CopperWood Senior Living Names Founding Leadership Team Ahead of Opening
October 21, 2026
PEAPACK-GLADSTONE, N.J. — CopperWood Senior Living has appointed three founding leaders as the 214-residence community prepares for its opening in Peapack-Gladstone, N.J.
Kelly Adams has been named founding general manager, Cindy Rader director of community relations and Krista Monahan director of sales and marketing. The three were hired by Distinctive Living, which is developing and will operate CopperWood in partnership with Melillo Equities and PointsFive.
Currently under development at 400 Essex Blvd., CopperWood is an adaptive reuse project transforming the former Beneficial Finance and Pfizer corporate campus, designed in 1979 by architect Bob Hillier. The community will offer independent living, assisted living and memory support.
Adams brings more than 30 years of experience in senior living and long-term care leadership. CopperWood will be her third new-community opening. Most recently, she served as executive director of a nearby assisted living community, overseeing its construction, licensure and opening. A licensed nursing home administrator, Adams holds a master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University.
Rader has more than 35 years of healthcare business development experience. She most recently served as director of business development and community engagement for a regional in-home senior care provider. Previously, she was director of senior services for two New Jersey municipalities and president of the New Jersey Association of Senior Citizen Directors.
Monahan brings 10 years of senior living sales leadership experience, with a focus on occupancy growth and referral partnerships. She most recently served as regional director of sales for a multistate senior living company.
Distinctive Living hired the leadership team well ahead of the community’s opening as part of its approach to pre-leasing and establishing relationships with prospective residents, families and referral partners.
“The single most important decision in a new development is hiring the right leader,” said George Draghiceanu, chief operating officer of Distinctive Living. “Our philosophy is to start pre-leasing at least 12 months out so we can successfully open ahead of projections.”
The company has established a three-week onboarding program covering sales and marketing, operations, clinical services, compliance, resident experience, hospitality and other management functions. The team also participates in Distinctive University, the company’s training program.
Distinctive Living and its development partners have scheduled a ceremonial groundbreaking for Nov. 4. Hillier and Peapack-Gladstone Mayor Mark Corigliano are among the scheduled speakers.
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