a glimpse of the Wine Room

The Ridge Pinehurst Team

Meet our most precious resource.

Above any cutting-edge amenity or thoughtfully designed community feature, The Ridge Pinehurst is most distinctly defined by its people. Get to know the valued leaders hard at work setting a bold new standard for elevated senior living.

Complete the contact form to schedule a one-on-one conversation with a member of our team.

 

Every member of our team contributes to a culture of gratitude – working with purpose to deliver consistent attention to detail and a caring, customized approach to personal service.

Our Team
Katrissa Gates, RN, BSN, LNHA

Katrissa Gates, RN, BSN, LNHA

Executive Director

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.

Lori Closs

Lori Closs

Associate Executive Director

Lori was born in Nebraska and raised in western Kansas which is where she fell in love with senior living working as a Business Office Director at a home health agency and skilled nursing facility. She obtained her CNA certification so she could assist her team on the floor when needed. Lori moved to Colorado and took a position as Business Office Director in a memory support community she helped to open in 2014. Soon after, she obtained her Executive Director certification and served as the Executive Director there. She joined The Ridge Pinehurst in 2020 as the Business Office Director and soon was promoted to Associate Executive Director. The loss of her grandfather to Alzheimer’s in 2017 and that spurred her empathy and passion to serve families who’s loved ones are affected by the disease.

Gisela Dennis

Gisela Dennis

Senior Sales & Marketing Director

Gisela has spent the majority of her life in Littleton, CO, where she moved when she was three years old. She fell in love with senior living and the people when she was a Pilates instructor. That experience changed her career trajectory and she launched her future career in senior living where she’s been a part of a sales team in all levels of living and types of communities. She considers the community her home away from home and a privilege to work where people live. She loves the amazing stories of the residents and what brought them to this stage in the lives. She’s passionate about doing the right thing and treats her team members and residents like they are her own family. She’s never afraid to roll up her sleeves and jump in where necessary. Outside of work, you’ll find her near the water—paddleboarding with her husband and dog, white water rafting, scuba diving or relaxing by the pool. In the winter months, they will don their snow shoes and enjoy the brisk breezes of Colorado.

Rachel Van Horn

Rachel Van Horn

Lead Sales Director

Originally from New Jersey, Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology from Ithaca College in New York, and her master’s degree in gerontological studies from Miami University of Ohio. Since leaving graduate school, Rachel has worked exclusively in senior living — as a partnership specialist for the Masterpiece Living organization in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and as sales counselor and then sales director for Christian Living Communities in Englewood, Colorado. In addition to her sales responsibilities at The Ridge Pinehurst, Rachel serves as an information resource for new residents, and most enjoys guiding them and their families through the world of senior living comfortably and effectively.

 

Austin Murphy

Austin Murphy

Sales Director

A self-described work-hard / play-hard veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Austin’s five-plus-year military career included deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he was awarded Airman of the Quarter honors for his service as AGE mechanic, a member of the aerospace ground equipment team. Born in Pittsburgh, Austin earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Cincinnati. He’s worked as a home care consultant for Home Instead Senior Care, and he served as admissions director for Genesis HealthCare before assuming his current post as director of community relations at The Ridge Pinehurst. Austin’s heart belongs to the seniors he works with. His pride and passion are in helping them transition to their new homes within the community, and he’s touched and inspired by the appreciation they show.

Brianne Meyer

Brianne Meyer

Community Life Director

Brianne is a Colorado native who loves the outdoors, her golden retriever, and trying new things. She has worked in Senior Living for about 10 years, graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a baccalaureate in Healthcare Management with a Minor in Marketing and is a certified lifestyle coach. Brianne’s passion is to empower seniors to age successfully in their own way, providing the tools for a well-rounded lifestyle. Working in senior living brings joy to her life and inspires her to support as many community members as she can.

Chef Chesney King

Chef Chesney King

Executive Chef

Chef Chesney is a classically trained chef who has worked nearly all front and back of house positions at various restaurants in the Denver area, while getting a culinary degree. He joined the Morrison team in 2013. He is highly passionate about high quality ingredients and food. He believes Colorado produces the BEST lamb in the world and people who use utensils while eating chicken wings can’t be trusted.

