Welcome to Grand Living at Wellen Park

Melissa Speciale

Executive Director

With 20 years of serving in the Senior Living industry, starting as a receptionist at 18 years young and holding multiple roles from Social Services Director to Sales and Marketing, and Executive Director, Melissa finds joy in the career she feels has chosen her. Melissa is a service focused, goal-oriented, driven, and passionate leader. She is an experienced Executive Director skilled at growing people, building a culture in community, successfully opening luxury senior living properties, and being a resource to residents, families, professionals, and team members alike. Melissa feels that being a contribution to her community is what allows her to be fulfilled.
Melissa holds a Criminal Forensic Studies degree from Florida Gulf Coast University, is raising three beautiful children and has been married for 14 years. She has lived on the West Coast of Florida for 35 years. Outside of Grand Living she enjoys practicing Tae Kwon Do with her family, spending time with her dogs, shelling at the beaches, boating, and studying the topic of Leadership. Melissa holds a second degree blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do. She feels she has been significantly impacted living by the Tae Kwon Do code to Respect each other, Help each other, Be Honest and Stand by the Weak. This practice has made being a servant leader at the core of Melissa’s belief system from a young age.

Ashley Troutman

Director of Sales

With 10 years of Senior Living leadership experience holding roles as Director of Wellness and Director of Sales, Ashley is a positive, determined, ambitious leader whose focus is to ensure everyone she meets is empowered and inspired to be well in mind, body, and spirit. Ashley’s natural ability to create meaningful relationships through first class customer service lead her into this profession and guides her each day. Ashley is a Registered Nurse and a REALTOR®. This combination allows her to assist our customers in finding exactly what they are looking for in Grand Living and to realize that they can make their next chapter the retirement they have always dreamed of. Ashley was awarded the Silver National Quality Nursing Award in 2018 for her excellence in high quality patient care and outcomes.
Ashley was born and raised in Iowa and moved her family to Venice, Florida 4 years ago. She is raising two teenagers and is married to her high school sweetheart. When away from Grand Living she enjoys running 5K races with her family, spending time with her beautiful Aussie pup, and listening to Audio Books. Ashley believes in giving back to the community. You can often find her volunteering in the Venice area and involved in many local community projects and events.

Violeta Hill

Sales Counselor

Violeta brings over 15 years of experience in Senior Living, both in Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Grand Canyon University in Arizona.
Violeta has a passion for serving seniors and feels blessed that Grand Living allows her to combine her work experience with her passion by providing exceptional and memorable experiences for residents and their families.
Violeta is originally from Romania and spent more than 10 years in Arizona, before relocating to Florida in April 2021.
Outside of Grand Living, Violeta enjoys spending time at the beach with her husband enjoying the Florida sunshine. She finds cooking is pure joy and fun for her. She likes to say that “cooking is like painting or writing a song.”
Violeta is committed to being a leader, inspire others to achieve great things, and to be kind.

Melanie Martin

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Melanie joined the Grand Living team in 2023 as Lead Concierge, where her passion for serving seniors played a key role in the successful opening of the community. Her dedication, compassion, and strong leadership led to her transition into the role of Sales and Marketing Coordinator, where she continues to support residents and families with professionalism and care.

Carolyn Cox

Business Office Manager

With over three decades of experience in healthcare administration, honing her skills in financial management and administrative operations, Carolyn brings a wealth of expertise to her role at Grand Living. Originally from the United Kingdom, Carolyn resided in Indianapolis, Indiana for 37 years before making the transition to Florida in 2016, where she found her passion for serving seniors. Serving the residents at Grand Living aligns perfectly with her deep-seated desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. What Carolyn cherishes most about working in senior living is the opportunity to connect with residents on a personal level, listening to their stories and gaining insight from their wisdom. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys kayaking with her husband, and spending time with her daughter.

David Kasco

Director of LUMINATIONS®

David brings more than 20 years of diverse nursing experience, primarily in the Emergency Department and senior living settings, along with a deep passion for memory care and resident well-being. As a Certified Dementia Practitioner, he is dedicated to providing compassionate, person-centered support for individuals living with memory loss while creating an environment where residents feel valued, families feel reassured, and team members are empowered to deliver exceptional care. Drawn to Grand Living’s commitment to enriching lives, David believes every resident deserves the opportunity to thrive and experience joy, dignity, and meaningful connection each day. Originally from Ohio, he relocated to Southwest Florida five years ago with his high school sweetheart, and together they are proud parents of three sons. Outside of work, David enjoys spending time with his family, working in the yard, relaxing at the beach, and visiting theme parks.

Frank Gomes

Dining Room Manager

Hailing from Easton, Massachusetts, Frank found his calling in the service industry early in life. After honing his skills at Lynn College in Boca Raton, his career ranged from working in distribution logistics to catering and managing fine dining establishments in Venice. Before joining Grand Living, he successfully led several local restaurants, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to exceptional service and team leadership. Outside of work, Frank passionately pursues his interests, which include golfing and singing at local Venice venues. He is devoted to his loving family, including his partner, three children, and grandchild.

Larry Deam

Director of Maintenance

Larry brings over 30 years of maintenance knowledge and skill in roles as Director of Maintenance and Regional Director of Maintenance to the Grand Living Team. He has spent most of his career in Senior Living, including 22 years with the Archdiocese of St. Louis. His strong leadership, hard work ethic and commitment to serving others has paved his way to his success.
Larry and his wife, Kelly, moved to Florida 6 years ago. They have 3 children, including a set of twins, and 2 adorable grandchildren. In Larry’s free time, he enjoys golfing, paddle boarding, kayaking and spending time with their rescue pup, Lola.

Steve Commander

Director of Environmental Services

Over the past two decades Steve has enjoyed a remarkably fulfilling career in various industries, including country clubs to law enforcement. The past 8 years he held the position of Environmental Services Director at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Steve excelled as an all-county baseball and football player. Continuing his passion for baseball he played at the collegiate level. Now with his sons actively participating in sports at Venice High School, Steve joyfully shares his love for baseball and football by coaching them in both sports. As a single father, family and sports play a vital role in his life.

Stephanie Quinn

Director of Facets®

Stephanie has over 10 years of experience working in senior living as an activities director. She began her career in this field right out of college and knew immediately that enriching the lives of seniors was going to be a lifelong passion. During her time in senior living, she’s stayed focused on the goal of advocating for the residents and creating an engaging environment for them to thrive.

Stephanie grew up and went to college in Louisiana but has been a Floridian for the last 14 years. When not spending time with her Grand Living family, she enjoys all the outdoor activities. You’ll find her riding her bike, lounging by the pool, walking on the beach or paddleboarding. Though being active is very important to her, spending quality time with friends and family is top on her list. She is so excited to be continuing her journey in senior living with this amazing Grand Living team.

Laurie Czarnecki

Director of Fitness

Laurie is very excited to join the Grand Living Family in Wellen Park as the Fitness Director. She brings over 25 years of experience as a personal trainer & health coach, focusing on functional fitness, including balance core, strength, and mobility, helping people live their best life possible. She and her husband left the snow behind in Colorado 2 years ago to move to beautiful Wellen Park so they could be close to the ocean & warm sand again. She enjoys swimming in the ocean, golfing, and gym time with her husband.