About Us

Don Petersen, The President and CEO of Premiera Care

began his career in 1972 as a caseworker serving nursing home residents in the state of Oregon.  He advanced to the position of nursing home administrator when he told an owner of an Oregon nursing home that he wasn't taking very good care of his patients.  The owner told him that if he thought he could do a better job to try it himself.  He accepted the challenge and actually did a much better job and the rest is history.  He took his industry reforming ideas with him when he became a regional director for a large skilled nursing home company.  In 1987, Don left the skilled nursing business and became the Regional Director, of Eastern States for the Hillhaven Corporation's Retirement Housing Division.  His responsibilities included operational and marketing services for all retirement housing properties of the corporation, east of the Mississippi River.  Don then became Vice-President of Senior Housing for a regional skilled nursing facility company in the state of Oregon, diversifying the company by developing and managing 26 assisted living communities before leaving in 1999 to co-found Premiera Care, LLC, an assisted living management company, with his wife Joani.

Through the course of his career, Don has contributed his time and treasure to professional associations including the Oregon Health Care Association and The California Assisted Living Association where he is currently a member of the Public Policy Committee and serves as Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors.  In 2005, Don had the honor of being appointed as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging.  His most prized awards come from the staff and families of those that he has served through his years of service.

The foundation of Premiera Care has allowed Don and Joani to further pursue a commitment to service excellence and to keeping commitments to their residents, families and staff.  Joani continues to work with Don in the position of Chief Cultural Officer, ensuring that the policies, procedures and services provided by Premiera Care are truly resident-centered and consistent with their personal philosophy of service.

Joani Smith, Co-Founder and Chief Cultural Officer

Joani Smith Petersen’s love for the elderly began early in childhood as her grandmother lived with the family on their dairy farm in Grants Pass, Oregon. When she left Grants Pass she traveled on a work-study adventure to Europe where she was introduced to the hospitality industry in1970 while working as a chamber maid at a small hotel in the upscale Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. She developed a passion for gourmet cooking and dining services there and in Geneva, Switzerland.  Upon her return to the states she gained employment in the hospitality and fine dining industry in Sun Valley, Idaho, working for the Sun Valley Lodge’s prestigious Peter Duchin Room and the Duchin 9000 in their dining rooms. Years later these experiences that didn’t pay much at the time would greatly influence Premiera Care’s programs by introducing the concepts of fine dining, and concierge services to its newly developed assisted living communities.

Joani, left the hospitality and restaurant business in 1980 to work as a personal secretary and confidante to Mrs. William Harrah, philanthropist. Following her marriage to Don Petersen, in 1987, she accompanied Don to Boston, Massachusetts and supported his efforts there, while he acted as the Partnership Representative for the Hillhaven Corporation in the development of a $67,000,000 Continuing Care Retirement Community in Westwood, Massachusetts. Joani and Don returned to the west from Boston in late 1990 upon the completion of that project. She then entered the field of residential real estate in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, and then ventured into the commercial title arena, with Chicago Title.

In November of 1999, she and Don founded Premiera Care, working side by side with Don in program development, marketing and sales. Their first project was Premiera Care’s very successful Dale Commons Assisted Living Community, in Modesto, California. This 98 apartment community reached stabilized occupancy in a record breaking 13 months. While all of the Premiera Care communities have been successful, only one other portfolio community has matched this absorption record. She continues to work closely with Don as the Chief Cultural Officer for Premiera Care, and participates in formulating fine dining concepts, and participates in developing the marketing and sales messages for the Premiera Care family of assisted living communities.

Joani’s entire life has superbly prepared her for her role in the assisted living industry. She has used her life experiences to significantly contribute to the overwhelming positive response we have received to the obvious Premiera Care difference.

Kathy Naber-Jordan, Chief Operating Officer of Premiera Care

 Kathy's first job was as a housekeeper in a hospital nearly 40 years ago and triggered her interest to pursue a career in healthcare.  She combined this interest with her love of cooking and attended Washington State University, Pullman, Washington where she obtained a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Foods, Nutrition, and Institutional Management.

Kathy started working in the nursing home industry in 1977 working for the State of Washington's Office of Nursing Home Affairs as surveyor and the State's Consultant to the dietary departments in the state's nursing homes.

As a Registered Dietitian for 20 years, Kathy's experiences included working in a nursing home, hospital, and in private practice as a consultant to skilled nursing homes and restaurants and as a diabetic educator.  She served as a Board Member for both the Portland Dietetic, serving as President, and Oregon Dietetic Associations, and "Hospitots" a child day care center.  With her geriatric nutrition expertise Kathy became a featured public speaker in the Portland Metro area. 

