The Welch Senior Living Team

Paul Casale Sr. - Headshot

Paul T. Casale, Sr.
President,
Welch Senior Living

Paul T. Casale, Sr. has 50 years of experience in the management and financing of skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and senior living communities. He served as vice president and treasurer of Welch Healthcare & Retirement Group from 1986 through 2016. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association. Mr. Casale also has significant experience in leading the development of SNFs, retirement communities, assisted living communities, assisted living memory care residences, and skilled nursing facilities.

Experience

  • Principal in ownership entities of the Welch Senior Living properties
  • Since 1976 responsible for the financial management of the business and development activities related to new Welch facilities
  • Director, Massachusetts Assisted Living Association and former director and second vice president, Massachusetts Senior Care Association

Paul Casale Jr.

Paul T. Casale, Jr.
Executive Vice President,
Welch Senior Living

Paul T. Casale, Jr. has over 25 years of experience organizing, streamlining, and strengthening operations to maximize team performance and resident satisfaction. Successfully devised innovative systems and processes to deliver quality resident services. Focused customer service-oriented leader with outstanding strategic planning, process improvement, and problem-solving skills. Collaborates on the development and execution of marketing plans.

Relevant Experience

  • As Executive Director of Allerton House at Central Park in Weymouth has delivered a consistently strong performance for the 96-unit independent living, assisted living, and memory care residence
  • Managed construction phase and opening of community with approximately 95% occupancy during the past 16 years
  • Managed the successful opening of the award-winning Duxbury House Memory Care Residence at The Village at Duxbury
  • Provides strategic direction and defines operational tactics to ensure alignment with corporate objectives
  • Serves on the Leadership Committee of Massachusetts Assisted Living Association

Vijay Popat Headshot

Vijay Popat, CPA
Chief Financial Officer,
Welch Senior Living

Vijay Popat has more than 20 years of experience in the post-acute healthcare industry, having served in many different financial capacities for senior living organizations and communities. He has been a licensed Certified Public Account in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 2001.

Relevant Experience

  • Managed all accounting/finance functions within skilled nursing and assisted living management companies and senior living communities
  • Spent more than 10 years in public accounting specializing in senior living and post-acute care
  • Specialties include post-acute healthcare, accounting, third-party reimbursement, financial reporting, individual and entity federal and state taxes and tax planning, finance internal controls management, state, and government-required healthcare cost reports for long-term care facilities, HUD reporting and guidelines, and low-income tax credit compliance

Tom Bell Headshot

Tom Bell
Director, Operations, Welch Senior Living & Executive Director, Village of Proprietors Green

Tom Bell has 35 years of experience in hospitality managing hotels, resorts, and restaurants. His background in hospitality leadership aligns with the perspective that a successful senior living community depends on providing both proper care and an exceptional quality of life. Feeling right at home, Mr. Bell enjoys the personal aspect of his work, building positive relationships with the staff, residents, and their families.


Tom Nolan Headshot

Thomas Nolan
Director, Human Resources, Welch Senior Living & Executive Director, Allerton House at Central Park in Weymouth

Thomas Nolan serves as the Director of Human Resources for Welch Senior Living. He has over 35 years of experience in the operation and management of skilled nursing centers and senior living communities. Mr. Nolan oversees the Centralized Human Resource Function and is responsible for Human Resource policy development and implementation, as well as employee benefits management.

Relevant Experience

  • Served for 19 years as Administrator of the John Scott House Rehabilitation & Nursing Center and seven years as Director of Human Resources
  • Developed and provided training to facilities to improve safety and decrease staff incidents resulting in lower numbers related to staff injuries and Worker’s Compensation premiums
  • Responsible for employee benefit contract negotiations with brokers and insurance companies, resulting in lower employee benefit costs

Valerie Sturtevant Headshot

Valerie Sturtevant
Director, Marketing & Communications,
Welch Senior Living

Valerie Sturtevant has over 15 years of experience in both internal and external communications. As Director of Marketing and Communications for Welch Senior Living, she leads the organization’s joint brand efforts. Mrs. Sturtevant creates and implements strategic marketing efforts that promote Welch brand recognition and each of its individual communities, resulting in lead generation and sales. She also directs and oversees all digital and traditional marketing and communications projects, including media relations, design, content creation, and updates for websites and social media within the Welch Senior Living portfolio.

Relevant Experience

  • Demonstrated track record developing strategic projects and campaigns, specializing in public relations, social media, and digital advertising
  • Extensive experience with Advertising, Crisis Communications, Event Planning, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media, and Web Development

Leanne Welch Headshot

Leanne B. Welch
Director, Community Relations,
Welch Senior Living

Leanne Welch has over 18 years of experience in the skilled nursing industry and in senior living encompassing independent living, assisted living, and memory care. She has extensive experience in internal and external sales outreach for assisted living and memory care.

