MARC VORKAPICH,
PRINCIPAL & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Marc’s calling to senior living began in 1991 during a volunteer experience that instilled a passion for ensuring excellence in serving seniors.

Prior to assuming executive leadership roles, Marc honed his skills working with some of the nation’s leading health care providers developing a depth and breadth of knowledge in start up and turnaround initiatives, sales, and operations management. As VP of Sales and Marketing, Marc developed the “RISE model” to drive a collaborative approach to strategic planning. Working with teams in identifying opportunities for improved performance Marc has launched reorganization strategies resulting in explosive census growth during times of economic downturn and industry-wide occupancy decline.

As a first time Chief Operating Officer and then President and CEO of a regional operating company, Marc focused his efforts on cultivating Servant Leaders. By inspiring trust his teams enjoyed dramatic improvements in Net Operating Income (NOI), record high occupancy levels, and won numerous national awards for excellence. Marc was honored to receive the Servant Leadership Award from his peers in recognition of his significant contributions in successfully driving culture change across the company.

Today, Marc brings to Watercrest Senior Living Group more than 20 years of accomplishment in acute care, long-term residential, and outpatient settings. Leading a team of well established industry experts in the design, development, and operations of senior living communities, Watercrest’s new community development pipeline is approaching $500 million and more than 30 communities throughout the southeast.

When asked what the he believes is the key to success? Marc is quick to say, “Our people.” Adding… “Our collective values will determine the extent to which our collective vision is realized.  Being a beacon of quality in senior living is the result of welcoming, caring for, and serving others.”

Marc holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology from Virginia Tech and is currently considering thesis topics in completion of a Masters in Health Care Administration from Pennsylvania State University. Additionally, Marc is driven to publish the “RISE Model” as well as other practical applications of Value Centered Leadership for aspiring executives. Residing in Vero Beach, Florida, Marc is blessed with the love of his life, Kathryn, their son, Chandon, daughters, Palmer and Saylor.

JOAN (“JOANIE”) WILLIAMS,
PRINCIPAL & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

When presented with the opportunity to enter the senior living industry in 2007, Joanie was thrilled to bring her 25 plus years of leadership experience to serving seniors. She is a seasoned operationally oriented CFO with a successful track record of bringing financial discipline and leadership to each of high growth, well-established, startup and turnaround situations. Joanie brings to Watercrest Senior Living Group the ability to make immediate improvements on cash flow, operating efficiencies, financial reporting and controls, human resource utilization, and strategic planning. She oversees Watercrest’s finances with the highest level of compliance, integrity and credibility in financial reporting. Joanie has comprehensive, in-depth knowledge and experience across all Corporate Finance functions, accounting, Treasury, Risk Management, Information Systems and Human Resources. Drawing on her relationships with clients, investors and bankers, Joanie brings significant experience to Watercrest Senior Living Group in M&A and raising capital (private equity, private debt, bank debt and bond financing).

Joanie has built very strong teams using her keen ability to recognize talent and develop and mentor associates. Her passion is to share her knowledge and best practices with her teams enabling them to excel and attain their personal goals. She has a Servant heart and works tirelessly to improve systems and trains continually to ensure excellence. “I understand that everything I do as CFO should ultimately translate into higher quality of care for our seniors.”

Joanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Joanie has been married to her husband Phil for 41 years and they have two grown children and Joanie’s 101-year-old dad lives happily at Watercrest Winter Park.  Joanie and Phil enjoy their home on the water and traveling to exotic places whenever Phil can get Joanie off the golf course.

Michael Marlow,
Vice President of Sales Education

After over a decade of successful direct medical sales with Bristol Myers-Squibb, Mike was approached by an unfamiliar company, Hillhaven and an equally unfamiliar industry – senior living. At the time, Hillhaven was the largest provider of skilled nursing services in the country and their Vice President of Sales had heard Mike speak at a national conference on wound care. The topic was “An Atypical Approach to Selling Wound Care Products” and this Vice President wondered if this unique selling approach would translate to senior living. The answer was “yes” and Mike’s 28 plus year career in senior living was off an running!

Mike has served in various roles of increasing responsibility in this industry with which he had fallen in love. These roles range from Regional Sales Director to National Sales Training Manager to National Vice President of Sales. But no matter the role, there has been one consistent  theme throughout. “We must see and engage with people as the unique individuals that they truly are and then sell to that uniqueness. Always remembering, if we cannot sell them, we cannot serve them!” And service has been at the heart of Mike’s dedication to our wonderful industry and he often talks about how blessed he feels to have found a career that scratches his servant leadership itch. “Working with salespeople who help our direct customers make the best choices for themselves or for their loved ones is a huge responsibility and challenge.” But by utilizing the atypical selling behaviors contained in Mike’s programming, salespeople are empowered with a highly ethical approach to selling which also has been proven to be extremely effective.

