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Leadership

Leadership

A Brand for the Ages

Leadership

A Brand for the Ages

Home > Leadership

REIMAGINING SENIOR LIVING


MorningStar Senior Living is a leading developer and operator of premier communities within the senior living landscape, headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Our portfolio encompasses over 40 communities in operation or under development representing 4,000 units, with an ownership interest in the majority. Whether for a new build, acquisition or turnaround property, MorningStar consistently delivers operating margins above industry norms and exceptional overall returns to investors and partners

MorningStar’s footprint is geographically diverse yet, with communities clustered in the western half of the U.S., our executive leadership can support local operations with a significant degree of touch and an array of centralized resources.

KEN JAEGER

FOUNDER/CEO
Ken Jaeger founded MorningStar Senior Living on a basic, but profound truth: to honor God in all aspects of our business practices and relationships, which transcends to a superior quality of life for MorningStar’s residents. With a principled approach and adherence to our original mission, MorningStar has enjoyed prodigious growth since inception. As a reflection of that success, Ken was named a recipient of the prestigious EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 award in the Mountain Desert region in the Healthcare and Lifesciences category.

Ken brings over 25 years of operational experience in the senior living industry, including successful startups, acquisitions, turnaround of distressed properties and multi-site leadership. Earlier in his career, he held executive level positions where he was responsible for operating 50 communities in the western United States. From 1998 to 2002, Ken served as VP of Operations for Sunrise Senior Living, where he was responsible for the successful startup of 17 new communities.
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Heavily involved in serving the poor around the world, he has given much of his time and resources over the last twelve years to building, funding and serving at an orphanage in Nicaragua and in providing clean drinking water in Ethiopia and other African countries. Read more at Serving Globally. Ken attended University of Minnesota at Moorhead where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Care.

MATTHEW TURNER

MANAGING PARTNER
Matt Turner and Ken Jaeger were drawn to each other as business partners as much by their complementary skills in senior care as by their shared calling to serve the poor in developing nations. (More on that at www.morningstarseniorliving.com/foundation)

Their united efforts have propelled MorningStar to national prominence as a brand that is successfully blending margin and mission. The platform has become a fully integrated developer, owner and operator of first-class senior living communities.

Today Matt serves as Managing Partner of MorningStar and Ovation, MorningStar’s affiliated real estate investment and development arm, which he founded in 2011. Under his leadership, the portfolio has grown to over 30 properties in the western half of the U.S., comprising over 4,000 units for independent and assisted living and memory care.
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Before joining MorningStar, Matt held various positions in private equity, real estate development and consulting, beginning his career with Arthur Andersen and Deloitte. He is a certified public accountant (inactive), and completed undergraduate and graduate studies in accounting and business.

Matt invests time in several non-profit boards, including ACE Scholarships and Denver Institute for Faith and Work. He was selected in 2018 as one of Denver’s “40 under 40” by The Denver Business Journal and as a “Senior Living Leader under 40” by Argentum. He is an active member of the Colorado Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a graduate of the Leadership Denver program.

Managing Partner Matt Turner describes the powerful blend of Mission and Margin that has made MorningStar successful.

ALEXIS MARTINI

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Alexis Martini has invested the past 20 years working with seniors, demonstrating strategic leadership as both an operator and in sales. Her professional career has spanned assisted living, personal care, skilled nursing, home care, independent living, dementia care, commercial real estate and 55+ real estate. Her areas of specialized expertise are in community start-ups, acquisitions and rebranding.

As the 2017 Argentum Best of the Best Under 40 Award winner, Alexis took on growing leadership roles in Sales and Marketing and in Operations, culminating in VP of Sales for Sunrise Senior Living, Eastern Division. Alexis drove NOI, increasing occupancy across her Sunrise supervisory portfolio of 116 communities spanning 24 states and Canada. She most recently served as VP of Operations for RLB/Greenfield Senior Living, managing their senior living communities and various commercial real estate assets.
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Seniors were instrumental in shaping Alexis’ early life as she was raised by Grandparents Gail and David, with great influence from Great-grandmother Dolly. Says Alexis, “They were tremendous examples of what it means to have a servant’s heart, put others first, and believe that anything worth doing is worth doing at 150%. A retired police captain, my granddad demonstrated what hard work, determination, empathy and loyalty looks like in the professional world. From all three of these precious people, I learned to work hard, do good, forgive, and trust in God in all things.”

On joining this team in 2020, she remarks, “The culture of servant-leadership that permeates every level of MorningStar was the primary driver.”

