The Samarkand Welcomes New Healthcare Administrator

Contact: Wendy D’Alessandro

 SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Janice Connelly has been named healthcare administrator at The Samarkand, a faith-based, non-profit continuing care retirement community operated by Covenant Retirement Communities. She will report to Executive Director Ruth Grande.

Connelly will direct and coordinate the daily operations at the senior living community’s 63-bed skilled nursing center. She directs a staff of 103.

Connelly has worked in the senior living industry for nearly 20 years. She came to The Samarkand after an award-winning tenure as executive director at Villa Maria Healthcare Center, Santa Maria, Calif. She also served as executive director at Arbor View Retirement Community, Santa Maria, and as administrator at Mission Gardens Skilled Care, Lompoc, Calif.

Ms. Connelly earned a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare administration from California State University of Long Beach and attended Western State University of Law, Irvine, Calif.

For more information on The Samarkand, visit www.TheSamarkand.org. For information on Covenant Retirement Communities, visit www.covenantretirement.org.

The Samarkand Appoints Jessica Briceño Dining Services Director

Contacts:
Ruth Grande, REGrande@covenantretirement.org
Wendy D’Alessandro, wendydalessandro@gmail.com

The Samarkand in Santa Barbara recently appointed Jessica Briceño as their new Dining Services Director. In her new role, Briceño will oversee all food and beverage operations at the community. She will also manage the Samarkand’s catering.

Briceño has a long history in the hospitality industry, working in the field for more than a decade. She previously served as the food and beverage manager at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, where she was recognized as Manager of the Year. She also worked for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts at several locations, including Venezuela, Texas and Hawaii, and was general manager of Pangea Bistro in West Palm Beach, Fla.

She is a graduate of Nueva Esparta University in Caracas, Venezuela, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in business administration in the tourism industry.

To learn more about The Samarkand, visit www.TheSamarkand.org. For information on Covenant Retirement Communities, visit www.covenantretirement.org.

The Meadows of Napa Valley Announces Plans for $67 Million Expansion of its Continuing Care Retirement Community

Contact: Amy Jones & Gabrielle Wallace, Forté Group, Inc.
ajones@fortegroupinc.com
gwallace@fortegroupinc.com

The Meadows of Napa Valley, a nonprofit resident-centered retirement community, is excited to announce plans for innovative renovations and a major expansion. The estimated $67 million project will add an additional 242,000 square feet of amenities and independent living apartments. The main aspects of the expansion will include 92 new apartments and underground parking, a state-of-the-art wellness and aquatic center and fully renovated dining venues. The stunning 900 square foot to 2,400 square foot apartments will be some of the most spacious offered at a retirement community in the Bay Area. The community will continue to provide a full range of health care services for an onsite continuum of care including assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing. Construction is expected to begin in spring of next year and will take an estimated 18 months to build.

“We are very excited about the extensive renovations and the expansion that will take place in our community,” said Wayne Panchesson, executive director of The Meadows of Napa Valley. “A lot of thought and strategic planning have gone into the various aspects of the project to ensure that we further enrich the lives of our residents. With the addition of our top-notch wellness center, spacious apartments and superb dining venues, we will provide even more opportunities for active retirees to be fulfilled during retirement and into their later years. We are thrilled to answer questions from people who live in the area, and we are currently creating a priority list of interested individuals who want to learn more. We can’t wait until our vision becomes a reality.”

Realizing the trend that people want more space in retirement than in the past, the project will include large and breathtaking apartments that all have nine-foot ceilings, large windows, and private balconies. Additionally, to encourage individuals to stay active and healthy as they age, the wellness and aquatic center will span over 6,000 square feet and allow for a full-size lap pool, a spa pool and an aerobics pool. The renovated dining venues will include a brand new experience with formal dining as well as a more casual bistro setting.

“We already do a lot to make life pleasurable for those who live here,” said Panchesson. “This is about taking it to the next level and continually evaluating how we can help seniors enjoy the life they want to live when they retire here in picturesque Napa Valley.”

To learn more about The Meadows of Napa Valley, visit www.retirement.org/meadowsnapa 

Klaus Richter Named Executive Chef at Covenant Village of Turlock

CONTACT: Laura J. Bemis, 209-632-9976, LJBemis@covenantretirement.org

TURLOCK, Calif.— Klaus Richter has been named executive chef at Covenant Village of Turlock, a faith-based, not-for-profit continuing care retirement community located at 2125 North Olive Avenue, Turlock, Calif. He is employed by the community’s dining services provider Sodexo and will report to Covenant Village of Turlock Dining Services Director Anne Dean.

In his new position, Richter will manage day-to-day food operations for the resident community, including casual and formal dining in the residential and assisted living and healthcare settings. He is responsible for managing and training a kitchen staff of 60, creating innovative, healthful menus, and managing the community’s catering services.

“Chef Klaus brings an international flair to our cuisine at Covenant Village, and our residents are already raving about his Mediterranean snapper dish,” said Executive Director Bob Howell.  “We’re pleased to have him on board.”

Born and raised in Vigo, Spain, Richter graduated from Escuela de Hosteleria San Javier Culinary School in La Coruña, Spain where he earned his Culinary Arts diploma. He brings to Covenant Village 25 years of culinary experience, during which he worked at The Arona Gran Hotel and Hotel Paradise Park, both four-star hotels in The Canary Islands, and trained with Swiss-born Chef Reto Demarmels in Boca Raton, Fla. Most recently, he was executive chef at Harbor’s Edge, Delray Beach, Fla.

Richter lives in Turlock, Calif.

To learn more about Covenant Village of Turlock,  visit www.CovenantVillageofTurlock.org

 

Orange County’s Quaker Gardens Senior Living Renames to Rowntree Gardens

Contact: Jason Sherman, Sherman Communications and Marketing

Nearly a half-century since its founding in 1965, Quaker Gardens Senior Living has been renamed Rowntree Gardens.

The 335-resident community, is one of Orange County’s only licensed, nonprofit, continuing care retirement communities. Rowntree Gardens is retooling nearly everything from its branding to its structures to its menus to its offerings.

In late 2013, Rowntree Gardens launched an extensive review to identify what changes would be necessary to flourish during the next 50 years. That review encompassed its internal and external audience perceptions and needs, services, physical infrastructure, brand promise and relevance.

“This is a very exciting and dynamic time at Rowntree Gardens,” explained Chief Executive Office and Board Chair Randy Brown. “We’re here to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of people through all seasons of life with compassionate and skilled care. We hope everything we do brings to life our vision statement, ‘To be a daily blessing to all we encounter.’”

Read the full press release.