Discovery Senior Living Leadership

Chief Executive Officer

Richard J. Hutchinson

Mr. Hutchinson is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Senior Living; a family of companies which include: Discovery Management Group, Discovery Development Group, Discovery Design Concepts, Discovery Marketing Group, TerraBella and Morada Divisions, and Discovery At Home, a Medicare-certified home healthcare company.

During his almost 30-year career, he has negotiated and closed more than $5 billion in equity and debt transactions, while establishing relationships with many of the industries’ key financiers, investors and operators.

Through Mr. Hutchinson’s leadership, the family of companies has achieved significant growth; more than tripling in size over the last five years and ranking amongst the top 10 operators in the country. His vision of developing a business culture of innovation, integrity and creativity, while being analytically driven, has pushed the company to the leading edge of the industry, redefining seniors housing along the way. The companies have been recognized for their exceptionalism and ingenuity and have received accolades and awards from numerous national organizations.

As an industry leader in seniors housing, Discovery Senior Living currently operates both National Brands and Regionals brands across the United States primarily throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Southern United States. The company has expanded to include an array of living options which include: senior apartments, independent living in both multi-apartment and villa environments, supervised independent living, personal care, assisted living and memory care. The successful and diverse rental portfolio features large luxury, resort-style campuses, state-of-the-art care communities, smaller village- inspired wellness and care communities and secured memory care neighborhoods.

He is actively involved in the following associations: Executive Board Member of the American Seniors Housing Association; Chairman of The Seniors Housing Political Action Committee; Member of the American Seniors Housing Association Strategic Planning Committee; The Florida Council of 100; Endicott College Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Academic Affair Committee, Member of the Compensation Committee; Chair of the Hutchinson Family Sports Foundation and a Member of the ALOIS Society of the Alzheimer’s Association

Mr. Hutchinson is married with two sons and served in the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1994 including a tour during Desert Storm. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Leo College earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and is a former Certified Public Accountant.

Chief Operating Officer

Bill Sciortino

As Chief Operating Officer for Discovery Senior Living, Bill leads the corporate and regional teams who deliver the service, care, and enriching experiences that make up resident life in any of Discovery’s brands. Since joining the company in 2019, he is focused on attracting leaders and building the culture that will satisfy our residents, inspire our team members, and ensure maximum value for our capital partners.

Now in his 20th year in the industry, Bill works with his peers on Discovery’s Senior Team as they push the organization’s growth forward while meeting challenges like workforce management, aging assets, regulatory compliance, financing…and a once-in-a-century pandemic. His two decades include 18 years with Chicago-based Vi where he was that organization’s first Chief Information Officer before expanding his reach to lead traditional operations plus sales and marketing for their full continuum, luxury life plan communities.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bill graduated magna cum laude from Hiram College with a degree in Business Management. His career started in paper sales before moving to the construction industry where he implemented cost accounting and estimating systems. That work led him to Chicago and a consulting position with Ernst & Young’s real estate technology practice. A CIO role for a multi-state contractor was his last stop before jumping to seniors housing.

Bill connects with the larger senior living industry through his work with the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) and Argentum.

Chief Financial Officer

Thomas J. Costello

Mr. Costello is the Chief Financial Officer for Discovery Senior Living. He previously held the position of Senior Vice President of Finance, Accounting and Information Technology and managed the treasury and IT operations for over a decade. In that role his responsibilities included managing cash flow, short- and long-term planning, financial analysis and reporting, as well as risk management. Additionally, he was responsible for constructing the pro forma financial models for all new projects and he worked closely with the CFO on all major financing transactions.

Mr. Costello brings a wide range of experience to Discovery beyond debits and credits. He began his career in Boston in the property & casualty insurance industry where he gained proficiency in many of the nuances of risk management. In 1994 he relocated to Tampa, Florida, where he went to work for Price Waterhouse providing research and analysis to the firm’s management. It was also at Price Waterhouse where Mr. Costello began building complex financial models and database applications. These solved many of the firm’s logistical problems.

Additionally, Mr. Costello has worked as a consultant with companies such as the New York Times, Inc. to streamline efficiencies in finance and accounting operations through rigorous workflow analysis and identifying and implementing best practices.

In 2000 Mr. Costello joined Discovery’s predecessor, Aston Care Systems, Inc. while the Aston Gardens portfolio was in development. Mr. Costello managed the cash flows and cost reporting for the last four projects Aston developed. He also developed the pro-forma models for each of the projects, which planned the projects from land acquisition, development, fill-up, stabilized operations and, ultimately, to sale.

