About Us.

Sophia has been a registered nurse since 2010. She began her career in health care as a Nurse Manager shortly after became an Assistant Director of Nursing and few years took on the role as Senior Director of Health and Community Services. She is a Certified Nurse Educator and an Adjunct Faculty Member in the school of nursing. Sophia is a member of Minnesota Director of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Sophia has a Master’s of Science Degree in Nurse Education from Bethel University.

Wayne has over 25 years of leadership experience managing design and construction in a myriad of medium to large-scale commercial projects. His experience in the senior living industry includes managing the construction of two urban high rise CCRCs, working from development through commissioning including obtaining a LEED Platinum certification. Wayne is a graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design.

David has over 30 years of experience in the non profit sector as an Executive Director. His passion is giving voice to those in our community that have none. With a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Social Work, he specializes in fundraising, creating new funding streams and Advocacy work. He loves the challenge of helping those in need in the Puget Sound.

Originally from International Falls, MN Laurie has moved south in hundred mile increments and now resides in Minneapolis. Laurie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology, is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and Licensed Social Worker. In her career she has worked in private for profit and non-profit long term care, transitional care, memory care, assisted living and independent living. Laurie has held the positions of Workers Comp Coordinator, Social Services Director, Care Center Administrator, Campus Administrator and Executive Director. In her free time, she enjoys motorcycling, gardening, walking and cooking.

Paul brings 15+ years of senior living leadership experience with a focus on outreach, training and sales strategy. Prior to joining Transforming Age Paul has progressively grown his career in both Home Health Care Operations & Sales and Senior Living Sales with CCRCs, Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care communities. Over the course of his career, he has cultivated his teams to grow and thrive with his deep knowledge of sales best-practices, strategic marketing plans, results-driven advertising campaigns, and marketing analytics.

Meredith Bradshaw came to Transforming Age through their affiliation with Elder Care Alliance where she served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications since September 2021. She brings more than 20 years of digital, integrated marketing and communication experience with an expertise in integrated communications, digital communications, social media marketing, and digital marketing. Most recently, Meredith was the VP of Marketing and Communications for the education non-profit EducationSuperHighway where they successfully upgraded the bandwidth of 98% of US public schools for digital learning in the classroom. Previously Meredith was a Partner at FleishmanHillard, where she created digital communications programs for various clients. Meredith lives in San Francisco and loves to get outdoors with her dog Benedict Cumberbatch (AKA Benny).

Julie has over 25 years of experience in the senior living industry. She provides accounting and financial services oversight to Transforming Age’s affiliates GSI and CiRC’s third-party managed communities. Julie also prepares financial projections for new 55+ active communities under development, and reviews projections for possible acquisition targets. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and has over 35 years of accounting experience including time spent in public accounting. Julie is based in Omaha, Nebraska.

Kristen is a 20 year veteran of the senior living industry with sales and marketing expertise in both independent and assisted living. She specializes in sales best-practices, strategic marketing plans, results-driven advertising campaigns, and marketing analytics. Kristen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Management from New York University and is a graduate of the LeadingAge Leadership Institute.

Kim has nearly 15 years of financial management experience in the healthcare industry in both the hospital and senior living sectors. She has experience with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and most recently served as the CFO of McGregor Foundation. Kim also has five years of experience as a former healthcare auditor with Deloitte and is a CPA in the State of Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Kent State University and Masters of Business Administration from John Carroll University.

Alicia Hoppers is the Vice President of Affordable Housing at Transforming Age. With a background in finance and asset management, Alicia has worked with diverse housing portfolios spanning 3,000 homes in 60 communities to create sustainable operations. She has repositioned projects through innovative financing and creative partnerships. Alicia promotes a culture of excellence and fosters an environment for people to excel. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a Masters of Business Administration from Western Governors University. When she is not working, Alicia enjoys spending time with family and furry babies.

Scott has worked with nonprofit organizations for 40 years. His years of development experience include work in education, consulting, health care and religious philanthropy. He previously served as Director of Development for three nonprofit organizations and as a fund development consultant. He has guided a variety of nonprofit organizations in annual giving, major gift appeals, capital fund appeals, strategic planning, and board development. His bachelor’s degree in Education and Master Degrees in Theology and Educational Administration have helped lay the groundwork for sharing his passion for philanthropy – the love of humankind.