In 1995, Kathy became a licensed Nursing Home Administrator with a vision to ensure excellence in care and services to residents who resided in a long term care community.   She ventured into assisted living and now has 12 years operational experience working as a Regional Director of Operations for Assisted Living Concepts and Prestige Senior Living. She has sat on assisted living boards in the states of Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Idaho.  Kathy also sat on the Public Policy Board for the Assisted Living Federation of America.

Kathy has worked for Premiera Care since 2003 and in 2008 became the Chief Operations Officer.  Kathy has a passion for working with seniors, "It is so satisfying to have someone lonely or frail move into our community and then blossom and thrive, and this is what we are about".

 

Sevy Phillips-Gambs, Vice President of Staff Development and Quality Assurance

Sevy attended the University Clinic in Homburg, Germany and graduated with a five-year nursing degree with specialty in Neonatal Care and Pediatrics in 1994 as a military dependent. Upon returning to the United States in 1995, she worked as a nurse at Sierra Vista, AZ Regional Hospital and for Vencor in their skilled nursing division.
 
In 1999, Sevy entered the assisted living industry with Prestige Senior Living and worked as an Expressions Coordinator for a memory care community, Resident Services Director, Executive Director and Senior Executive Director until 2003 in both Arizona and California. She returned to Arizona in 2003 and joined Senior Resource Group. Her last five years were spent with Prime Care in Arizona. During this time she obtained a dual business undergraduate degree and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

As an active member of the Assisted Living Federation of America, Arizona Division, Sevy has served on the Dementia Care Committee, Regulation Compliance Committee, and lastly as Chair of the Arizona Assisted Living Regulation Re-write Committee.

Sevy’s background in both nursing and operations has allowed her to develop a commitment to excellence in both resident care and operations. She joined Premiera Care in 2010.

 

Susanna Mendieta Beasley, APR Director, Professional Relations and Communications

Susanna is an experienced communications professional and has held leadership positions in public relations, marketing and professional relations in California and Arizona.  Her career spans many industries, including healthcare, cable, education, non-profit, and currently senior housing.  She understands the critical role communications plays in an organization and how it can be used strategically.

She earned a BA in Public Relations with a Business Minor from San Jose State University.  She also studied journalism at Modesto Junior College.  After several years of professional experience, she earned her Master’s in Business Administration from CSU Stanislaus in Turlock.  As a graduate student, she developed greater insight and appreciation for management principles, especially strategy development and operations management.  To demonstrate her commitment to professional standards, Susanna earned and has maintained her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR).

Susanna developed an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age.  For a nickel, she would teach children in the neighborhood words in Spanish.  In high school she discovered marketing and participated in sales and advertising competitions.  She very much enjoys learning and keeping up to date with new developments in communications and leadership.  She has also taught classes on event planning and promotions, and has given presentations on various topics, including crisis communications, marketing, and public relations.

Among her favorite activities are participation in Rotary at the local and district level and Modesto’s International Festival, wine tasting, photography and traveling.  She serves on the advisory board of Stanislaus Magazine, The Salvation Army’s Public Relations Committee and, and was appointed to serve on the City of Modesto’s Entertainment Commission.  She is a past visiting editor and community columnist with The Modesto Bee.  Susanna is a native Modestan and has served on various non-profit boards in the area.  She is a life-long Girl Scout.

Susanna has always appreciated the fact that she can learn a great deal from older adults and enjoys hearing about their lives.

 

Carol Miller, Regional Marketing & Sale Director

Carol’s career spans more than 20 years in the healthcare and assisted living industries in the Stockton and Manteca areas.  

She has worked in the assisted living industry more than 11 years, beginning in 1999 as a Community Outreach Director for a dementia care residential community in Stockton. She continued her career in the assisted living field as the Marketing Director for Atria Senior Living.  In 2002 Carol received her Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) Administrators Certificate and became the Executive Director at Atria Bayside Landing, a 76-bed assisted living community.  

Prior to her career in assisted living, Carol had more than 10 years marketing experience working for Catholic Healthcare West’s St. Joseph’s Medical Center and St. Dominic’s Hospital.  Her responsibilities included marketing, community relations, and physician recruitment.  Carol has been involved in Stockton and Manteca communities as a Board Member for the Regional Continuity of Care Council and the Manteca Chamber of Commerce.

Carol started working for Premiera Care in 2004 and became the Regional Marketing Director in 2010.  As Regional Marketing Director, Carol’s background in marketing, operations, and the assisted living industry brings a broad perspective to her position.  What she loves about her role is “having the opportunity to work with a team of professionals who have a passion for helping seniors and guiding senior s toward a solution that I know will enhance their lives,” she said.