TRACY JAEGER

EXECUTIVE VP AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
Joining MorningStar in 2022 is as clear a divine appointment as any Tracy Jaeger has experienced. “As a woman of faith, to be in a setting where I can speak to those motivations, to be part of a company with a soul…well, there is no doubt I have found that unparalleled opportunity here at MorningStar.”

As to seniors, close relationships with the elders in her family significantly shaped Tracy’s childhood. She was impacted by a strong bond with Great Aunt Anne and Uncle Frank. “They encouraged me always and loved me unconditionally.” In later years, watching her mother struggle through the challenges of advanced age, Tracy’s respect for seniors deepened, as did the desire to return to them the respect and rewards they so richly deserve.

As Chief Strategy Officer, Tracy brings to MorningStar Senior Living a deep reservoir of knowledge in healthcare, marketing and strategy-driven leadership. Hers is a 20-year career in building strong partnerships that leverage the full capabilities of an enterprise for customer-centric, profitable growth. Tracy delights in using data to discover the path forward, combining intuitive creativity with strong analytics and a holistic understanding of the voice of the customer, all to open areas of greatest opportunity.
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She is formally trained and a passionate advocate of “Lean Process Improvement,” earning a Bronze Certification in that well-reputed practice for achieving goals through root-cause analysis, waste elimination and cost efficiencies. With her trained eye on continuous improvement, Tracy challenges the status quo, engages key stakeholders, listens intently to points of view, and builds consensus.

Entering the healthcare field in 1998, Tracy applied her skills first at Allina Health in Minneapolis with its 34,000 employees and physicians. There she worked ten years in marketing and brand strategy. The next seven years were invested at HealthEast in St. Paul, an organization of 8000, where from a marketing seat she advanced into strategic planning and customer experience, rising to Vice President in her final two years. Most recently she served as Chief Strategy Officer and Senior VP of Strategy and System Development for Essentia Health in Duluth, MN, whose holdings included senior living communities.

She holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Dickinson State University with a triple concentration in marketing, management and finance.

ERIC SPENCER

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Eric Spencer offers this on his calling to serve, “Seniors have mentored me throughout my life, helping me in times of need with critical decisions. Carrying their words of wisdom, I’ve replayed them in my mind when seeking the best path. My Grandmother Jocelyn was an inspiration in many ways by her modeling of how to give, love and connect with others. She put a lot of energy into keeping our family close, which returned great joy to her and everyone around her. Mine is a deep respect and strong connection with seniors. I’m honored to be in a position that serves them through giving back.”

Eric’s career in finance and accounting spans over 25 years. Early in his career, at Great West Life, he led a financial analysis team that identified and corrected system issues that impacted clients group health insurance plans. Next, he served as Assistant VP of Budgeting and Forecasting and as Assistant Controller for GMAC/CapMark which ranked #3 on the Fortune 500. There, Eric performed modeling and forecasting within its real estate investment banking division.
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As Manager of Accounting for AIMCO, a Fortune 100 company in the REIT sector, Eric handled the complex accounting for over $2 Billion of dispositions and other transactions such as acquisitions, tenders, mergers and 1031 exchanges. In subsequent years he served as VP of Finance and Accounting for a private equity firm with assets of $400MM in gross value and $50MM in annual revenue. As Senior VP and Controller of a residential mortgage loan servicer, Eric oversaw the accounting and finance departments with a staff of 25. His last position was CFO of SALT Lending, a FinTech company offering innovative blockchain-backed lending solutions and products.

Eric was drawn to MorningStar Senior Living by its alignment in mission and purpose. “MorningStar’s core values echo through its halls, reminding and guiding the team in our joint calling. These principles build and perpetuate a healthy culture that extends far beyond simple profitability measurements.” For Eric, there is pride in being a part of a company that understands the importance of seniors living their years in a community filled with loving care, security, warmth and fun.

He earned a BA in economics at Rutgers University and an MBA at the University of Louisville, and holds an active Colorado CPA license.

BRANDON LESNIAK

CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER
Brandon Lesniak joined MorningStar in 2017 as Senior VP of Investments, bringing 14 years of senior living experience in development, acquisitions, capital structuring, underwriting and asset management. In 2022 he was promoted to Chief Investment Officer. In his career, he’s operated and/or managed over $4 billion of real estate assets, 500+ communities and 15+ developments across the US.