MacBeth brings more than 23 years of senior living leadership experience and joins the Transforming Age network after twelve years with LCS in Des Moines, IA. During his tenure at LCS MacBeth held the role of Vice President Development with direct oversight of 20 projects comprised of new Life Plan development, re-development, and rental products with $2.0 Billion project value.

Torsten has over 17 years of experience as an executive in the hospitality and senior living industry. Prior to joining Transforming Age, Torsten held executive positions at Oakmont Senior Living as well as Pacific Retirement Services responsible for the startup, operations and management of multiple CCRCs and communities. Torsten holds a master’s degree in Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, both from Southern Oregon University. He also received a bachelor’s in International Tourism Studies from Hochschule Harz, in Wernigerode, Germany.

A certified public accountant, Michael Connell has worked within the senior living industry for over 20 years in finance and accounting roles. Michael has served as the CFO for multiple complex senior living organizations. He has a proven track record of developing and leading strategic initiatives with high annual growth. Michael has played a key role in multiple bond financing transactions dealing with both “new money” and refinance totaling in excess of a half of billion dollars. He has experience with various bond structures, re-structures, and financing strategies. Michael also has five years of experience as a former healthcare and long term care specialist auditor for Ernst & Young LLP. He earned his Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, in Accounting from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York.

Marc Gaber has over 25 years of technology leadership experience. Prior to joining Transforming Age, Marc was the Chief Information Officer for LCS Senior Living where he provided leadership, vision and strategic direction for their technology initiatives that provided value to their corporate operations as well as their 140 communities and 40,000 residents. During his time at LCS, Marc was part of the Argentum Information Technology Roundtable, Iowa CIO Forum and participated in multiple Senior Housing News Technology Panels. Marc has also held leadership roles within the technology consulting, technology start-up and banking industries.

Ken has more than 35 years of senior living leadership experience with a focus on operations, project development and strategy amid CCRCs and senior living rental communities. Prior to joining Transforming Age Ken served as the Senior Vice President of the nation’s 3rd largest builder of senior living communities. Over the course of his career, he has cultivated a deep knowledge of all aspects of senior living having served in many different roles and capacities at national operators including Covenant Living, Asbury Communities and Retirement Living Services. As Executive Director, VP of Project Development, SVP of Operations, and Chief Strategy Officer, Ken has pioneered operational systems and industry-wide benchmarks as well as the planning and execution of many campus redevelopments. Ken earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from North Park University and his MBA from Loyola University, Chicago. He has also been a licensed NHA and RCFE.

David has over 25 years of multidisciplinary experience as a senior-living executive, including work in strategic planning, project development, merger and acquisition, and troubled-project advisory services. Through his leadership David guides growth for Transforming Age and its affiliates. David received his Bachelor of Arts in economics, accounting and philosophy (magna cum laude) from North Park University and a Master of Arts in health administration from the University of Chicago.

Ashlee brings more than 14 years of legal, senior living, and healthcare experience including working with Kindred Healthcare and Ensign Services, Inc. In her previous capacity of Associate General Counsel at Ensign she oversaw risk management, regulatory, litigation management, and legal support to nursing, assisted living, CCRC, and independent living facilities. Ashlee obtained a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University in 2020. She holds a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University Law School as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Duke University. She is licensed in Washington State, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (inactive). She also is a former Certified Nursing Assistant.

Adriene joins the Transforming Age Senior Leadership Team as the SVP of Customer Experience and the President of Transforming Age+. Adriene previously served as President and CEO of Elder Care Alliance (ECA), one of Transforming Age’s newest affiliates, where she spearheaded a strategic planning process which ultimately led to the strategic decision to identify the right partner organization for a value-aligned affiliation to support ECA’s sustainable mission growth. Adriene has extensive experience guiding the operations of not-for-profit organizations. Before joining Elder Care Alliance in 2010, she served for 15 years as Vice President of Operations at the CNH District Church Extension Fund, a $60 million church loan fund. Her responsibilities ranged from oversight of finance to marketing, underwriting, loan placement, and construction draw management. For more than a decade, she served as chair of the board for a startup Continuing Care Retirement Community, providing her with valuable, firsthand knowledge of the senior living industry. Adriene holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Santa Clara University.

Karen has more than 20 years of experience in Human Resources, including employee relations and engagement, compensation, performance management, recruiting, HR operations, compliance, diversity and inclusion, learning and development, and employer branding. In addition, she is a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) through the Society for HR Management (SHRM). Karen graduated from the Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor’s degree in English.

