Board of Trustees

Steve Chies has been engaged and active in the long-term care sector for four decades in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Most recently, he is the program director for long-term care at St. Joseph’s College of Maine, where he oversees courses and teaches online in long-term care studies. He has taught at the University of Minnesota; University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire; and Minnesota State University at Mankato. Steve has served in a number of volunteer leadership positions in state and national associations, including as chair of the National Association of Boards of Examiners of Long Term Care Administrators. He has been a fellow at ACHCA for a number of years.

Sean Kelly is the Chief Executive Officer at Front Porch Communities and Services. On March 6, 2023, Kelly started at Front Porch Communities and Services as the new Chief Executive Officer. With 19 senior living and 32 affordable housing communities, programs serving 10,000 people across the country and 3,000 employees, Front Porch is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit senior living providers.​ In 2008, Sean Kelly joined The Kendal Corporation and became CEO in 2016. Prior to 2016, while at Kendal, Sean was responsible for fostering a culture of continuous improvement through leading and managing new opportunities for growth and evolution for Kendal. Sean has been a frequent speaker on many topics, including senior housing development; emerging trends; organizational management; leadership; and affiliation, merger and acquisition processes. Sean came to Kendal after 10+ years working with a development, finance, marketing and operations consultant to senior housing and service providers throughout the United States, where he served as principal. Sean graduated from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, and in 2014 he completed an advanced management program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Dana Burr Bradley is dean of the Erickson School of Aging Studies. Most recently, she has worked in close collaboration with the World Health Organization on strategies to make communities both age-friendly and great places to retire. Before coming to UMBC, she was affiliated with Western Kentucky University, Duke University, and UNC Charlotte, where she directed transformative and strategic change initiatives for nonprofit organizations focusing on leadership and policy challenges in an aging society. A fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education, Dr. Bradley says that leadership, which means suggesting “the possible” and crafting an environment of “the probable,” is important to her. Currently treasurer of the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education, she has served as past president of the Southern Gerontological Society and secretary of the Gerontological Society of America. She completed her Ph.D. from Carnegie-Mellon University as a Rockefeller Foundation humanities fellow and has worked extensively on long-term care, generational and longevity economy policy issues.

Dan Carr is the Vice President of Operations for BHI Senior Living located in Indianapolis, IN. BHI is a not-for-profit organization that owns and operates life care communities in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Dan has worked in his current role at BHI since 2017. Prior to that he served as the executive director at The Towne House, a BHI care community, since 1985. He has worked in the long term care industry since 1978. Dan is a certified Fellow in the American College of Health Care Administrators and has served on that organization’s national board at various times. Dan has also taken on leadership roles in Leading Age Indiana. Dan graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine with a bachelor’s degree in health care administration and then obtained a master’s degree in public affairs (MPA) with a concentration in health care management from Indiana University. Dan has taught long term care courses at various times at Indiana University- Fort Wayne.

Christian (Chris) Mason is president and chief executive officer of Senior Housing Managers, located in Wilsonville, Oregon. Senior Housing Managers owns or operates assisted living, residential care communities, and nursing centers in Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Michigan. Chris’ career in long-term care spans 30 years. He has worked as a small owner operator and a regional multifacility operator, as well as being part owner of an international real estate investment trust. At the national level, Chris currently serves on the National Center for Assisted Living’s board of directors as the immediate past chair. He is an active member of the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) and wrote a certification manual for assisted living administrators. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Lyndon State College in Vermont, a master’s in business administration from the University of New Hampshire, and he received his Ph.D. in business from the George Fox University in Newburg, Oregon. He has earned certifications from ACHCA as a licensed and certified nursing home administrator and assisted living administrator.

Even though her college major was in health care administration, Meagan English knew she definitely didn’t want to work in a nursing home. “I was a bit afraid of them,” she admits. But after completing an Administrator in Training program as part of an internship, she was hooked on the profession. “I loved doing something different every day, and I especially loved the people,” she says. “I realized senior care wasn’t what it used to be.” Over the first 15 years of her career, Meagan served as nursing home administrator at multiple Marquis campuses, then led the AgeRight Care at Home business line before being promoted to Director of Operations, with oversight over half of the facility portfolio. In 2014, she fulfilled a dream to start her own executive coaching company, preparing aspiring and established leaders to lead with authenticity and compassion. At Marquis, Consonus and AgeRight she now leverages all those experiences as the Chief People Officer. Meagan is responsible for succession planning for the executive team, as well as leadership development, including identifying rising leaders through the Rise, Ascend, and internship programs. She also oversees the DEIB initiatives as well as the following departments and teams: Talent Acquisition, Talent Systems, Education, Intentional Culture, Clinicals and Student Experiences, Leadership Development, Immigration and the 501c3 Vital Life Foundation. Additionally, she serves on the Vital Life Foundation Board of Directors, and on Advisory Councils for George Fox University, Oregon State University and the Vision Center, as well as a task force for the ACHCA organization. “I’m working to engage the next generation of leaders, ensuring our business lines, as well as our industry as a collective, are in the most capable hands as we go into the future,” she says. “I love nurturing people on their career path and seeing them succeed.” Meagan holds a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from Oregon State University, and a master’s degree in management, strategy, and leadership from Michigan State University. She’s an accomplished speaker on topics including emotional intelligence, team building and values-based leadership, and is also the best-selling author of the book, “Uninvited Guest: The Art of Living with Anxiety, Stress and Overwhelm.” Time outside of work is mostly spent with her husband and two college-age children, (both of whom attend Oregon State University). She’s a long-time supporter of youth sports programs in her community, including sitting on various Boards of Directors for community organizations.