Chef Morgan Carroll

Chef Morgan Carroll

Sous Chef

Chef Morgan has used his culinary talents, sound technique and work ethic throughout the Denver area for the last 15 years. His first foray in the kitchen was when he was 14 years old as a dishwasher and over time has worked his way to Executive Chef at one restaurant in the area. He is most passionate about what good ingredients bring to food as well as the experience it brings to the table — it is very rewarding to see residents enjoy the atmosphere good food delivers. Not only is he a talented chef, he also enjoys developing new systems in the kitchen to ensure better function and enhance the resident dining experience. He is a Colorado native where he grew up on top of St. Mary’s Glacier in a town called Clear Creek. He looks to his family for inspiration outside of work, balance and the assurance of enjoying the little things in life.

Richard Nix

Richard Nix

Director of Dining Services

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Richard was a “military brat” who was fortunate enough travel the world, attending high schools in Idaho, Germany, and Guam.  Richard graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor of science in hospitality administration.  Richard brings his 30 years of experience in hospitality to The Ridge Pinehurst and enjoys providing residents a second-to-none dining experience every day. In a reflection of our core values, he strives to say, “yes, of course” whenever possible to residents, their families, other guests, and team members. He is an avid sports fan of all sports but is fanatical about his beloved Florida State Seminoles and has already joined the Colorado Florida State Alumni group. He looks forward to following the local teams here. Richard recently moved here from Surprise, Arizona where he spent the last 22 years raising his two children, Teresa and Zachary.

Rudy Santuario

Rudy Santuario

Director of Building Operations

Rudy enjoys being a father, helping others, and has a passion for getting things done right. In his spare time, Rudy enjoys quality family time and tackling home projects. Rudy has worked for Radio Shack and AT&T Prime communications for several years in a supervisory position and store manager. He then worked for GTS, a technology/construction company. He learned about security, sound, and home automation systems and met a few notable celebrities through that job. After some years installing and wiring sound systems, he searched for a new opportunity to expand his already impressive vault of knowledge and had a chance to work for Shaw construction, where he could then move to the great state of Colorado. So, with several years of experience in a multi-faceted realm as a Field Superintendent, Rudy joined our ever-expanding family at The Ridge Pinehurst.

Denise Yearous, LPN

Denise Yearous, LPN

Assisted Living Director

Denise grew up on a farm near Fort Morgan, CO, where her family raises cattle and winter wheat. She believes that being a nurse isn’t a profession—it’s a lifestyle where she is honored to take part in the lives of residents. She is an LPN who holds certificates in respiratory therapy and IV. Her kindness and caring nature are appreciated by team members and families who are thankful for her attention to detail and caring support. She brings experience from several other communities and loves to work with seniors because of the relationships she develops with residents and their families. She loves being called a nurse as much as she loves being called a mom, a title she holds as the mother of three adult children—two of which are nurses as well.

Jess Balerio

Jess Balerio

Move-In Coordinator

Jessica is a Colorado native and brings more than 10 years of healthcare experience to The Ridge Pinehurst having earned her CNA license in 2011. Her studies in both nursing and healthcare administration make her uniquely qualified to serve as Move In Coordinator as she’s empathetic to the health and social issues that attract older adults to senior living. She believes that her work with seniors has given her a profound sense of gratitude for life and the learnings that age bring. Her time outside of work is devoted to her two children who inspire her to be the best person she can be. She is inspired by overcomers—those who beat the odds, no matter what.

Kimm Gillogly

Kimm Gillogly

Team Operations Director

Kimm says she stumbled into senior living in March of 2020 when the pandemic struck because she couldn’t just sit around and not help. So she approached a nearby senior living community and said, “Can I help?” They handed her a uniform and thus began her career in senior living. She worked as a memory support caregiver. Even though she went home exhausted, she was happy knowing that she wanted to work with seniors the rest of her life. She also has experience as a QMAP, Assistant Memory Care Director and Assisted Living Director before finding The Ridge Pinehurst. A native of central Ohio, Kimm will always be a Buckeye at heart. From Ohio, she moved to San Francisco and then on to Boulder. She graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State University with a BS in Elementary Education and an MA in Reading Instruction. She also graduated summa cum laude from Otterbein University with an MA in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is most passionate about teaching and learning which is particularly important in her new role as she facilitates the training of the clinical teams. She’s a scientific and curious thinker and will continually strive to better serve our residents.

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