Frankie has been a leader in the senior living industry since 2003 and has extensive experience spearheading the development of new communities, acquisition & disposition of existing communities, and community operations. As an ardent advocate for 55+ housing and care, Frankie is also actively involved with collaborative organizations focused on industry betterment. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Nebraska. Frankie resides in Omaha with his two awesome children.

Making food for people is instant satisfaction. Each plate you serve has an ability to make or break a person’s entire demeanor before it is even tasted. I can remember some dishes I have served in my 20+ years of dining experience where safely tucked away back in the heat and sweat of the cook’s line, I didn’t have to see them face to face. Here at Transforming Age (Sous Chef for the past 4 ½ years) it has been my great pleasure to look my customers in the face, morning, noon and night – so I gotta get it right!

My name is Jasmine. I am the Culinary Director at Tradition in Brooklyn Park, MN. I was hired for my first job at Tradition in May of 2009 at the age of 16. I quickly realized that I loved working with seniors and being able to help them. I progressed my way through the department slowly getting promotions and small awards. Looking back almost 12 years now I never imagined that I would still be working at the place I love and in the position I am now in – running the department.

As a server I never knew it was possible to be a Culinary Director, but I had a great supervisor who showed me anything is possible. He believed in me, continued to train me and worked with me. Throughout my twenties I continued my college education studying Business Administration but struggled knowing what I wanted to do as a career and changed my major almost 10 times. I never gave up on school, or Tradition, and graduated in the Spring of 2018 while working full time.

We have a lot of wonderful people at this organization who really care about our residents. As someone who works in administration it helps me to know what I’m doing makes a difference. It makes my day when I’m doing something that improves the lives of people in our communities.

It’s been neat to see a small team take on more as we grow. We have all these different avenues to learn and grow.The top-down attitude is that is doesn’t matter what our title, we all have a responsibility to speak up about where we see potential for improvement. This is a great company for that.

We have been pioneering a lot of avenues in our company. There is a lot of change, and looking to the future. It’s a fast-paced environment. We’re used to changing and not getting set in our ways. We’ve found lots of success by responding and getting out ahead of change.

When Coronavirus made its unceremonial and unwelcomed entry in the country the staff was uncertain. As we all know, this deadly disease spread like wildfire all over the U.S. and the world. The inception of those uncertain times ignited special strength in many people. While some people dwindled themselves to almost nothing and retreated, many of our team members showed resolution and commitment to keep COVID-19 out of our community. Every measure necessary to keep residents and staff safe was adhered accordingly with an “all hands on deck” approach. The team remained resolute and pushed for not only excellent cares for residents but complete and continued action with every level of prudence to shield Heathers Manor from this virus.

Eight or nine months into the battle, the virus managed to infiltrate our defenses. Several staff and residents had to quarantine. It seemed to some that our long fought battle may have finally failed and we may hit rock bottom. However, team members shifted into an even higher gear to get regain control. Team work paid off greatly! The virus fought hard but the Heathers Manor team fought even harder and won! Everyone played their role effectively and efficiently. The domino effect of complete team work put us back on track.

This does not dilute or downplay the countless efforts by all of our team members in any way but it is, however, worth mentioning one person with specificity here, our Executive Director, Kristel. She joined the team members in their work to deliver food to both quarantined and other residents of our community. She did this every day. In many cases when there is danger, leaders retrieve or retreat to lead from behind. Not with standing, she led boldly by example. Bravo to our ED and all who helped us fight against the pandemic! Please keep it up!

Hello, my name is Kathryn I am a Nursing Assistant at The Rivers. My passion started when I was 16 taking care of my uncle on hospice, that was when I knew my calling was in caregiving. I have been with The Rivers for 6 years and counting. Transforming Age has been a big part of my life as I love the residents and think of them every day. Fulfilling their daily needs is a huge passion of mine and what makes them happy makes me happy. Seeing a smile on their face feels so rewarding. I value my job and the staff that I work with, are a good team!

My name is Rebecca. I am a part time Concierge at The Rivers, I have been working at The Rivers for over a year. Working with seniors has helped me realize that I love and enjoy being part of a community that is kind. Here at The Rivers it is all about Team work that makes every day a better day.

I’ve been with Transforming Age since 2012. I was hired as Staff Accountant to focus on all billing for our CCRCs in Washington and to work on special projects. I was promoted to Senior Accountant role in 2016, then took on Treasury/banking responsibilities, tracking our system occupancy and all billing for WA communities. We’ve grown so much but we’ve stayed connected. Working here is more like a family environment and it’s all because of the people.