​The Indiana Health Care Association/Indiana Center for Assisted Living (IHCA/INCAL) has appointed Paul Peaper president. Peaper will succeed Zach Cattell.

Peaper is a highly respected health care leader with deep experience in health and insurance policy, legislation, and state and federal regulations, especially those governing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. He most recently served as the executive director of strategic affairs and corporate partnerships at Indiana University Health.

Peaper brings more than a decade of leadership experience spearheading a variety of strategic and large-scale campaigns for the state. Most notably, he helped coordinate all aspects of Indiana’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic including testing, tracing, vaccination, and overall strategy during his employment with the Office of Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. He also served as the Governor’s senior advisor on all health care and insurance policy matters at both the state and federal level.

Monarch Communities has established its corporate office in White Marsh, Md., and now has a portfolio of seven East Coast communities. As part of its expansion, Bryan Burnette has been named vice president of project management. He will be responsible for overseeing the design and construction management of future developments throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Prior to this he was director of project management with Monarch where he led design and construction of three communities and renovation of four properties. Burnette brings more than 30 years of project management experience to this position.

Deanna DiStasio has been named vice president of operations. Most recently, she served as regional director of operations or communities in New York and Connecticut. DiStasio has worked more than 23 years in the senior living industry.

Max Ferentinos has been appointed vice president of real estate development. He will be responsible for new development across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. He was most recently vice president of real estate development and acquisitions with Artis Senior Living where he developed senior communities in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast for over a decade.

Helen Hames has been named director of marketing and sales enablement. She will be responsible for sales and marketing support across communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Hames previously was area sales director with Benchmark Senior Living and a sales specialist with Charter Senior Living. With six years in senior living, Hames brings over 20 years of marketing experience to this position.

Johanna Miller has been appointed senior director of finance. She was most recently founder and consultant of MaxPro Consulting in Smithtown, N.Y., where she offered guidance on business strategies to senior housing providers. For 11 years she served in many financial roles with Benchmark Senior Living in Waltham, Mass. In addition, she was a senior financial analyst and director of accounting and analysis with Sunrise Senior Living in McLean, Va. Miller has over 22 years of experience in senior living finance.

Lori Whitney has been named vice president of Life Care Centers of America’s Mountain States Division. In this position, she will oversee 37 skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Colorado, Hawaii, Texas, and Wyoming.

Since 2015, Whitney has served as Life Care’s Mountain States senior division rehab director. Prior to that, she spent 13 years serving in various post-acute health care leadership roles. She also had a stint with Life Care early in her career, serving as a physical therapist at a local facility.

“My passion is making a difference in people’s lives,” said Whitney. “It is my honor and privilege to serve alongside the wonderful leaders in the Mountain States Division.”

“She is able to lead because her teams can expect fair, consistent support,”said Mike Reams, Life Care’s senior vice president of rehab services.

Bridge Senior Living, Orlando, has promoted Katharine Anderson to vice president of marketing and digital strategy while Karen Ingram, ALA, takes on the role of vice president of sales support and customer experience.

Anderson joined Bridge Senior Living in early 2021 as digital marketing and communications director. Previously, she was a marketing specialist at Jupiter Medical Center and Hospital in Jupiter, Fla.

In the newly created position, Ingram will build and introduce a new first impression initiative to engage potential residents and their families during their debut visit to a Bridge Senior Living community. She will also drive customer service satisfaction and resident retention efforts by overseeing resident satisfaction surveys to help communities and their team members learn about and deliver more of what is valued most by residents.