our leadership team
Dan Peterka
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Over 35 years of diverse experience including development, management and business experience in the U.S. and Europe, Dan has been directly responsible for the start-up and growth of the company. His creation and roll-out of The Sterling Touch® world class customer service program is the foundation of Grand Living’s culture and positions the company as an innovative leader in the senior living industry. Dan’s background includes over 20 years in executive and CEO responsibilities for a national senior living and healthcare organization that developed, owned and managed senior living and healthcare communities, residential apartments and commercial properties, along with extensive experience at Arthur Andersen, an international accounting firm, where he consulted directly with entrepreneurs and closely-held businesses.
Providing remarkable and personalized experiences for residents and their families is my passion. Our approach to service at Grand Living is the essence of our culture and allows us to fulfill our vision to embrace the uniqueness of each individual we serve. We look forward to serving you!
Melinda Seifert
Founder and Chief Investment Officer
Over 35 years of healthcare-related experience, most recently serving 11 years as Chief Operating Officer of a national Senior Living and Health Care organization. During her tenure, customer and employee satisfaction improved year over year, and the teams were the recipients of multiple quality awards at both state and national levels. Prior to serving as Chief Operating Officer, Melinda worked extensively in finance and accounting for the same national organization, including seven years as Chief Financial Officer.
Building an engaged team that is confident and enthusiastic is my passion. I am excited to bring Grand Living’s service culture to life with The Sterling Touch®, and am inspired to work with our teams to foster continuous innovation.
Nikos Westmoreland
President and Chief Operating Officer
An impact-driven, results-focused leader with a relentless drive for achievement and a heart for humanity, Nikos has a track record of performance and growth amassed over two decades of executive leadership experience within renowned brands of global reach known for prioritizing service, innovation, and talent development.
As part of Grand Living’s fervent and continued commitment to developing its team and its brand story, Nikos originally served Grand Living as its Chief Brand & People Officer. With a chart of work that included maximizing human potential through data-driven strategies, he developed the roadmap for the company’s people operations and orchestrated the teams, infrastructure, and processes to ensure a strong organizational culture.
As President and COO, his visionary leadership will drive strategy, focus and operational excellence across all communities nationwide, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and solidifying Grand Living’s position as both a best-in-class employer and a well-respected leader in senior living environments.
Grand Living is more than a collection of distinctive and remarkable communities. Our brand is fueled by a passionate team of people who believe that life should be lived to the fullest at any age and that our best memories are those still to be made.
Melissa Zygarlicke
Vice President of Finance
Melissa is a CPA with more than 15 years of experience providing financial services to healthcare, non-profit and health insurance organizations. She has served in senior living finance and accounting leadership roles since 2015, working closely with executive leaders, non-profit boards, and ownership groups. With a passion for innovation and continuous improvement, Melissa is driven to seek out opportunities to develop, reform, or enhance business and organizational systems to optimize efficiencies and maximize impact. Her proven ability to streamline processes, complete comprehensive financial statement analysis, and develop targeted strategies demonstrate her commitment to delivering the insights and tools that enable informed decision-making and long-term organizational success.
In her free time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family (husband and three kids) and friends at her cabin in northern Wisconsin.
Tara Chester
Vice President of Human Resources
With a diverse background inclusive of over 17 years of experience spanning from highly-regulated public companies to nimble entrepreneurial ventures, Tara brings a wealth of knowledge and versatility in Human Resources to Grand Living. Known for her strategic partnership and operational acumen, she excels at championing change and business objectives while also ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Tara is dedicated to cultivating and developing the world-class team at Grand Living, driving greater levels of engagement, innovation, fulfillment, and organizational success.
