Amy Silva-Magalhaes
Chief Operating Officer
Amy Silva-Magalhaes joins the Ultimate Care team with over 15 years of executive leadership in the senior housing and hospitality industry. While leading teams at some of the nation’s most well-known senior living brands, Amy has a proven record of building cohesive organizational cultures, strong teams, and highly scalable operating platforms in mission-driven organizations.

Amy’s team-focused approach seeks to enable productive dialogue and engagement to foster diversity and inclusion – all in an effort to create value and drive long-term, sustainable, strategic growth. She also brings with her a valuable service-oriented perspective, having spent five years in hospitality management at Hilton, Marriott and Starwood hotels.

Amy has served in several roles during her time in assisted living, including Executive Director, Corporate Director of Resident Services, and most recently Senior Vice President of Community Operations. Her extensive experience allows her to lead with a brand-wide mindset focused on growth, compliance, strategic planning, seamless execution of initiatives, and consistency across the portfolio – for both our own team members and the residents in our care.

Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Southern Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Post University. Amy serves on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Assisted Living Association and Friends of Parkinson’s Inc.

Eileen Rainer
Chief Financial Officer
For over twenty years, Eileen Rainer has brought impeccable and dependable expertise to Ultimate Care Management in the areas of accounting and finance. She possesses the hands-on knowledge for managing day-to-day financial issues with confidence; and yet, she brings both creativity and an enthusiastic vision for tomorrow, to help pave the way to a strong and stable future. Eileen has been honing these management and analytical skills specifically within a senior living setting since 1995.

She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from State University of New York at Fredonia, and quickly climbed the rungs of success – first beginning as a staff accountant and eventually working her way up to serve in the capacity of Chief Financial Officer, which she does for us today. Augmenting her financial credentials, Eileen is also proficient on numerous software platforms. Her exceptional management, evaluation and forecasting skills have been essential in keeping all of the communities that we serve on solid ground, and she continues helping to position the organization for steady and healthy growth.

Samantha Fischgrund, MBA
Vice President of Strategy
Samantha originally joined the Ultimate Care Team in 2015 after receiving her Bachelors of Science in Human & Organizational Development and Corporate Strategy from Vanderbilt University and spending 3 years in Healthcare focused Management Consulting at Huron Consulting Group Inc. Her first project at Ultimate Care was to develop a robust management training program. She assembled a comprehensive curriculum, then put herself through it to ensure that future recruits would learn the fundamentals of the business from the ground up.

Samantha subsequently spent nearly three years as an Executive Director at The Bristal at Armonk, eventually deciding to pursue an advanced degree to further her skillset. Before returning to Ultimate Care in 2022, Samantha earned her MBA at Columbia University and spent time working for Welltower, a REIT in the Seniors Housing space.

With a truly unique 360 degree view of the Seniors Housing Industry, Samantha is an asset to the Ultimate Care team. As Vice President of Strategy, she is driving corporate development at every level through tactical, purposeful and goal-driven initiatives. Her work is crucial to census growth, employee retention, company culture, and ensuring that The Bristal brand remains the premier choice in assisted living.

Kristen Celender
Vice President of Human Resources
Kristen Celender joined the Ultimate Care Assisted Living Management team in 2020 with over 20 years of experience in the human resources field. She graduated from Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, and eventually relocated to Long Island in 2008. She earned her master’s degree in Professional Studies with a concentration in Human Resources from Stony Brook University. Prior to joining Ultimate Care, Kristen worked for a nonprofit organization which supports children and adults with developmental disabilities. During her time there, she led the development and growth of their HR department, which included streamlining and centralizing training, recruitment, and payroll processes.

Kristen serves the employees of Ultimate Care with a mission-oriented mindset. Superior benefits packages, continuous training opportunities, and employee appreciation programs are just some of the ways that The Bristal supports the team members. Kristen firmly believes that the exceptional team who take care of the residents who choose to call our communities home, deserve to be well-taken care of, too.

Michael DePeola
Vice President of Sales
Michael joined the Ultimate Care as the Vice President of Sales to strengthen and unify company processes and regional teams as the portfolio of managed communities grows. With over 15 years in the assisted living industry, Michael knows what it takes to succeed – having worked his way up through various sales roles with national operators throughout his career. With field proven sales skills, and a data-driven approach to driving occupancy, Michael ensures that sales and operations blend seamlessly and execute with efficiency.