Mr. Costello graduated from Bentley College with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Fraternity. He lives in Land O Lakes, Florida, and when he is not spending time with his wife and two children he is active in Tampa’s live music scene playing bass and guitar.

Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Development

Diana Ferrante Thies

Ms. Thies has a diverse marketing background ranging across a number of different industries, including banking, corporate products and consumer retail products. After leaving her home state of New York and moving to Florida, Ms. Thies entered seniors housing. She joined the company in 2001, where she was responsible for the leadership, strategic direction and new initiatives of Discovery Senior Living and its affiliated entities’ marketing and sales, as well as corporate and community branding, and increasing revenue and occupancy growth and overall census; ensuring all remain consistent with the company’s vision; while holding the position of Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

In 2022, she became Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Development. She continues to serve the industry with cutting-edge marketing, while developing creative marketing and operational programs, innovative community clubhouses and apartments spaces and exceptional resident experiences for the company’s newest product line called “Experiential Living Communities.” These creative marketing strategies and innovative ideas have propelled Discovery Senior Living to become a leader in the industry.

Ms. Thies graduated Cum Laude from Pace University, Lubin School of Business and holds a B.B.A. in Marketing with a minor in Advertising and Promotion. While at Pace, she was a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society. Ms. Thies is a co-founder and Vice President of Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue, a non-profit animal rescue organization. When she isn’t boating or enjoying the outdoors with her husband and her dogs, she can be found rescuing animals, volunteering and fighting for animal rights.

Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Lisa Lacy

Lisa Lacy has more than twenty years’ experience in human resources, with the majority specifically in the senior living industry. Lisa has a bachelor’s degree and has completed her certification in Human Resource related law. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and has obtained the credentials as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Senior Vice President of Sales

Lou Maranto

Lou Maranto is the Senior Vice President of Sales for Discovery Senior Living and its affiliated brands. He is directly responsible for sales strategies and leadership across both Discovery’s National Brands and Regional Brands, which operate throughout the United States. He also provides leadership support for Discovery’s operational divisions; Morada and TerraBella. Lou joined Discovery Senior Living in 2018 and during that time the company experienced unprecedented growth; more than doubling its unit count and number of communities.

He was also instrumental in the design, creation and implementation of an in-house Sales Contact Center, which launched in 2021. Lou’s leadership lead the sales department to full occupancy recovery; reached in June 2021 from February 2020 pre-pandemic levels; a feat very few senior living operators were able to achieve within that timing.

Prior to joining Discovery, Lou’s 10 years in the senior living industry were spent in various sales leadership positions with Erickson Senior Living including Sales Director, Director of Sales Education and Talent Development and Senior Director, Sales Operations. He developed a multitude of sales best practices and customer-focused programs, while designing and delivering sales education and leadership development programs.

Lou graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and earned his M.B.A. from Loyola University of Maryland. He also was awarded a Post-Baccalaureate Certification in Instructional Systems Development.

General Counsel

Tim Cesar

Timothy Cesar is a prominent healthcare law specialist and popular presenter at national healthcare seminars. In his current role as General Counsel, he manages legal and regulatory issues, licensing, employment and contract law, corporate compliance and other, key responsibilities for the Discovery Senior Living organization and its multi-brand portfolio of current and upcoming communities.

Prior to joining Discovery Senior Living, Cesar served as Vice President of Legal at Brookdale Senior Living, where he held multiple roles throughout a 20-year tenure. There, he was responsible for the creation of a legal department and risk management best practice programs, all while managing the company’s litigation and claims.

Mr. Cesar received his law degree and M.B.A. from Marquette University, graduating with several honors. He received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. Additionally, he holds an Associates in Risk Management designation.

Prior to working at Brookdale, Cesar was a member of the healthcare and litigation teams at one of the oldest law firms in the state of Wisconsin. He has also taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in negotiation at Marquette University School of Management.

In his free time, he and his wife enjoy leading active lifestyles, traveling and spending time with their dog.

Division President,
Discovery Development Group
& Discovery Design Concepts

Akash Gaur

As the first-ever Division President of Discovery Development Group and Discovery Design Concepts, Akash leads the in-house development, construction and design division of the Discovery Senior Living organization. He is an established real estate development executive with more than 20 years of experience directing from prospect to building closeout and activation a wide range of commercial, mixed-use and hospitality projects on behalf of prominent development groups.

