Our 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.
Richard Conway
Managing Director – Development
In his nearly 30 years in the development and construction industry, Mr. Conway has covered the entire spectrum of project management. He has spearheaded a multitude of successful projects from high-end institutional and multi-family residential projects, to commercial office buildings for Fortune 500 corporations.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech. Prior to joining Senior Living Communities, Mr. Conway served as President of O’Neal Constructors, an integrated design-build company with three divisions in the Southeast, as Vice President of Development with Banyan Senior Living and Vice President of Swift Construction Company.
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.
Charity Hefley-Leigh
Vice President of Operations
As Vice President of Operations for Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, Charity oversees the daily operations of six Senior Living Communities. She came to Senior Living Communities from Genesis Rehab where she most recently served as Customer Services Director for the Senior Living Communities account. Prior to that position, she acted as Area Director for South Carolina and Georgia where she managed 23 rehab contracts in skilled nursing, assisted living, and CCRCs. Before joining Genesis, Charity served as a Director of Home Health and Hospice with Hitchcock Healthcare and as a Director of Rehabilitation Services with Cleveland Regional Medical Center. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of South Carolina in 1996.
Aniello Salierno
Chief Information Officer
Aniello Salierno was named Chief Information Officer of Senior Living Communities in June 2010. He has been with the company since 2003 when he accepted the role of Finance Director for The Lakes at Pointe West, a Florida retirement community now managed by Senior Living Communities. Within three years, he excelled to the leadership position of Vice President of Operations overseeing Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. As Vice President of Operations, Mr. Salierno maintained operating responsibilities for a portfolio of 10 retirement communities while also actively participating in the strategic development and growth of the company’s policies and functional departments. In addition to his background in sound fiscal management, Mr. Salierno also developed expertise in core functional areas such as information technology and networking, human resources, sales and marketing, and construction financing. As CIO, Mr. Salierno has actively planned and led the strategic implementation of information technologies including networking and telecommunications systems. Primarily focused on the integration of multiple legacy health record and financial systems into one comprehensive solution, Mr. Salierno is currently engaged in deploying new technology and intelligence to facilitate critical data analytics. Prior to joining Maxwell Group, he served as the assistant to branch manager for Raymond James Financial, Inc. Mr. Salierno graduated with a BS in Finance from the University of Florida and is Licensed as a Florida Assisted Living Administrator.
Doris Afam, RN
Vice President of Clinical Services
Mrs. Afam, RN, currently serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services for Senior Living Communities. She is a licensed nursing home administrator in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. She is also a certified geriatric nurse with the ANCC. Before joining SLC, Mrs. Afam spent nearly a decade serving as the administrator at Britthaven in Charlotte, NC. She also enjoyed successful tenures as Director of the Divine Health Academy (Charlotte), Director of Nursing Services at Brian Center Nursing and Rehab (Concord, NC) and ADON/ MDS Coordinator for Forrest Oaks Health Center (Albemarle, NC).
Jeff Alexander
Director of Philanthropy
Jeff is the Director of Philanthropy for Senior Living Communities. Jeff joined Senior Living Communities following a career in software development for bank trust departments and in the last twenty-five years as a business development specialist in the financial services industry. Throughout his career, Jeff has been involved in training, marketing, customer support and sales. Jeff took time out from a successful sales career to become the Executive Director of a not-for-profit with a primary role in fundraising. In addition, Jeff has spent significant time working on church boards fulfilling his heart’s desire for serving others. In his role at Senior Living Communities, Jeff assists various local non-profit charitable organizations in the communities we serve in their fundraising and grant efforts. The goal is to place a focus on the charitable efforts based on our belief of aiding those in need. Additionally, Jeff oversees the foundations that have been established at our communities to provide benevolent care for residents whose funds have been depleted.
Tim W. Andrews
Vice President of Facility Services
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.
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.
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.
Marti DiTaranto
Vice President of Sales Training
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.
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.
Katie Huffstetler
Chief Communications Officer
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.
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.
Kathy Lowe, R.N.
Senior VP of Home Care Services, Live Long WellCare
Kathy is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of clinical/managerial experience. She has over 11 years experience in long-term care, having served as a risk manager, licensed assisted living administrator and executive director at a long-term care facility. Lowe is also an experienced intensive care nurse, and has spent seven years in the home healthcare industry. She was promoted from her position as vice president of clinical services and compliance to senior vice president of Home Care services. As senior vice president, she oversees the home health programs in our Senior Living Campuses in North Carolina, South Carolina & Florida & is actively working to implement home health licensure in our other campuses. Prior to becoming vice president of clinical services and compliance for Live Long WellCare, Kathy worked as healthcare administrator and marketing director for Osprey Village, a Senior Living Community located on Amelia Island, Fla. Kathy is a licensed assisted living administrator and certified Alzheimer's disease instructor through the University of South Florida’s Training Academy on Aging. In 2009, Lowe was named one of Nassau County’s "Top 25 Business Women," for her commitment to local seniors.
Tom Senger
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
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.
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.
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.
Click here to see our Board Members