Wayne was appointed by the Governor of New York to the New York State Life Care (Continuing Care Retirement) Community Council, and currently sits on the Board of Directors and is Chairman of the Legal Committee of the Empire State Association of Assisted Living (ESAAL).  Wayne is also an Associate Member of the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), sat on the board of the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), and was a founding Board Member of both the Connecticut Assisted Living Association (CALA) and the New Jersey Assisted Living Association (NJALA).  Wayne was appointed to the New York State 1995 Governor’s Conference on Aging by the New York State Office for the Aging to develop New York State’s platform for the 1995 White House Conference on Aging.  He has also been appointed as a receiver by the N.Y.S. Supreme Court for an unaffiliated third party’s assisted living facility in a mortgage foreclosure action, and has been a featured speaker at international, national, regional and local senior housing forums, including the United Nations International Conference on Urban Senior Housing, The New York State Bar Association, the Assisted Living Federation of America, the National Association of Senior Living Industries, the Connecticut Assisted Living Association, the City Club of New York, the International Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (NACORE), on the WABC TV show in New York City entitled Seniors, and on the WLIE Talk Radio show – “Seniors on the Move,” and as a panelist on a webinar – “Creating Growth through Value-Add and Repositioning Seniors Housing” sponsored by Senior Care Investor and Red Capital. In addition, Wayne has been featured in and written articles for numerous publications, including The New York Times, Newsday, the New York Law Journal, the New York Real Estate Journal, Provider Magazine, Assisted Living Today, Spectrum Magazine, and Multi-Housing News.

Wayne received his law degree from the George Washington University School of Law and also received his undergraduate degree in Business from the University of Rhode Island.

Prior to co-founding Premier Senior Living, Bob was counsel to the firm Phillips Nizer, LLP in its New York City office. His specialty was health law. He started his legal career with the Wall Street law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell and founded the largest health law firm in the country in 1978, which was then named Epstein Becker Borsody and Green.

Bob’s public service positions have included the New York State Council on Health Care Financing (N.Y.S. Assembly Speaker appointee) from 1978 to present; the New York Statewide Health Coordinating Council (N.Y.S. Governor appointee); member of the Advisory Panel on Regulation and Competition in the Health Care Industry to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Health and the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust.

He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Association of New York City, and has held memberships on the following boards: Board of Directors of the New York Business Group on Health (Chairman of the Board from 1984 to 1987); Board of Directors – Health Law Project, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (a federally funded national health law reform program); and the Board of Trustees of the Dominican Sisters Family Health Services, Inc.

Bob received his Law Degree from the University of Virginia Law School and also received his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Mercedes has also been charged with and has successfully implemented and provided oversight to ensure regulatory compliance in the states of: New York, Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts – at times overseeing 15 communities at one time.

Mercedes has successfully implemented Assisted Living, Adult Home, Enriched Housing Programs, Licensed Home Care Agencies, Social and Medical Day Programs, and Mental Health Programs. She has strong qualifications in quality assurance, strategic planning, project development, finances, human resources, and capital improvements.

Mercedes’ professional affiliations include: Empire State Association of Assisted Living member since 2001, Assisted Living Services Committee member since 2008, and past President of Broome County Assisted Living Board.

Mercedes received her Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration from the New School for Social Research and also received a Bachelor of Science in Community and Human Services from the State University of New York, Empire State College.

Stephanie’s prior experience includes 10 years with Emeritus Senior Living. While serving as a Director in Community Accounting, she oversaw and directed the full cycle accounting and reporting for 140 communities. She also reviewed staff variance analysis and P&L reports, prepared consolidations and rollups for divisional and ownership structures, and was instrumental in driving the month-end closing process down to eight business days. As the Director for Revenue Accounting and Business Office Training, Stephanie established, directed and oversaw centralized revenue accounting and business office training for 475-plus assisted living communities. She also prepared and analyzed departmental budgets and oversaw, developed and executed the training for the simultaneous integration of 180 new communities during 2010. Prior to Emeritus, Stephanie was the Controller for the Boxlight Corporation and also served as an Senior Auditor for Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst & Young)

Stephanie graduated Magna Cum Laude with her B.A. in Accounting from Midwestern State University and is a licensed CPA.

Ms. Bare oversees all sales related duties and tasks at each community and spends time in the field with the marketing staff visiting health care professionals and other potential referral sources. Ms. Bare uses her demonstrated track record of leading new business development, burgeoning niche market strategies and exceptional sales growth at each of Premier’s communities. She is a nationally recognized leader and motivator with the ability to attain double-digit revenue growth despite challenging economic climates who can transform average marketing teams into high performing sales leaders. Ms. Bare is an influential communicator, an incomparable closer and an exceptional team builder with the ability to gain the trust, cooperation and commitment of management, staff and residents. Her core competencies include Business Development, Sales & Marketing, Brand Development, Market Trends, Team Leadership, Communication, Mentoring, Budget Development & Adherence, Cross-Functional Team Development Business Analysis, Account Management, Process Streamlining, Customer Relations & Profit and Volume Growth.

Ms. Bare’s past experience includes being the Executive Director of Premier’s Summit at New Port Richey, an assisted living and memory care community; the Senior Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Elmcroft Assisted Living where she oversaw the sales teams and training initiatives for 32 communities in 10 states; and the Marketing Specialist for the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Tampa, FL.