Prior to joining the Discovery organization, Akash served as Director of Development for Legacy Ventures, a role which saw him serve as project executive for multiple, large-scale builds under concurrent development. He also managed the company’s inter-disciplinary design and construction department.

Earlier in his professional career, he worked as an architect before becoming Senior Design Manager at Perkins + Will, a position he held for more than 12 years. He joined Cortland Partners as a Director of Development in 2013, bringing strong leadership and innovation to functional areas including pre- planning and analysis, entitlements and permitting, financial modeling and project management. He also built the company’s first Virtual Design & Construction Team.

In his current role with Discovery, Akash’s experience with different building types and talent for facilitating creative building solutions to projects with complex programmatic needs, site requirements and financial structures is crucial for continually advancing new construction and remodeling initiatives which span our multi-brand, national and regional community portfolio each year.

Well-versed in project management, analytics, cost control and financial analysis, Akash earned a Bachelor of Architecture in his native India before completing his Masters of Architecture at the University of Florida and MBA studies at Emory University in Atlanta. He holds multiple, professional certifications, is a Registered Architect, member of the American Institute of Architects, and is LEED- accredited by the US Green Building Council.

Vice President of Operations

Gottfried Ernst

GOTTFRIED Ernst is an established operations executive with 20+ years of experience within the hospitality and senior living industries. He’s a multiple award winner best known for shaping the strategies, processes, and programs behind highly efficient and customer-focused communities.

Ernst joined the Discovery Senior Living organization in 2021, bringing a broad skill set across key functional areas including Food and Beverage, resident experience and wellness, facilities management, resource allocation and more. He’s also a proven innovator with a reputation for designing cutting-edge programs that enhance the prospect and resident experience. In his current role, he leverages expert knowledge and prior experience to navigate critical operations challenges including technology and systems integrations, local, state and federal regulatory compliance, budgeting and forecasting and managing operating costs.

After obtaining his degree in Hospitality Management and Tourism from HLT Semmering in his native Austria, Gottfried worked in management roles at several 4- and 5-star hotels in Austria, Switzerland, and the UK. He began his senior housing industry career in 2001 with Brookdale Senior Living. There, over a 15-year tenure, he held multiple leadership positions and ultimately became the company’s Vice President overseeing all aspects of Food and Beverage operations for more than 600 locations. He later served as Vice President at Harbor Retirement Associates and Vice President of Hospitality for True Connection Communities.

Well-traveled and multi-talented, Gottfried partook in several overseas bartending competitions and was the winner of “Goldenes Reindl,” a national cooking competition held in Vienna, Austria. He is an impassioned food and wine enthusiast as well as an avid tennis player and skier who in his leisure time enjoys domestic and international travel, hiking, kayaking and living an active lifestyle.

Assistant Vice President of Sales

Brennan Hughes

As Assistant Vice President of Sales for Discovery Senior Living and its affiliated entities, Brennan Hughes helps empower nationwide and targeted, regional sales efforts across the company’s multi-branded portfolio of communities and beyond.

Hughes began her current role with Discovery Senior Living in October 2021, and in the 15 years prior, held multiple sales and operations leadership roles with premier senior living provider organizations including Brookdale, Horizon Bay, and Emeritus. She also served as Senior National Account Director and Vice President of Partner Success for Caring.com for five years (2014-2019).

With Discovery, Hughes applies her breadth of experience and forward-thinking mindset to nurture and further advance a centralized sales culture that’s at the leading edge of the seniors housing industry. Her responsibilities also include analyzing and refining sales best practices, helping develop and implement customer incentive and team member training programs, and launching initiatives designed to build census and meet occupancy goals at the community, brand portfolio, regional and national levels.

Hughes holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Albion College (1994) and a Masters from Western Michigan University (1996). Now residing in Florida, she is a proud mother of three children, Hutch, Deegan and Havi.

Assistant Vice President of Operations

Lindsay Gordon

Lindsay Gordon brings more than 26 years of senior living industry experience to her role as Assistant Vice President of Operations for the Discovery Senior Living organization. Having “Grown up in the industry,” she started her career as a concierge at age 16, and has since held community, regional and corporate leadership roles including Director of Community Relations, Executive Director, Senior Executive Director, and Regional Director of Operations for high-profile senior living providers including Sunrise Senior Living, Atria, LCB Senior Living and others. She comes to the Discovery organization following a successful tenure as Director of Operations for Sunrise Senior Living/North Division.