Mike has also presented at over one hundred national and international conferences throughout his career. He is also a nationally published author and the on-line version of Mike’s sales training program was awarded the “Best of the Best” Award by the Assisted Living Federation of America in 2014.

Mike is a proud graduate of the University of Kentucky with a degree in communications and marketing and also holds a certificate in pedorthics from Oklahoma State University. Mike lives in Louisville, KY and has been married for 35 years to his wife, Julie and counts as his greatest accomplishments, his two children, Bradley and Jill!

Bradley is a Physical Therapy Assistant at Beacon Orthopedics in Erlanger, KY. Bradley and his wonderful wife, Lauren have also allowed Mike and Julie to experience the joys of grandparenting. Avery is 4 and Owen is almost 2. Dr. Jill White was recently married to the love of her life, Tyler and is an Occupational Therapist at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, TN.

Mike is also very active in his church having served as a Sunday School teacher for the past 20 years, mostly with pre-teens. Other activities include running, biking and recently, pickleball.

JOHNITA JACKSON,
Vice President of Clinical Operations

I was born in Philadelphia, PA and moved to Florida at the age of 10. I have always had a passion for helping people. I started my career in the healthcare field as a Medical Assistant for over 20 years. Over those years I worked for many physicians throughout Palm Beach County, FL. Becoming a Registered Nurse was my childhood dream and in 2006 I decided to return to school to pursue this dream. I received my Nursing Degree in 2009at which time I began my career in senior care as a floor nurse in a skilled nursing facility before being promoted to Nurse Manager for the Rehab Unit. It is in this role that I fell in love with caring for seniors. After 4 years as a nurse manager I accepted a position as the Health and Wellness Director for a 175 bed Assisted Living Facility. In this role I excelled as a leader. I am passionate about Nursing Leadership because I love to assist nurses in reaching their full potential and providing exceptional care to our seniors during their “Golden Years”. I am a mother of 4 young adult children. I currently reside in Port Saint Lucie, FL with my husband. I enjoy hosting gatherings for family and friends, cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles Football team and shopping for my daughter’s clothing boutique.

STEPHANIE L’HEUREUX,
DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING

Stephanie (“Steph”) comes to Watercrest with an extensive background in Senior Living Accounting, including expertise in Skilled Nursing, Cost Reporting, and Profit and Loss Analysis. She started her accounting career in the hospitality industry with Starwood Hotels where she worked as Accounting Manager for a large scale waterfront Conference Center in New Hampshire, also working with the owners on the development project of a new Westin Hotel in the same area.

Following her success in hospitality, she brought her talents to the Senior Living industry as Regional Accountant where her responsibilities included financial statement preparation and analysis of 8 assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing communities located in Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Alabama. Steph’s experience also includes construction project accounting, cash management, revenue analysis, budget compilation, Medicare and Medicaid cost reporting, extensive profit and loss analysis, and general ledger maintenance.

Steph has a passion for sharing her knowledge and training with her colleagues on a variety of accounting and industry specific topics while helping them succeed. tephanie is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, with a Bachelor’s in Hospitality Management from the Whittemore School of Business, and now enjoys the Florida lifestyle spending free time at the beach and paddle boarding with her three children Drew, Taylor and Corey.

SHEENA JEFFRIES,
Director of Resident and Family Experience

Sheena Jeffries, TRS, CADDCT, began her tenure at Watercrest Senior Living in 2016 as the Memory Care Director at Watercrest Lake Nona, and now serves as Watercrest’s Engagement Specialist, supporting her initiatives with respect to dementia services and programming.

Sheena’s core value, Collective Cooperation, is practiced through her leadership by working alongside her fellow Memory Care Team. Sheena is a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with a focus on adaptive methods and technology, to improve the quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Under the guidance of leading researcher and renowned NIH researcher, Sheena lead trial and analysis programs for Montessori Methods within dementia care. On the Dementia Excellence Committee, she acted as an employee advisor and dementia educator for senior care communities in Cleveland Ohio, and in 2010 Sheena was featured in the Future Age Magazine for her “Learn and Create” fine arts program for individuals with memory impairment.

In her free time, Sheena loves spending time with her fiancé Robert and 3 years old son Israel. Education through play is one of her family’s favorite things to do, and they can often be found exploring, learning, and sharing experiences in their community that fosters that passion.

Samantha Sipe,
Operations Specialist

Samantha brings to over 12 years of experience in Senior Living to Watercrest. She believes in servant leadership and providing tools for our leaders and front-line teams to be successful. Samantha has tremendous heart and passion for serving seniors and helping them to live their life to the fullest.