“I want to be part of more than a thriving business enterprise. My personal values insist upon it. MorningStar is on such a course. The company makes its priorities clear; upfront, it’s about honoring God. The mission of MorningStar is lived out with authenticity and integrity. It’s put into action. That’s rare, and that struck me at my core.”
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His introduction to senior living started with HCR-ManorCare working in marketing and operations at the communities before expanding to a regional role throughout the Midwest. “While I enjoyed the business model of post-acute and long-term care, what impacted me most was seeing the goodness of people, caregivers going above and beyond to do the right thing and become family to the residents. That was inspiring. I knew this was where I wanted to invest my own skills.”

Brandon then joined Welltower (formerly Healthcare REIT) as Vice President of Investments where he led a team from underwriting through asset management resulting in $3 billion of real estate assets and 400+ properties over a five-year span. The following two years Brandon served as Vice President for PNC Real Estate, and prior to joining MorningStar, Brandon served as Senior Vice President of Senior Living and Healthcare for Kirco, a family owned commercial real estate firm. Brandon has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Michigan State University and earned an MBA from the University of Detroit–Mercy.

TAMARA EWART

SENIOR VP OF SALES AND MARKETING
In her role as Senior VP of Sales and Marketing, Tamara Ewart brings 30 years of sales and marketing expertise, 22 of them in senior housing. Her executive leadership roles have encompassed sales and marketing, sales training and development, operational strategy, multi-site management, strategic planning and new product development.

As the oldest of five girls, Tamara remembers wryly, “I was never the favorite child in our household. But my grandmother, Maxine Arnold, always treated me as if I were the most important person in the world. As a young adult, I lived with her for three months. Her ladies group would come over every week for dinner and Canasta. I spent hours listening to their stories and laughing myself out of the chair. Grandma passed away at 93 in 2018 and I’ve missed her every day since.”
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Her career began with Sunrise in Ohio. “From the start, I thought that senior living was the perfect place for me. But as time went on, my calling became sure. The residents have taught me to respect others and to never give up.” For 14 years, Tamara’s style of servant-leadership won her increasing responsibility at Sunrise. She rapidly progressed from Area Supervisor to Regional to Vice President of Sales in Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Canada.

In 2014 she joined Enlivant Senior Living as Divisional VP of Sales for the Midwest, responsible for 105 communities in nine states. For five consecutive years, she achieved the strongest margin performance in the company. The next two years were invested at Senior Lifestyles, also as Divisional Director of Sales. Tamara matches her topical expertise with a great love of empowering and coaching others to be their best.

On joining our team in 2021, she remarks, “MorningStar is distinguished by its mission, which finds its way into the center of every conversation and aligns our behavior and decisions at every turn. It’s powerful and rewarding to be able to pray and speak of God in the workplace.”

Tamara holds a B.A. in Business Administration from West Liberty University in West Virginia.

ASHLEY GUIDO

SENIOR VP OF WELLNESS
Ashley Guido joined MorningStar Senior Living in March 2019 as Regional VP of Wellness at a time when she was finishing a double Master’s at Grand Canyon University (earning in September of that year an MBA and Master’s of Nursing). She was promoted to SVP in 2021.

While her father’s naval career moved the family many times, Ashley recalls her childhood years in rural North Carolina with fondness where Grands and Great Grands helped shaped her values—and her cooking skills. Her choice of a nursing career had its origins in caring for a failing family member which, while difficult, affirmed that here was her calling, here lay her gifts.

As a young adult, she ventured to Georgia’s Armstrong Atlantic State University, there earning a BSN and RN license. Landing in Colorado Springs in 2011, she has invested 13 years in serving seniors through skilled nursing facilities, hospice and home health agencies, including a stint as Executive Director. Ashley serves the industry more broadly as Vice Chairman of the Colorado Center for Assisted Living at the Colorado Health Care Association, also holding a seat on the CHCA board.
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“I love MorningStar for its core values and mission. Of the companies I’ve worked with, though many would say they have a mission, MorningStar gives evidence of living it out.” Ashley continues, “The senior living world has changed—is still changing—rapidly. But we have remarkable talent at every level to meet the challenge. MorningStar is at the vanguard of what assisted living will look like going forward, in part through amazing third-party partnerships that fortify our clinical initiatives. The future is exciting for us, and I’m deeply honored to be a part of that future.”
“Every once in a while I get to work with and meet people who have something very special and very right going on. There is a tone here at MorningStar and you can feel it. I want to congratulate you for that, and encourage you to move forward. And keep doing it.” – Dr. Nathan Mellor, Strata Leadership

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