Steven A. Nash is the President and CEO of the Stoddard Baptist Home Foundation. Stoddard Baptist Home, Inc. has a legacy of caring for the elders in the District of Columbia since 1902 and operates Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home, a 164-bed nursing facility. Mr. Nash is also leading the development of Presidential Estates at Sycamore Hill, an assisted living facility in Mitchellville, Maryland. Additionally, under Stoddard’s management is Stoddard Baptist Global Care, a 259-bed facility and Stoddard Adult Day Care Center, a 55 participant Adult Medical Day Treatment Program. Mr. Nash has served elders since 1986 in a variety of roles, including as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 1994. He is active in his community and profession, where he has served on several local and national association boards. The American Health Care Association selected him as a member of “Future Leaders of Long Term Care in America” and he was a recipient of a national grant for training nursing home administrators by the National Caucus on Black Aged. He also led a demonstration project for the D.C. Office on Aging to examine innovative ways to provide care for those with Alzheimer’s disease. He is a board member of LeadingAge D.C., an appointed member of the District of Columbia State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) and recipient of the 2016 Dr. Herbert Shore Outstanding Mentor Award. Steven Nash is a native Washingtonian and graduate of Princeton University.

Dan Natterman is the CEO of CCL Hospitality Group (CCL), a nationwide leader in culinary and support services with four distinct operating companies – Morrison Living, Unidine, Coreworks, and The Hub. CCL is the largest and most established provider of hospitality services in community living environments. Dan’s greatest strength is his ability to identify creative individuals of diverse backgrounds and motivate them towards a unified vision. Prior to his current role, Dan held the position of Chief Growth Officer at Unidine, where his strategic insights and leadership played a pivotal role in driving the company’s expansion and success. Dan earned his MBA from the esteemed Pennsylvania State University. His multifaceted background and dedication to fostering innovation and collaboration make him an invaluable asset in navigating the complexities of the food service industry and positioning CCL and its brands for sustained growth.

Dr. Nancy Swanger is the Founding Director of the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living, which is housed in the School of Hospitality Business Management.  She is also the Associate Dean for Inter-College Partnerships in the Carson College of Business at Washington State University.  In addition to her administrative duties, she teaches various courses in the curriculum—senior living operations, professional development, and special topics focusing on current trends or industry issues.  Nancy has extensive restaurant experience as a co-worker, manager, district manager, and owner.  She and her husband owned and operated eight Subway restaurants from 1988-2017, and they still own two independent concepts.  Her research interests lie in the areas of senior living, quick-serve restaurant operations, food safety/sanitation, and hospitality curriculum.  As part of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, Nancy was named to the Healthy Ageing 50, one of four from the United States.  Prior to coming to WSU, Nancy taught at the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College. The Swangers, who reside in Troy, Idaho, have four children and five grandchildren.

Bruce White joined Johnson, Kendall and Johnson, Inc. in 1986, after working for Chubb Insurance Group. Bruce graduated, in 1984, from Temple University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. He earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1990. Bruce is experienced in all aspects of the Insurance and Risk Management process. He has lead our team in designing, implementing and servicing the Risk Management and Insurance programs of our clients for 35 years. He has been the Managing Partner of JKJ since 1994 and is responsible for JKJ’s overall operations, growth and profitability. Bruce is the force behind JKJ’s successful sales and marketing efforts, overseeing client service delivery, Insurance Company relations, and new business development. Since joining Johnson, Kendall and Johnson, Inc., Bruce has been working with both Public and large privately owned companies in evaluating, designing and implementing Client Risk Management and Insurance programs. Bruce founded the JKJ College recruiting program that has now been in place for almost 25 years. This program includes college recruiting, hiring, and mentoring. This program has brought significant youth and energy to JKJ and the Insurance Industry. Bruce currently serves on the regional and national advisory councils for several leading insurance companies. He serves as the Chairman or the Philadelphia Board of Directors for the German American Chamber of Commerce, Newtown Business Commons, and the Community Welfare Council of Newtown.