Relevant Experience

  • Admissions Director for the 173-bed Colonial Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Weymouth, directing and managing all aspects of the admission process
  • Developed and maintained relationships with professional referral sources, families, and residents as they transition to skilled nursing
  • For a 91-unit assisted living and memory care community implemented a sales/marketing plan designed to exceed occupancy goals
  • Extensive professional senior living contacts on South Shore for the purpose of outreach and lead generation

Shannon Fenerjian, RN, CDP
Regional Director of Resident Care & Compliance, Welch Senior Living

Shannon Fenerjian has several years of clinical, management, and education experience as a Registered Nurse in home health, and critical care, and overseeing the regulatory affairs for assisted living communities, including those with dedicated and integrated dementia programs. 

Relevant Experience

  • Dementia programming experience in assisted living settings
  • Fenerjian is a Certified Dementia Practitioner
  • Expert on MA Assisted Living Regulatory Compliance
  • Supervision, training, teaching, and policy development and consultation
  • Experience in Home Health, Rehabilitation, Independent, Assisted, and Memory Care Senior Living

Laurie Guthrie Headshot

Laurie Welch Guthrie, MSW, LCSW, CDP
Regional Memory Care Coordinator and Senior Social Worker,
Welch Senior Living

Laurie Welch Guthrie has over 10 years of experience in the nursing and rehabilitation industry as well as in providing consultative services in the adult day health setting. She uses this previous experience to provide support and consultation to residents, families, and staff of the assisted living communities.

Relevant Experience

  • Targeted continuing education and training in providing service and assistance to older adults and their loved ones
  • Clinical experience in providing support in many areas including crisis intervention, development of relationships, transition to new settings, and facilitating referrals to needed or appropriate services
  • Mrs. Welch Guthrie is a Certified Dementia Practitioner
  • She is responsible for the ongoing implementation of family support, resident-centered programming, and continuous quality improvement for all Memory Care Programming within the Welch Senior Living communities

Guy Hemond
Culinary and Dining Experience Advisor
Welch Senior Living

Guy Hemond assists culinary operations across all Welch Senior Living communities, ensuring high-quality dining services for residents no matter their location. Mr. Hemond collaborates with the culinary team to develop menus and maintain a level of excellence while enhancing the overall dining experience for our residents.

Relevant Experience

  • An industry veteran, Mr. Hemond has extensive experience working in Senior Living Culinary and Dining for nearly 20 years
  • Hemond has also led Food and Beverage programming for the Omni Hotels and Resorts

Luke Kramer Headshot

Luke Kramer
Executive Director,
The Village at Duxbury

Luke Kramer has 17 years of experience in executive and sales positions within the senior living industry. Under his leadership at The Village at Duxbury, the continuum of care community has enjoyed high resident and staff satisfaction, strong financial performance, and high occupancy. With a background in hospitality management, Mr. Kramer brings an exceptional level of customer service to the experience of senior living.

Relevant Experience

  • Responsible for the development and execution of a marketing plan at The Village that has consistently delivered sales results
  • Led the opening of a new Erickson Retirement Community in Hingham, considered one of the most successful launches in the company’s history
  • Developed sales strategies and delivered sales results for senior living communities in Massachusetts and Michigan
  • Served as Food Service Director for over 10 years for Marriott Management Services

Merry Dalahmeh Headshot

Merry Dalahmeh, BS, RN, LNHA
Executive Director,
Duxbury House at The Village Memory Care Residence

Merry Dalahmeh brings more than 20 years of experience working in eldercare to her role as Executive Director of Duxbury House. She draws on her background as a former Executive Director and Director of Nursing Services to lead the community’s memory care team and oversee the community’s day-to-day operations.

Relevant Experience

  • Licensed nursing home administrator
  • Provides support for all aspects of care and to all departments, ensuring residents experience a safe, secure, and enriching environment and that all of their care needs are met

Kristen Ward
Executive Director,
Allerton House at Harbor Park in Hingham

Kristen Ward has over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, having served in many different capacities for senior living organizations and communities including roles in Marketing, Admissions, Skilled Nursing Facility Administration, and 8+ years as an Assisted Living Executive Director. Her leadership strengths are communication, connection, and innovation. It is Mrs. Ward’s strong belief in supporting her community and team that has led her to seek out all industry training and knowledge available.

Relevant Experience

  • Licensed nursing home administrator
  • Holds 2 dementia certifications as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and a Certified Montessori Dementia Care Practitioner
  • Possesses a Food Service Manager Certificate and Allergen Awareness Certificate