Ms. Engel assists the Executive Directors with interviewing, orienting and training new Wellness Directors to ensure that they have an understanding of Premier’s policies and procedures, all relevant Federal laws, codes and regulations, and each state’s Assisted Living regulations. She provides support and direction to each community’s Wellness Director in determining proactive resident care strategies to improve resident retention and she oversees and performs level of care assessment audits to assure care assessments adequately support the needs of each resident and that Premier is producing accurate billing for services rendered. Ms. Engel also conducts pre-surveys and accuracy audits at each community and works with the Executive Directors to correct any findings identified during State surveys and proactively implements systems to prevent future findings in the same and other areas. In addition, Ms. Engel provides advice and counsel on Quality Assurance and Risk Management matters to the communities and the Management team.

Ms. Engel was previously the Executive Director of Premier’s Westbrook Assisted Living and Memory Care facility in Upper Sandusky, OH. Prior to that, she was the Nursing Supervisor, Unit Manager and Wound Nurse at the Kenton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Kenton, OH, and was the Staff Nurse at the Fairhaven Community in Upper Sandusky, OH, where she provided residential and assisted living services as well as skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.

Ms. Engel received her Practical Nursing degree from Brown Mackie College.

She also supervises the ordering of food and supplies, the maintenance of the food service areas and equipment in sanitary conditions, and assures the smooth operation of food service with all other assisted living departments.  Ms. Martin also makes family connections within the communities with our programs which include: Guest Chefs, Private Dining services, Table-Side Serving and many more of Premier Senior Living’s enhanced dining experiences.

Ms. Martin has over 35 years of experience in the food service field.  She started her career as a dietary hostess.  Ms. Martin received her Certified Food Service Director degree while working for the Presbyterian Homes of Western New York.  After completing her degree, she became the Food Service Director at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Home near Buffalo.  After 10 years, she was promoted to Director for the Dining Departments for both the St. Luke’s and the St. Andrews Facilities.  She worked for Presbyterian Homes for 25 years before coming to Premier Senior Living to expand her expertise.

Kathleen teams with the CFO to oversee and manage the company’s employee benefits program including the 401k plan. In addition, she assists the CFO with the risk management processes including the evaluation and acquisition of all lines of insurance products including workman’s compensation. Kathleen is also responsible for implementing new processes in Paychex to increase productivity, labor analysis, policies and procedures.
Kathleen Hooker is a licensed Assisted Living Administrator with over 25 years of experience in accounting, human resources and marketing in the banking, advertising and publishing industries providing a varied background of experience. Kathleen joined Premier Senior Living four years ago as the Business Office Manager of Summit at New Port Richey Assisted Living and Memory Care and was subsequently promoted to the Executive Director of the New Port Richey facility. Kathleen has served as a controller and general manager for over 20 years in many industries. She has participated in the ERP software conversions in two agencies. As General Manager of Club Marketing, Inc., Kathleen managed the accounts of such clients as Toll Brothers, Troon Golf and other exclusive Golf and Country Club properties throughout the United States. As General Manager of Sullivan Advertising Group, Inc., Kathleen worked with BIC® and other specialty marketing companies. Her tenures with other advertising houses includes work with McDonalds, Twentieth Century Fox, MGM Studio, and Wellcraft Boats. Kathleen also has six years of experience in the banking industry. Kathleen graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL and obtained her MBA from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.

Chris Mayer is responsible for streamlining certain processes and provide efficiencies that will result in value-adding changes and more timely and reliable financial information. His leadership and strong example will continue to enhance our financing department through mentorship and training whenever possible.
Previously, Chris worked for eight years as an Accounting Manager with Emeritus Senior Living (recently purchased by Brookdale Senior Living). He managed all aspects of the monthly accounting close for all assisted living communities. While at Emeritus Senior Living, he was a key participant in the implementation of a new ERP system, managed the post-close accounting process for several large acquisitions and was responsible for overseeing multiple aspects of the annual public company audit. Chris also briefly worked in the hospitality industry but has spent the majority of his career in the assisted living realm. He also served as the Accounting Manager for Wyndham Vacation Ownership and was responsible for the coordination and supervision of the monthly close process for all vacation resorts, management companies and HOAs, as well as the subsequent production of all financial statements and board packages.
Chris Mayer received his Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Western Washington University and is a licensed CPA in the state of Washington.

Amy is a licensed Community Administrator with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She has risen through the ranks to achieve the highest position in the communities in which she has worked. Amy has achieved success by operating communities that satisfy residents and families while maintaining the profitability of the communities in which she served. As a result of her success and her outgoing, enthusiastic personality, she enjoys a reputation in the industry that is hard to beat.
Amy began her career in the healthcare industry when she was just 16 years old. She has been in leadership positions for the past 15 years. Amy’s past experience includes operating facilities with a minimum of 100 beds. She spent part of her career working for Emeritus Senior Living, a large national assisted living provider. Prior to becoming the Director of Operations for Premier Senior Living, LLC, Amy served as the Executive Director at Hampshire House, our community in the lush valleys of Oneonta, NY.
Amy received her BA in Gerontology from State University at Cortland, her Masters in Social Work and her PhD in Behavioral Studies from Canyon University.