Samantha graduated with a Bachelor’s in Arts from Millersville University and looked to pursue a career in Interior Design. Shortly after graduating she felt that she had a greater purpose in life. She enrolled in a CNA program and began clinicals in a skilled nursing facility. Upon completing her clinicals she knew that Senior Living was where her heart was. She was determined to make a difference in the lives of the residents. While searching for a career as a caregiver in senior living, Samantha was hired as a director to oversee an Alzheimer’s community. While working with residents living with Alzheimer’s, Samantha quickly realized that she found her purpose, her why. Samantha is a licensed Administrator in Pennsylvania and is currently working to become a licensed Administrator in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Samantha and her husband, Colton, live in Palmyra, Pennsylvania with their two beautiful daughters, Denali and Aurora. They also have two Labrador retrievers, a bunny, and three hermit crabs. In her free time Samantha loves spending time with her family and being outdoors. She loves riding four-wheelers and dirt bikes, camping, kayaking, tubing, boating, and being on the beach. Samantha also enjoys cheering on her favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles!

Patrick Reeder,
Plant Operations Specialist

Patrick’s life journey has spanned many different professions. Growing up in Marin County, in the San Francisco Bay Area he began his career working for Bordenave’s French Bakery, who specialized in the world-famous sourdough French bread the area is known for. He followed three generations of his family working for the same institution, eventually working his way up to production manager. Following his time at Bordenave’s he attended culinary school and is a certified Pastry Chef, which led to his first opportunity in senior living.

In 1997 Patrick began work at the newly opened San Francisco Towers, a high rise CCRC in downtown San Franciso. This is where his sense of servant leadership began. The first pastry chef at a senior facility on the west coast led to more opportunities at the Towers. He moved from pastry chef to executive chef and then into plant operations.

In 2007 Patrick accepted a position with the Archdiocese of San Francisco as an operations director at a large school and parish. He oversaw all building and maintenance projects and renovations as well as managing the budget for the facility.

In 2022 Patrick and his family relocated to South Carolina to be closer to his oldest son and his newly born grandson. When arriving in South Carolina, he discovered Watercrest. It was a perfect fit where his knowledge of all aspects of a facilities operation could flourish and make a difference in our senior’s lives.

His greatest joy and accomplishment in his life is his family. Amy and he have been married for 30 years and have two sons, Andrew with his wife Catherine and James. They have two grandsons, Teddy and Alex.

Kimarie Lawrence,
Clinical Specialist

Kimarie comes to Watercrest Senior Living with over 40 years of working with seniors, she started out in a nursing home in the dietary department where she met her husband of 37 years Scott. From dietary she went to become a certified nursing assistant then a medication technician and then finally a licensed practical nurse. Kimarie is also a licensed cosmetologist working in a nursing home once a week doing hair for 22 years. Kimarie always knew her passion was working with seniors. She believes that “if we listen to them, we can learn a lot.” She feels “It is an honor to care for people towards the end of life.” Kimarie has been a Unit Manager in a skilled facility, then she moved to Resident Service Director, then promoted to Regional Care Director and now Regional Care Specialist at Watercrest Senior Living Group. Kimarie and Scott have 2 amazing children, Tyler who is a project manager for Best Buy and Hayley who is also a nurse working as a Resident Service Director for another assisted living community. Kimarie resides in Villa Rica Georgia with her husband and in her down time she enjoys traveling, going on walks with her husband, and spending time camping with family at Old Orchard Beach Maine.

Dominique Fruzynski,Clinical Specialist

Dominique has always had a heart of passion and needed a way to share her gift for caring for others. She knew at a young age she wanted to be a nurse. Dominique started her passion for health care 17 years ago in the hospital as a patient care technician. She graduated nursing school at the top of her class and made the presidents list. After graduating she started her career in skilled nursing as a floor nurse, then promoted to a unit manager shortly after and then into a case manager role. Not too long after that, she was introduced to the assisted living community and started as a wellness nurse where she was mentored and soon after became a Director of Resident Care.

Everything she does is for her loving family; her amazing and supportive husband is her rock. She has two beautiful, talented and most compassionate children, Alexis and Brody, aged 16 and 14. They support her long days and tired some nights. They know her love and passion for being a nurse and she couldn’t be more grateful to have their support and love around her all the time. Dominique is so blessed every day to be surrounded by their love.

In Dominique’s free time she enjoys personal training with her daughter and rebuilding antique cars with her husband. She volunteers as a cheerleading coach for the local Dr. Phillips Pop Warner JV team, enjoys line dancing and listening to Christian music.