senior living team
They Lead Who Also Serve
Ever in pursuit of excellence, our dedicated team members make community life a daily success for residents and their families. Enterprising, innovative, creative and caring — we never lose our focus: creating a lifestyle that seniors can’t get anywhere else.
Mandy Hampton
Chief Executive Officer
Coming from humble beginnings in small town Montana, Mandy has applied relentless perseverance throughout her time in the senior living industry. She started her senior living career in 2005 as a Business Office Director and has held many operational positions in communities and in the management of communities including Executive Director, Regional Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations, Divisional Vice President of Operations, COO and now, CEO. Under her leadership at ISL LLC, the 30 communities she managed won awards for occupancy, net operating income, customer service, and one received Executive Director of the year. A recognized innovator and leader, she has served on committees that created programming for new hire orientation, activities, memory care and assisted with the launch of several software platforms. She has experience in many phases of community development, having overseen more than 20 community rehabilitations and ground-up construction projects. She remains just as driven as she was on day one. In her current role, she is determined to provide seniors with a place to truly thrive — not only through exceptional design and purposeful programming, but also through the innovative integration of new technology and a forward-thinking business approach.
Jay Fritzler
Vice President of Development
After 20 years in residential and commercial construction, Jay moved to Denver in 2016 and joined The Ridge Senior Living. He oversees all new construction, development and maintenance for the three communities, collaborating with their onsite Building Operations teams. His deep, broad experience in construction makes Jay the ideal fit: He’s able to grasp all the moving parts and confidently manage the phases of each project. He inspires his coworkers. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Jay holds a Business Administration degree from Oregon State University.
Diane Macheers
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
With 30+ years of experience across all platforms and disciplines, Diane is a communications and marketing expert by any measure. Her ability to identify and understand the unique business needs of senior living leads to strategies and day-to-day management that grows the business. The Ridge Senior Living depends on Diane’s leadership to ensure smooth and thriving marketing and communication operations. Diane has seen it all and has led successes in every situation. She is a problem solver who gets ‘er done, which is reflected in one of her favorite phrases, “Yes, we can do it.” Her enthusiasm is contagious and her integrity is universally respected. Diane has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Kansas and a Masters of Business Administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University. With a passion for service, Diane uses her time outside of work to contribute to civic and community causes.
Amber Cox
Vice President of Sales
Since 2010, Amber Cox has distinguished herself as an ambitious, competitive, servant leader. Compelled by empathy and compassion, she first served as Development Director with the American Cancer Society. Under her leadership, revenue grew 550%. She then moved to Director of Marketing with Bivins Foundation and the Bivins Pointe skilled nursing in Amarillo — and pushed occupancy to 95%. She followed this with roles as National Director of Sales and Marketing and Vice President of Sales and Marketing with ER Senior Management/ESLP Management, LLC., mentoring and monitoring the marketing teams for several continuum of care communities. Occupancy climbed from 70% to 95%. Most recently, she’s been the Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Oakdale Seniors Alliance, an organization that supports multiple senior living communities from Texas to Pennsylvania. She finds the senior living field deeply satisfying for providing her a sense of enriching families’ lives and building strong and long-lasting relationships. “People don’t care how much you know,” she says, “until they know how much you care.” Raised in Texas but often summering in Colorado, Amber holds a BS in Communications from Eastern New Mexico University.
Joe Farrell
Chief Financial Officer
Joe came to The Ridge Senior Living in 2021 from Ernst & Young, where he was a senior associate in the Wealth and Asset Management sector in Los Angeles. He’s experienced in tax preparation, financial analysis, and budgets and is known as hard-working and honest. A native Californian, he recently made a two-month, cross-country bike trek — from the Virginia coast to the Santa Monica Pier.
Suzanne Foley
Vice President of Human Resources
For decades, Suzanne’s been known as the sincere, supportive, committed professional who builds strong team cultures and encourages the best in people. She loves to make a positive difference in people’s lives — which is why she fits so well in human resources and at The Ridge. A risk management expert, she’s created smooth-running, efficient operations for our communities. Suzanne’s career began with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Arts in Organizational Development from the University of Phoenix. She’s been recognized with numerous certifications and held several board positions. And proving that sports build character, Suzanne went to college on a basketball scholarship.
Penelope Peery, RN
Vice President of Clinical Services
After nearly 15 years in senior living, Penelope remains passionate about helping older adults live their best lives and maintain their independence. She’s a highly respected nurse among her peers, a COVID mitigation expert, and a stalwart protector of residents’ rights to care and respect for their individuality, personality, needs and wishes. She graduated from the University of Montana and finds deep satisfaction in spending time with her family, skiing, paddleboarding and traveling.
Katrissa Gates, RN, BSN, LNHA
Director of Clinical Compliance
Katrissa started her health care career in 1982. She is a licensed registered nurse in multiple states, has her Colorado Nursing Home Administrator license, Assisted Living certification, Dementia Care certification, and is a Resident Assessment Coordinator–Certified (RAC-CT). She firmly believes in positivity, transformational leadership and team building, resulting in open communication and enhanced working environments. Katrissa graduated from Regis University in Denver, Colorado, with a baccalaureate degree in nursing.
Celeste Yeates
Senior Accountant
Celeste is passionate about using her talents to bring purpose and meaning to others. Now working directly with the Business Office Directors at the communities and CFO, she brings the same level of integrity and purpose to The Ridge corporate team that she brought to The Ridge Cottonwood for many years. From her hometown in upstate New York, Celeste earned her accounting degree from Brigham Young University and then spent more than 20 years managing accounting functions in various industries.
Katherine Rosales
Corporate Office Manager
Born in Los Angeles, Katherine moved to Salt Lake City, UT when she was six years old. She started working at age 14 and hasn’t stopped since as she found a passion for hard work because she realized that it would help her achieve her dreams. As a testament to that, she graduated high school at 17 years old and attended Salt Lake Community College where she became a part of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. As a Latina, her culture has taught her to put the needs of elders before her own and she sees that same dedication to the residents at The Ridge Senior Living. Her previous work experience includes working for a real estate company as an Executive Assistant. She leads by example, is eager to learn, and always has a friendly smile. Outside of work, she’s inspired by her two beautiful children and her mother, who is one of the most important role models in her life. Because of these inspirations, she always strives to be a better person and mother than she was the day before.