Raised by his grandparents, Michael knew early on that seniors would always play an important role in his life. After training in Fine Arts & Photography at the University of the Arts, his creative spirit led him to the hotel and hospitality industry, eventually bringing him to a career dedicated to serving seniors. This unique background lends itself to the caring and service-based nature that makes Michael the perfect balance of head and heart when it comes to coaching, leadership, strategy, and results.

Mark Paretti
Vice President of Resident Experience
Mark Paretti joined Ultimate Care in 2023 as the Vice President of Resident Experience. With a strong focus on optimizing the quality of life for our residents, Mark leads our team in recreational programming, with a special emphasis on providing enriching daily activities for those in our Reflections neighborhood living with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia. His role extends to ensuring the quality and consistency of programming across all our communities. Mark is a quality-focused business leader, bringing over two decades of progressive experience from various industries including senior housing management and retail operations. His skill set is broad and impressive, and his active and empathetic listening skills, coupled with his leadership skills, have consistently distinguished him in his field.

In addition to his rich experience, Mark holds a Master of Arts in Law & Governance from Montclair State University and graduated with honors from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Business. He further bolsters his credentials with several certifications, including as a Certified Validation Worker, a Certified Validation Group Worker, an Alzheimer’s Association essentiALZ Certification holder, and a Certified Assisted Living Administrator in New Jersey.

Shawn Philp
Vice President of Government Affairs
Shawn Philp has been a cornerstone of Ultimate Care since 2007, currently serving as our Vice President of Government Affairs. With an unwavering eye for detail, Shawn expertly manages the legal and compliance aspects of our Department of Health licensure, risk management, and policy and procedure. Her role extends to working closely with our attorneys on contracts and serving as a liaison to our state assisted living associations. With prior experience as an Executive Director, Shawn’s experience, combined with her thorough and detail-oriented approach, has made her an invaluable asset to our team.

Shawn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Services from the State University of New York Cortland and a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from The New School. Her academic background, coupled with her extensive hands-on experience, ensures she is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of residency agreements and uphold our commitment to excellence in senior care services.

Jacques P. Preval Jr.
Vice President of Business Optimization
Jacques joined the Ultimate Care team to support the business operations at each community as Vice President of Business Optimization. With an impressive career of over 25 years in accounting, finance, operations, and business management – all in the senior living industry – Jacques is extremely well-versed in the financial intricacies that help businesses thrive. Jacques puts his leadership training to great use, guiding executives in the field on financials, collections, revenue and expense management, labor, and many other KPI’s that drive our overall business results.

Jacques earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Accounting, then quickly rose through the ranks from Accounting Clerk to Regional Business Manager, most recently serving as Vice President of Community Accounting for a national senior living brand. Jacques is an invaluable addition to the Ultimate Care team, bringing with him an unmatched level of professionalism, wisdom, and operational expertise.

Maureen Scalesi
Vice President of Quality and Compliance
Maureen Scalesi comes to us with over 25 years of experience in senior care with a special emphasis in assisted living and resident services. During her career, she has been promoted through the ranks from nursing home admission coordinator to serving as regional director for an assisted living organization, giving her broad, first-hand experience and making her an expert in her field. Her meticulous attention to detail and deep understanding of residents’ needs enable her to develop policies and procedures that help empower local management to provide the most commendable, consistent and compassionate resident care.

Maureen is well known and well respected within the senior living community. She is an active participant and presenter at conferences, seminars and other events, sharing her experiences and mentoring. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Gerontology from Molloy College and a Masters in Public Administration from Long Island University – CW Post, both with highest honors.

Kyra Sosnow
Vice President of Information Systems
Kyra has been with the organization since June 2003, and during that time she has continued to be instrumental in the grand openings and renovations of numerous communities, as well as daily operation across all communities. In many respects, Kyra is the administrative IT glue that keeps Ultimate Care Management up and running. Among her many responsibilities are included configuring and maintaining our various hardware and software platforms to ensure the operational integrity and security of our network. She manages the provisioning of all server and PC applications and oversees IT operations for our employee and resident populations.