Lindsay earned a Bachelor of Arts (2002) from William Paterson University of New Jersey, where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Gerontology. She has been involved in many local and civic organizations. She has served on the Board of Health in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, was past president of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for St. Joseph’s School, a Rotary Club member, and part of a Middle School Council Board in Mattapoisett, Mass. She’s also served on multiple Board of Directors, including for the Council on Aging, Coastline Elderly Services and a local hospital’s senior living division.

Lindsay and her family now reside in Fort Myers, Florida, and enjoy boating and supporting their son in his many school- and sport-related endeavors.

Regional Vice President,
Discovery Select National Brand

Erin Miller

Erin Miller brings over 20 years of experienced leadership in the senior living industry to her role as Regional Vice President, Portfolio Manager. Having held positions in business development, operations, management, sales and strategic marketing, she utilizes quantitative and qualitative research methods and critical thinking and analysis to develop brand awareness, create efficiencies and cost savings, increase revenue streams, and provide strategic and tactical support to Discovery communities.

Erin recently worked as Vice President of Sales for a prominent, luxury senior living provider, a role in which she focused sales efforts in order to grow census and revenue, and cultivate a 15% occupancy gain.

Best described as a decisive decision maker, Erin creates revenue- and resident-focused programs for changing markets, all while fostering an inclusive environment that values the diverse, multicultural and multigenerational nature of the senior living industry and workforce.

Erin holds a Masters of Arts in Multicultural/Organizational Communication and Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from DePaul University, where she has also served as an Adjunct Professor for that institution’s College of Communications.

She participated with the RafiKi Collaborative in Kenya as an Educator/Evaluator for an HIV/AIDS capacity building workshop. She also served as a Peer Mentor for DePaul University: International Students and as a volunteer leader for Ready, Set, Ride providing equine therapy for special needs children.

NATIONAL BRAND MANAGER,
DISCOVERY VILLAGE NATIONAL BRAND

Cindy Crowley

Inspired by close, personal relationships with her own grandmothers, Cindy Crowley attended Penn State University, where she studied Health Care Administration before embarking upon a 30+ year career focused on serving seniors and their families.

She spent 14 years working for Marriott Senior Living Services as well as other, prominent senior living providers, and worked to open state-of-the-art Assisted Living and Memory Care communities in Florida, Atlanta, Louisiana and Texas.

Having served multiple roles including Executive Director, Operations Development Director, Vice President of Sales and Regional Vice President of Operations and Sales, Cindy brings a diverse and extensive skill set to the Discovery Senior Living organization and its growing community portfolio. A passionate and high-energy sales coach and developer, she works alongside communities and Senior Lifestyle Counselors throughout the Florida region in an effort to make upscale, amenity-rich senior living openly available to the growing senior population.

Cindy proudly resides in Tampa’s beautiful Westchase community with her husband, John, and several four-legged family members. The couple also have a daughter, Mackenzie, who recently graduated with honors from the University of Florida. Outside of work, Cindy enjoys spending time outdoors, enjoying the pool and walking the neighborhood with their 11-year-old Chihuahua, Gizmo.

NATIONAL BRAND MANAGER,
DISCOVERY SELECT NATIONAL BRAND

Nicole Gasaway

Nicole Gasaway began her journey in senior living as a Home Health Aide while attending college. And throughout the 20 years that followed, she’s held a variety of additional titles, having worked in skilled nursing, admissions, marketing, and sales leadership capacities before being appointed Regional Vice President of Operations.

From planning and executing mergers and acquisitions to redeveloping and converting senior apartment complexes to independent living, Nicole has been integral in bringing quality senior living to discerning seniors across multiple states and locales.

Nicole graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University in College Station, and later received an MBA from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Nicole is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner and was honored as Volunteer of the Year from the Alzheimer’s Association in San Antonio and South Texas in 2014.

When away from work, you’ll find Nicole spending time with her husband and their two daughters. Never one to waste a moment of precious family time, she thoroughly enjoys exploring the country with her troupe, indulging in exotic dishes and making memories at every opportunity.

Regional Director of Operations,
Discovery Commons National Brand

Marisa Crockett

Marisa Crockett has been in senior living for almost two decades. She began her career as a Registered Nurse and has multifaceted experience in clinical management, operations, and sales. She has held regional roles in both operations and sales for more than 15 years, overseeing multi-community portfolios.

