Covenant Living names Darrell Baltimore COO
Darrell Baltimore has been named chief operating officer for Skokie, IL-based Covenant Living. He will work with leaders at each of the organization’s 20 communities across the country, guiding operations such as dining services, facilities management, resident life, skilled nursing, assisted living and memory support.
Baltimore has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of senior housing and dining operations. He most recently was a senior leader at Vi Living.
Baltimore is a US Army veteran with the 82nd Airborne Division and received his Master of Science in long-term care, senior housing and aging services from the University of North Texas and his Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the College of Charleston.
Commonwealth adds Matthew Sutton as regional VP of resident care
Matthew Sutton has been named regional vice president of resident care at Charlottesville, VA-based Commonwealth Senior Living.
Sutton has 14 years of senior living and care experience, having most recently served as the interim administrator at Canterbury Center, a Genesis Healthcare facility in Shepherdstown, WV. He began his career as a certified nursing assistant and licensed practical nurse at Westminster–Canterbury of the Blue Ridge. He went on to serve in leadership roles at Blue Ridge Senior Living, Canterbury Health and Rehabilitation Center and Westport Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Ensign Group appoints Mark Parkinson to board of directors
Mark Parkinson has been appointed to the board of directors at San Juan Capistrano, CA-based The Ensign Group, which as of June 30 has affiliates that provide assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation via 312 facilities across 14 states.
Parkinson recently retired from his role as president and CEO of the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living after serving during a term that had begun in January 2011. Before leading AHCA/NCAL, he was an attorney, a Kansas state legislator, lieutenant governor of Kansas (2007 to 2009) and governor of Kansas (2009 to 2011). Parkinson also built, owned and operated assisted living communities and nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri between 1996 and 2006.
He received the Career Achievement Award in 2024 as part of the McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards, where in 2023, he had received an “Industry Ally” award. McKnight’s also named Parkinson one of long-term care’s most notable figures of the past 40 years in 2020.
Parkinson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wichita State University and his law degree from the University of Kansas.
Village at Incarnate Word taps Le Roy Fields as CEO
Le Roy Fields has been appointed CEO of The Village at Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
Fields has 20 years of for-profit senior living leadership experience and previously has led multiple skilled nursing facilities in Central and South Texas.
He will begin his tenure at The Village on Nov. 11.
Saint Therese appoints Jenny Marchiniak chief people and culture officer
Jenny Marchiniak has been appointed chief people and culture officer at Saint Therese in St. Louis Park, MN.
Marchiniak’s career spans more than 20 years, during which time she has held human resources-related leadership positions for organizations including Allina Health, Health Dimensions Group, Fairview Health System affiliates Fairview Ventures and Fairview Pharmacy Services, HealthPartners, Bethel University and, most recently Trinity Health, where she was chief human resources officer.
Marchiniak has a bachelor’s degree in human resource management and a master’s degree in business administration from Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and is a senior certified professional, a senior professional in HR and a certified facilitator in cultural intelligence.
Mirador names Chuck Childress executive director
Chuck Childress has been named executive director at Mirador, a Methodist Retirement Communities’ continuing care retirement / life plan community in Corpus Christi, TX. He succeeds Deborah Nugent, who retired after 13 years in the position.
Before his work as a member of Mirador’s corporate team, Childress was the executive director at MRC’ PineCrest in Lufkin, TX. In 2018, he left MRC to explore a completely different industry, taking on the role of chief operating officer for a manufacturing company.
Previous roles in the senior living field also include executive director of Ventana by Buckner in Dallas and director of operations for Buckner Retirement Services.
Childress graduated from Stephen F. Austin with a Bachelor of Social Work and went on to receive a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Houston. He is also a licensed nursing home administrator with a long-term care administration post-master’s certificate as well as a licensed social worker.
Erickson adds Brian Cassidy as Seabrook sales director
Brian Cassidy has been named sales director at Seabrook, an Erickson Senior Living-managed retirement community in Tinton Falls, NJ.
Cassidy has more than 15 years of experience at Erickson, beginning at the age of 14 by working as a student server at Cedar Crest, an Erickson-managed community in Pompton Plains, NJ.
NCAL announces board officers, members
Mark Maxfield has been elected for a second term as chair of the board of the National Center for Assisted Living, the organization announced Friday.
Maxfield is the owner and CEO of The Cottages, offering assisted living and memory care throughout Idaho. He has been involved in the assisted living profession since 2001 and has served on the board for the Idaho Health Care Association and the Community Care Advisory Council.
The NCAL Board of Directors is elected by current members of the NCAL Board and by the NCAL state leaders. The election was held virtually this year due to the forced cancellation of Delivering Solutions 24, the 75th annual AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo, due to Hurricane Milton.
In fact, all NCAL Board officers are back for another year of service, including:
- Vice chair: Sarah Silva of Arete Living, Oregon
- Secretary/Treasurer: Dave Chensvold of HealthCARE of Iowa
- Immediate past chair: Gerald Hamilton of BeeHive Homes, New Mexico
At-large representatives on the NCAL Board:
- John Bolduc of Odd Fellows’ and Rebekah’s Home of Maine
- Todd Dockerty of Dockerty Health Care Services in Michigan
- Darryl Fisher of Mission Senior Living in Nevada
- Tandie Hastings of Companion Health Services in Oklahoma
- Drew Hood of Oak Terrace Senior Communities in Minnesota
- Tracy Lichti of New Cassel Retirement Center in Nebraska
- Meredith Mills of Country Meadows Retirement Communities in Pennsylvania
- Logan Pratt of Caring Places Management in Washington
- Jessica Pelligrino Tsoukalas of Bridgeway Senior Healthcare in New Jersey
- Julie Simpkins of Gardant Management Solutions in Indiana
- Jennifer Svoboda of Arete Living in Oregon
- Sharon Thole of Health Dimensions Group in Wisconsin
- Elizabeth Wheatley of Benchmark Senior Living in Massachusetts
- Kris Woolley of Avista Senior Living (Ariz.)
Additional NCAL Board members:
- American Health Care Association Vice Chair: Chris Wright of iCare Health Network, Connecticut
- ASHCAE Vice President: Tara Gregorio, Massachusetts Senior Care Association
- State affiliate representative: Doug Farmer, Colorado Health Care Association
- State affiliate representative: Zachary Shamberg, Pennsylvania Health Care Association
- Associate business member representative: Sarah Dirks of Pinnacle Quality Insight, an HCP Company
“As the role that assisted living plays in our nation’s care continuum grows, NCAL’s leadership will continue to rise to the occasion, and we’re fortunate to have such dedicated leaders on our Board of Directors,” NCAL Executive Director LaShuan Bethea said in a statement. “It’s my honor and privilege to work beside each of these individuals, and I look forward to seeing the impact they make on providers and caregivers as they serve our nation’s seniors.”
Phil Scalo, founder and chairman of Jackson, NJ-based Bartley Healthcare, was elected for a second term as chair of the AHCA Board of Governors.
“Phil and Mark clearly have a passion and vision for long-term care and senior living that will serve our profession well as the chairs of our boards,” AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Clif Porter said, adding that he looked forward to working with both boards.
Emerald Heights’ Alexandra Clark named Activity Director of the Year
Alexandra Clark, the wellness program manager at Emerald Heights in Redmond, WA, was named the 2024 Activity Director of the Year by the Washington State Association of Activity Professionals.
Clark has worked at Emerald Heights since 2017 and has been an active participant in WSAAP since 2019. She has spent almost 15 years working in activities.
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