Kyra serves as the liaison between in-house operations and our numerous information systems vendors, as well as construction and development partners, ensuring all aspects of expansion, build-out and renovation align with our IT goals, objectives and daily operation. Kyra received both her Bachelors in Sociology and her Masters in Business Administration from SUNY at Albany; her Masters has a concentration in Human Resources Information Systems.

Jennifer Tauber, JD
Vice President of Risk Management
Jennifer brings 20 years of insurance experience having held various roles in the areas of Litigation Management, Risk Management, Legal Audit and Compliance, Vendor Management, Catastrophic Claims handling, as well as Legal and Premium Audit. Her multifaceted experience with various insurance carriers has provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the risk management and insurance landscape that is ever-changing.

She began her career working as Claims Examiner while attending law school full time having eventually moved on to handle more complex, catastrophic claims including those for large national accounts. Her experience as a Catastrophic Claims Examiner has taught her to be a zealous advocate for patient care. Eventually, Jennifer transitioned into litigation and risk management roles with a focus on enterprise wide auditing and compliance. She has previously managed teams inclusive of seasoned insurance attorney auditors and para-professionals. More recently her journey in the industry led her to take part developing legal auditing teams for 3 different major insurance carriers. Her more recent experiences and involvement in team building have enabled her to gain additional experiences with predictive analytics developing innovative risk management and mitigation strategies and work flows that capitalize on profit and productivity.

Jennifer earned her degree in Business Administration at Hofstra University in 2003 with a concentration in Business Law. She went on to law school eventually earning her Juris Doctorate at Roger Williams University School of Law in 2007.

Randy Tremble
Vice President of Food & Beverage
The importance of having true gourmet food at an assisted living community simply cannot be overstated. We fundamentally understand this at Ultimate Care, which is why we hired Randy Tremble to oversee the dining experience at the senior living communities that we manage. Few resumes in this industry come as solid and comprehensive as his, culminating in over 30 years of experience in the culinary arts. Formally trained in the U.S. Air Force, Randy has served the private sector now for decades, and has worked alongside some of the world’s best chefs, both nationally and abroad.

His many and impressive credentials include being twice-decorated for meritorious service, he earned participation in the esteemed Hennessey Trophy, a worldwide cooking competition across all branches of the military, and he has won Best in Show for culinary display; the list goes on. This massive talent and global expertise all translates into a consistently exceptional Resident Dining Program for the residents we serve. His uncompromising attention to detail, his understanding of senior nutrition and his love for the culinary arts have all been instrumental in making our senior living communities second-to-none when it comes to dining.

Brian White
Vice President of Environmental Services
The build-out, expansion or renovation of a senior living community is no standard project – nor are the countless maintenance, refurbishment and construction tasks required on a daily basis. No one knows this better than Brian White and his team. There is a complex balance that must be maintained between functional need, design aesthetics, and resident safety and comfort. One of the differentiating aspects of the communities that we manage is how well these dynamics are executed and managed every day.

With over twenty years of hands-on experience in the environmental maintenance and construction fields – and with a specific concentration in senior living settings – Brian brings this unique expertise to all of our communities. With unquestioned integrity, a sharp eye for quality and an extensive knowledge of State Department of Health codes for assisted living communities, his work helps ensure the quality of life of every resident.

Richard Youngberg
Vice President of Operations
Richard first joined The Bristal team in 2004 as an Executive Director. He was instrumental in the opening of several properties, filling in as needed and training new hires. Given his deep knowledge of senior living operations and his approachable management style, it was apparent that Richard had the experience and the talent to take on a larger role within the company. He was promoted to Regional Director before moving into the role of Vice President of Operations, where he continues to excel today, overseeing operations at all of Ultimate Care’s communities in the tri-state area.

Richard earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Hospitality Management from the New York Institute of Technology. After he graduated, he went on to complete a Graduate Certificate program in Gerontology at LIU Post. The unique understanding of resident needs with a foundation rooted in hospitality gives Richard a dynamic viewpoint into the assisted living industry. He sets the bar high and empowers his teams to exceed expectations, making him an asset to the Ultimate Care team.