Regional Director of Sales, Discovery Commons National Brand

Christian Steil

Christian has worked in the Senior Living Industry for the past 20+ years in sales and business development. He began his career in senior living as a sales associate, promoted to a sales director and promoted to various regional and divisional leadership roles. He has expansive experience with multi-site management, new construction, acquisitions and mergers, establishing culture, growing sales talent and strategic sales.

Christian residents in the Greater Tampa Area where he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Regional Director of Operations,
SummerHouse Regional Brand

Richard Totorico

Richard has more than 25 years of healthcare administration experience working in acute care, community-based, and senior living settings. He served as an Analyst, Human Resource Director, Administrative Director 5, and Deputy Executive Director with various Louisiana State Agencies, including the Louisiana Health Care Authority, LSU Medical Center, Medical Center of New Orleans, University Hospital and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. He received his Bachelors of Science in Management with a concentration in Human Resources from the University of New Orleans where he was a Board Member of Alpha Theta Epsilon Honor Society and was elected to the Student Government Association as a member of the House of Representatives. He received his MBA from South Eastern State University. He holds or has held a certification as a Level 4 Assisted Living Administrator, Certified Public Manager, Professional of Human Resources, and has served on the Boards of the Louisiana State Personnel Council, The New Orleans Compensation Association, the Department of Health and Hospital Hurricane Task Force, and the Greater New Orleans Society of Human Resource Professionals.

Richard served as the Executive Director of The Trace for six years before being promoted to Regional Director of Operations with Discovery. Richard prides himself on his accessibility to residents, their families and the community on matters of senior care and advocacy.

Richard is a veteran of the armed forces and as a Sergeant in the United States Air Force he received the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal for his work as an F-15 Crew Chief.

Regional Director of Sales,
SummerHouse Regional Brand

Daniel J. Ritter

Regional Director of Sales Daniel J. Ritter manages comprehensive sales functions for more than a dozen Discovery Senior Living and SummerHouse Senior Living communities across a tri-state region including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. 

Daniel brings to his current role more than 20 years of wide-ranging healthcare industry sales experience, having specialized in acute care, rehab, home health and long-term care, senior living, medical device sales and physician recruitment. 

A licensed Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) for 24 years, Daniel holds an Associate of Science degree from Our Lady of the Lake College (Baton Rouge, LA) and a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Sciences from Nicholls State University. 

Prior to joining the Discovery Senior Living organization, Daniel enjoyed a successful, multi-year tenure with Validus Senior Living, where he began as an Executive Director for a flagship, new-development community, which he opened and grew to 100% occupancy. Later, as Regional Director of Operations, he managed a portfolio of established and new-development communities located across Louisiana, Texas, Georgia and Florida. He also led the company’s fundraising efforts with a strong and special passion for Alzheimer’s awareness and research. 

Daniel began his professional career as a Clinical Liaison with LifeCare Hospital of New Orleans, a role he held for seven years prior to becoming Executive Director for three, different communities within the Emeritus and Brookdale Senior Living organizations. During that time, he held a Board of Directors role for the Louisiana Assisted Living Association (LALA) for six years, even serving a three-year tenure as Board Chair/President.

Daniel proudly resides in New Orleans with his fiancé, Glennis, son Maximus, his two step-daughters to be, Landis and Sara, and two, four-legged family members, Chloe and Jax. He’s a fan of LSU and New Orleans Saints football and enjoys boating, boiling crawfish, relaxing poolside or spending time at the beach. 

Regional Director of Operations,
Discovery Select National Brand

Cody Tower

Vice President of Marketing

Heidi LaVanway

Heidi is the Vice President of Marketing for Discovery Senior Living. An experienced corporate strategist and implementer, Heidi has been developing marketing, sales and creative strategies for highly matrixed healthcare, real estate, tech enterprises and nonprofit organizations for nearly twenty years.

After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University, she served large-scale, Chicago-based healthcare entities, leading the development and execution of traditional and digital marketing programs, branding and communications initiatives, creative direction and design, content production and user experience, and other key strategic functions.

Heidi is a graduate of Argentum’s inaugural LEAD Program, Certified Direct Marketing Professional and multiple national award winner for outstanding media and specialized print publications. Her combined healthcare and real estate industry experience, and ability to leverage data-driven analysis and modern marketing technologies has empowered high-performance lead generation success and supported the continuing expansion of Discovery Senior Living’s portfolio.

Heidi is a proud volunteer and contributor to multiple charitable and healthcare organizations. She enjoys travel, spending time with family in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains, downhill skiing and outdoor activities. She resides in Florida with her husband and son.

