American House Senior Living Communities Announces New Hires, Promotions

October 20, 2021

“Over the past year, our team has demonstrated their exceptional talents and resiliency in the face of all challenges. We are in aggressive growth mode, and as we continue embrace new opportunities, we are excited to announce a number of new hires as well as the well-deserved promotions,” said Dale Watchowski, CEO, American House Senior Living Communities and president and CEO, REDICO.

New Hires

Jami VandeVelde, BSN, RN, Vice President of Wellness Strategy & Administration 

VandeVelde brings over 20 years of experience as a Registered Nurse in acute care settings, senior living and private duty homecare. She has been intricately involved in developing care and wellness solutions that allow seniors to leverage care option and age in place. During her career, she has maintained  standards of quality, service and delivery, and has enthusiastically developed collaborative teams across all segments of the industry. She’ll bring this experience to the American House team, while keeping Living Well is Being Well at the forefront of the resident experience. VandeVelde holds a BSN from Western Governors University.

Kayla Meek, MPH, MSN, RN, Vice President of Resident Care 

Meek brings to American House over 10 years of senior living experience advocating for resident quality of life and wellness. Her focus has been on training and education with a passion for building programs that improve both the resident and team experience, tracking results through meaningful data points. She has created numerous nationally implemented programs and platforms surrounding memory care, engagement and care services, including dementia education, fall reduction, survey readiness, clinical excellence, cognitive stimulation and alternative therapies. Meek holds an MSN from Augusta University, a MPH from the University of Georgia and many certifications.

Yovan Luyt, Vice President of Operations

Luyt brings to American House over 20 years of senior living operational experience in skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and independent living. He has been instrumental in guiding start-ups, acquisitions and stable portfolios with national reach. Just recently, he was responsible for pre-open and lease-up communities, helping establish between six and eight openings a year. Luyt holds a B.S. in Psychology and a M.S. in Sport Psychology.

Michael McLoone, Vice President of Culinary 

McLoone brings over 20 years’ experience in senior living, hotels and resort operations. Throughout his career, McLoone has spearheaded full kitchen design projects, menu development, and set service experience standards. He has achieved high resident and guest service excellence scores and streamlined accounting processes and vendor purchasing programs to increase productivity. Michael takes great pride in creating long lasting team alliances, engaging culinary platforms for ongoing creativity and innovative thought processes. His passion for recruiting, developing and mentoring strong teams will continue to influence our exceptional culinary experiences and maintain operational profitability. McLoone holds a Culinary Arts degree from Johnson & Wales University and a BBA from California State University.

Promotions

Bill Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Accounting and Shared Services 

In this enhanced role, Bill will continue to lead the Enterprise IT, and expand risk management and corporate and portfolio management throughout the Enterprise where he brings over 20 years of experience.  A licensed Certified Public Accountant, Gilbert received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Western Michigan University. He is a member of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Financial Executives International (FEI) and the Accountants Guild.

Alison Tackett, Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis

Bringing 20 years of experience in accounting, Tackett will continue to lead the American House OpCo business and be responsible for accounting processes such as re-forecasting, budgeting, capital expenditures, and special projects to ensure efficient and effective flow of work / decisions between Operations, Asset Management, and Accounting. Tackett holds a BS in Accounting from Oakland University and is a Certified Public Accountant.