Bryan Bourgeois
Vice President of Operations, The Distinctive Collection
With over 20 years of leadership experience in the hotel and resort industry across diverse and exotic global locations, coupled with an extensive background in senior living, Bryan has garnered invaluable expertise. Having worked worldwide, including New York City, Hawaii, Dubai, Abu Dhabi’s five-star luxury hotel, and Bali’s five-star luxury resort, he has a remarkable track record. Notably, he spearheaded the successful opening of a 499-room hotel in Abu Dhabi. Similarly, he played a pivotal role in launching a 526-room hotel in Bali, offering eight restaurants, 16,000 sqm of function space, and 14 meeting rooms, while overseeing a team of over 900 individuals. Throughout his international hospitality career, he discovered his true passion for servant leadership in senior living. This led Bryan to join a rapidly growing luxury senior living company with 38 communities in 2013 as General Manager based in Washington State. Today he continues to excel in his dedication to delivering exceptional service and fostering a vibrant living experience for senior residents at Grand Living.
“I am honored to be part of such an amazing team at Grand Living. To make a difference in our residents’ lives while having the passion and enthusiasm to be part of such an engaging team that provides compassionate care from the heart is a blessing”.
Jane Gullickson
Vice President of Operations, The Remarkable Collection
With over 20 years of experience in the Senior Living industry, Jane has dedicated her career to successfully leading residents, families, and teams. Jane’s journey with Grand Living began as an Executive Director in 2017. In her current role, she works closely with the Grand Living Communities throughout Iowa and Texas. Jane possesses undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Journalism, and graduate degrees in Public Health Leadership, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare. During her career, Jane has committed to serving as an advocate for providing the best possible environment for seniors, including ensuring fine dining, first-rate healthcare services, and ongoing opportunities for wellness and recreation.
I consider it a great honor to be part of the Grand Living community, and to work with our Team to carry out the Sterling Touch®, ensuring the highest level of service for all we encounter.
Bob Delle Donne
National Director of Sales and Marketing
Over 25 years of experience in senior living, real estate, finance and business consulting. Bob has focused on senior living sales and marketing since 2008, assisting residents in a streamlined process for their move into senior living communities. His experience directing national non-profits and his service to many charitable organizations, including working with children and teenagers who provide care services to family members, allows him to bring passion and insight to the vision of Grand Living.
I am deeply passionate about our journey at Grand Living. I believe that we owe our time, talent and service to our Seniors, Veterans, Caregivers and Children who sometimes may not always be able to do for themselves as they age.
Chantal Aube
National Director of Health & Wellness
Chantal is a compassionate and experienced senior care leader with over 20 years in the industry. She has held a variety of leadership positions, from President of a Florida-based company to Vice President of Clinical Services and Vice President of Operations in the post-acute care setting. Her background included working as a staff nurse in a nursing home. She quickly rose through the ranks, and she eventually became the administrator of a large assisted living facility. Chantal is passionate about providing high-quality care to residents at all stages of life, and she has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the senior care industry.
My passion is with helping others and the senior care setting allows me to do that daily with a great sense of satisfaction.
Michael Bokosky
National Director of Culinary Operations
Over 25 years of hospitality experience in culinary operations, including fine dining, hotel and senior living communities. Michael has led, developed and enjoyed creating memorable dining experiences from heart of the house to tableside. Michael has been a featured presenter in Chef programs for the broader community as well as a guest lecturer on culinary trends. Michael studied Culinary Arts at Baltimore Culinary College.
Striving to personalize your entire dining experience within The Sterling Touch® culture is the goal of each of our Culinary team members.
Karen Powers
National Director of Training
With over 20 years of experience in senior living, moving through community-based regional and vice president roles, Karen brings extensive experience in many facets of community life, from sales and marketing, to developing programs and services that better serve the market, to training teams to better serve residents and families. Passionate about creating continued enriching experiences for senior residents, she believes the key to a successful community is to help people build the skills that cultivate trust, bring compassion to the fore, uphold exceptional service standards and build authentic relationships so our service is a partnership rather than a duty.
As Grand Living is invested at all levels in the success of the residents, the families and the staff, it is greatly satisfying to be an integral part of positively impacting so many lives.
Steve Larson
Controller
Over 20 years of healthcare industry experience within the senior living, insurance and managed care sectors serving in leadership roles in finance, accounting, and operations. Throughout his career, Steve has worked extensively developing process solutions, performance measures, and building strong, cohesive teams. Steve’s passion for health and wellness compliments the leadership team at Grand Living.
I am excited to be part of a team, building communities where one can continue to learn, grow, and engage in the things they enjoy most in life.