Director of Digital Marketing

Cassandra Engeldinger

Cassandra is the Director of Marketing for Discovery Senior Living and an experienced leader in digital marketing, marketing communications, and campaign execution. With over 20 years as an ambitious and highly-strategic marketing professional with an entrepreneurial spirit, Cassandra has applied her creativity and innovative marketing skills across several industries with a focus on real estate technology and most recently health care.

Early on in her career, Cassandra was recognized by Gulf Shore Business Magazine as one of Southwest Florida’s 40 under 40 top Professionals for starting her own successful digital marketing agency at just 23 years old. The agency targeted real estate brokerages and their agents and focused on marketing strategies for lead generation and management. In 2010, Cassandra shifted her efforts toward health care and has spent the last 10 years building global marketing and communication campaigns for a large medical device company.

Cassandra has a proven track record of expertise in all verticals within marketing communications including print, marketing automation, email, social, SMS/MMS, web, SEO/SEM, customer journeys, content marketing, audience building, lead acquisition and data analytics.

After having grown up in Janesville, WI, Cassandra received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at The Ohio State University. She moved to Southwest Florida shortly thereafter in 1998. An avid animal lover, she spent three years on the Board of Directors for the Animal Refuge Center in Fort Myers, FL. She is a passionate artist, having painted several murals locally in addition to pottery. She has one son and on weekends you can find her enjoying her time in the sun by the beach, lake, or pool – you may even catch her paddle boarding or wakeboarding when she gets the chance!

Vice President of Construction

Tammy Kaminski

Ms. Kaminski was recently promoted to Vice President of Construction from Director of Project Management and Construction. Her primary responsibility is planning and overseeing the construction of each new community from start to finish, as well as expansion projects and remodeling projects.

Ms. Kaminski has more than 20 years of diverse experience across all levels and segments of construction, having worked and managed extensive projects large and small. Her accomplishments as a project engineer and manager include production in the commercial, educational, governmental, recreational, and retail shopping center industries. She holds a Class “A” Florida General Contractors License, and a LEED AP credential from the U.S. Green Building Council, affirming her advanced knowledge in “green” building.

Prior to joining Discovery Senior Living, Ms. Kaminski was a project manager with Lodge Construction for six years, where her accomplishments include overseeing the work on several Southwest Florida Projects, including three fire stations, the Fort Myers downtown library, two parks, and an $8 million renovation and addition to Florida Gulf Coast University’s Student Union building.

Ms. Kaminski started her construction and engineering career with Whiting-Turner construction company as a project engineer working on various renovations at Yale Medical School. After being transferred to Naples, Florida she was an engineer for a $13 million expansion of a mall in Fort Myers and the construction of the $18 million Coastland Center shopping mall in Naples. In 1997, she joined Owen-Ames-Kimball where she managed several large construction projects, including Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero, Chico’s FAS world headquarters and McGregor Baptist Church in Fort Myers, and the 149,000 square-foot Diplomat Middle School in Cape Coral.

In 2002, Ms. Kaminski accepted a position with J. L. Wallace Inc. as a Senior Project Manager. Her experience during five years with the company ranged from job cost estimates and budgeting to job-site scheduling and presentations for prospective projects. Overseeing three superintendents, Ms. Kaminski was involved with building, restoring or renovating a fire station, an automobile dealership, a community clubhouse and the 40-acre Estero Community Park, among other assignments.

Ms. Kaminski graduated from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1994 where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture with a sub-concentration in Construction Management.

Director of Interior Design

Donna Boniello

Donna Boniello is an accomplished design expert with more than 25 years’ experience in residential kitchens and baths, multifamily communities and amenities, and project management service to large-scale and custom home builders. A graduate of Pace University in New York, she began her career in the New York tri-state area before serving a 12-year tenure with nationally renowned Spectrum/Skanska and WCI Communities when it entered the Northeast market.

Now with Discovery Senior Living, her scope includes the full conceptualization and execution of new construction and large-scale renovation projects throughout Discovery-owned communities across the country. Donna heads up the multiple design teams tasked with intermingling current and emerging aesthetics while also preserving architectural and regional design character, maximizing functional space across residences and common areas, and providing warmth and home-like comfort and convenience for discerning, upscale seniors.

A relatively recent Florida transplant, she enjoys the active, outdoor lifestyle including health and fitness, yoga, the beach, and hosting friends and family.