prior to that, he served as controller at MicroMagnetic Systems, Inc., Corporate Express, Inc., Fire Suppression Systems, Inc., and Virginia Sprinkler, Inc. Gary is a member of AICPA and The Sarbanes-Oxley Institute. He earned a BS in finance & accounting from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Rob Burgess
Senior Vice President of Development
Rob joined Senior Living Communities following a career in development with CNL Retirement Corp. At CNL he was responsible for development of senior housing as well as medical office buildings nationwide. While there he also worked as a Project Manager for both the Restaurant and Realty Groups. Prior to CNL, Rob worked for Willis Construction Consulting, a construction firm who primarily consulted for Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Rob is a graduate of Clemson University with a BS in Construction Management and currently holds a General Contractor’s license in the State of Florida. Rob holds primary responsibility for newer construction projects Watersong and Abingdon, as well as overseeing other capital improvements throughout the company.
Kathleen Van Blarcom
Chief Operating Officer, Live Long WellCare
Kathleen has over 28 years of operating and management experience in senior care, and is a licensed Registered Nurse in New York and North Carolina. Throughout her career, Van Blarcom served in a variety of key positions, and has a history of proven performance in operations, quality control and clinical services. Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Operations for Brookdale Senior Living where she was responsible for outpatient therapy and home-health care. Prior to Brookdale, she worked as a private consultant for health care businesses after leaving her position as Chief Operations Officer at Capital Health Management Group in Charlotte, N.C. She received her nursing degree from the City University of New York and is a published author whose work has appeared in industry publications such as Caring magazine.
Carol L. Fisher
VP, Benefits and Risk Management
Carol has over 20 years of experience in human resource management. Most recently, Carol was Human Resources Director at Alemite, LLC. Prior positions included Manager of Administration at McKinsey & Company, Human Resources Director at Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, and Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Southeastern Savings Bank. Her broad experience includes extensive work in benefits, recruiting, compensation, training, and employee development.
Eva M. White, RN
Vice President of Quality Assurance(AL/ALZ)
Eva is responsible for all quality assurance issues, helping to develop and review policies and procedures as well as assisting with in-service training that focuses on direct resident care. She received her AD degree in health science with a major in nursing from York Technical College in conjunction with the University of SC. She currently holds active RN licenses in FL, NY, SC, and NC and has active assisted living administrator licenses in FL and NC. Eva has worked in the medical field for 25 years, the last thirteen years focused on the geriatric population in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and retirement communities. She has worked closely with the Alzheimer's Association as a trainer and design consultant and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Assisted Living Association (NCALA).
Annette Goodwin
Vice President of Quality Assurance(SNF)
Annette is a progressive-minded manager with over 10 years experience in operations, risk management, strategic planning and organizational change management. She was promoted from her previous position as a Health Care Administrator at Summit Hills, a Senior Living Community in Spartanburg, S.C., to Vice President of Quality Assurance based on her proven record of performance. Prior to her time at Summit Hills, Goodwin served as Director of Nursing at Skylyn Place in Spartanburg. In her current role, Goodwin monitors quality assurance guidelines at all 11 Senior Living Communities to maintain optimum performance standards. Goodwin earned an Associate of Science in Nursing from Spartanburg Community College and a B.A. from Columbia College. She is licensed as a registered nurse (RN), nursing home administrator (NHA) and Residential Care Facility Administrator in South Carolina.
Kelly Stranburg
Vice President of Member Services
Kelly draws on her experience as a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and manager to oversee a multi-faceted Wellness Program for both members and employees that focuses on the six dimensions of wellness: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual, and vocational. Previously, she served as the Corporate Fitness Manager for Philip Morris Cabarrus where she developed and implemented fitness and wellness programs for 2000 plus employees. The majority of Kelly's professional focus over the past decade has been fitness and wellness for the geriatric population and concentrating on balance, posture, fall prevention, flexibility, post rehab, and brain health. Kelly is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, certified Health Fitness Specialist with the American College of Sports Medicine, Personal Care Specialist, Certificate of Study in Managing Activities and Recreation Services for Assisted Living, and a member of the National Association of Activity Professionals. Kelly graduated with honors from St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Leisure Studies and attained a Master of Education in Applied Exercise Science from Springfield College.
Tim W. Andrews
Vice President of Construction
Tim's responsibilities include supervision, coordination, city and government liaison, and all other duties associated with start-up operations and maintenance of operational facilities. Previously, Tim served as director of development for Aaron Enterprises, having served in several related positions since joining the firm in 1989. Tim holds licenses and certificates in several maintenance and construction fields.
R. McSwain Bell
Vice President of Development and Procurement
Prior to joining Senior Living Communities, McSwain worked in project management for Shelco, Inc., a large general contractor based in Charlotte, NC. During that time, he managed the construction process for office, multi-family residential, retail, and industrial buildings. McSwain is a designated broker in charge (BIC) in the state of North Carolina. He has a BS in Construction Management from Clemson University.
Katherine Crockett
Vice President of Talent Management
Katherine Crockett brings a wealth of human resources experience to her position as Vice President of Talent Management at Senior Living Communities. Most recently, Crockett spent time as a Human Resources Representative at Brighton Gardens of Charlotte before being promoted to Regional Director of Human Resources with Sunrise Senior Living in McLean, Va. In her new role, Crockett will manage employee relations and retention while coordinating corporate training and development. Crockett received a B.S. in Psychology with a Concentration in Child Development from Appalachian State University.
Ellen Bleau
Vice President of Recruitment
Mrs. Bleau is a successful entrepreneur who joined Senior Living Communities in November 2009 from E&G Consulting, the recruiting and consulting firm she started in 2004. Prior to that, she served as an Executive Recruiter at Ajilon and as a Project Coordinator for Management Recruiters International where she received a Pace-Setter Award in 2002 for on-the-job excellence. Bleau graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a B.S. in Textiles Products Marketing and a Minor in Business.
Susan Ingle
Director of Development
Susan Ingle is an experienced professional with a strong background in relationship management, fundraising, project management and communications. Her impressive background includes stints at RAIN, Inc. and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she served as director of development and communication and director of development for the College of Health and Human Services, respectively.
Ingle also spent over twenty years at Duke Energy where she managed large corporate projects including the corporate chemical control team and the corporate pollution prevention steering committee. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a minor in Psychology.
Katie Huffstetler
Director of Public Relations
Katie manages communications for all ten Senior Living Communities. Using her background in corporate and agency public relations, she coordinates all aspects of media relations, consumer relations and community relations for the company. Most recently, Katie served as account executive at a sports marketing agency based in Huntersville, N.C., where she managed several accounts. Katie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is pursuing a Masters of Health Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.