Guy bought The Elms in 1985 when it was a “sheltered care facility” and had only 12 rooms and 3 residents. Soon afterwards, he recognized the need and the opportunity to serve the region with a Premier Assisted Living Community. Under Guy’s watchful eye, The Elms has experienced five expansions and now boasts 74 suites in a variety of configurations. In December of 2000, The Carriage House at The Elms, the regions only stand alone community dedicated to the care of those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias opened its doors and earned national recognition for it’s good works on behalf of its residents. This summer, Guy opened the Chestnut Cottage on The Elms’ campus, his second community dedicated to Alzheimer’s/ dementia care with the capacity to serve 30 residents.

In 1997 after a very successful career in Broadcast Management and Marketing, Bob came to The Elms. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Elms, The Carriage House and Chestnut Cottage which just recently opened. Bob is a State Certified Administrator and he has been recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association as a Master Trainer in the field of Alzheimer’s care. The Assisted Living Federation of America has recognized Bob as a Champion of Assisted Living in 2007,'08,'09,'10 and 2011. Bob has also been recognized by his High School in Dedham, Massachusetts as their Outstanding Alumni for 2011.

Ava brings The Elms over 40 years of nursing experience having worked in both a hospital and office environment. Ava has been recognized by The Assisted Federation of America as a Champion of Assisted Living and she keeps a watchful and caring eye on our residents. When necessary, Ava and her staff work closely with our residents, their families and their physicians to insure that all of their needs are met. Ava is a caring, sensitive professional that provides our residents and their families with well-deserved peace of mind.

Socialization is an important part of a good quality of life and Joan and her team sees to it that there is never a lack of opportunities for our residents to get together. Joan works very closely with all concerned to maintain an active calendar of events all year around. From River Boat rides to Bridge games, intergenerational programs with area schools to live entertainment in the community, Joan oversees it all.

Karen Hawthorn, BSW of Pawcatuck has been named Family Coordinator at The Elms assisted living community in Westerly. A graduate of West Virginia University School of Social Work, she was formerly the Director of Social Services at the Adult Day Center of Westerly.

Karen is experienced in senior care and issues facing the elderly and their families. She has also been trained as a Support Group Facilitator through the Rhode Island Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. She has contributed articles on senior related issues to the Senior Lifestyle section of the Westerly Sun and is an officer of the Stonington Commission on Aging.

Michael Lipowski, has been named Head Chef at The Elms assisted living community in Westerly. A graduate of Milwaukee Area Technical Colleges’ Culinary Program in Wisconsin, his entrepreneurship spirit found him owning his own restaurant in Westerly, formerly Rafters Restaurant & Tavern, for over 10 years. Since then, Michael honed his craft and accumulated a broad range of Head Chef experience in local restaurants, resorts and country clubs throughout Rhode Island and Florida

Michael resides in Westerly with his wife Sandi and their three children.

Dick holds an Engineering Degree from the University of Buffalo. He is an Air Force Veteran trained in Electronics with over 35 years of experience in facilities management. Since 2001, Dick has been responsible for our physical plant which includes maintaining all of our suites and support systems for all three communities on the Elms’ campus. Dick and his wife reside in Charlestown. He is the father of 8 and grandfather to 6 children. His leisure time is spent maintaining his extensive flower gardens. Betty brings nearly 25 years of food service management experience to The Elms. Her background as a chef includes over 13 years of therapeutic dietary experience. As our dining room supervisor, Betty insures that our residents get everything they need promptly. One of the most important responsibilities Betty has is to meet one on one with all new residents to review all of our entrees and ensure that they are never served items they may be allergic to or an entrée they simply do not like. Betty and her staff understand the importance of resident satisfaction and therefore strive to achieve that every dining room experience is a good one in every way possible for our residents and their guests. Karen joined The Elms’ Community in early 2008 as Community Liaison. Her primary responsibility includes cultivating relationships that will ultimately generate referrals from the professional healthcare community. Karen’s background includes over 12 years in the world of hospitality as a corporate sales manager and director of sales for several hotel chains. Her desire to become involved in the assisted living industry was sparked by health and aging issues in her very own family. Karen also plays a major role in all aspects of marketing and promoting the three communities that make up the Elms’ campus as well as planning on-site receptions and events, producing our bi-monthly newsletter and facilitating updates to our website. Leslie Taylor has held the position of Office Manager for The Elms, The Carriage House and Chestnut Cottage since 1990. Her formal education was in early childhood development but since coming on board full time for her brother, owner, Guy Miaorano, Leslie has seen The Elms through multiple expansions. Leslie continues to manage the day to day business office of all three buildings on The Elms’ campus.