About Us

I was raised by my grandfather, who was always very driven and hardworking. One of his favorite sayings was, "always do exactly what you say you are going to do and do it well." As I have discovered throughout my career, that virtue that he ingrained in my personality is one thing that sets me apart from others. I always strive to do my best and keep the promises I make.

I have lived in Florida my whole life and currently own a small farm in Manatee County. My husband is a Detective, and we have a daughter in middle school. I come from an Italian family, and I was raised to treat everyone who entered our home as if they were part of the family. When I became a nurse working in the field, I did not treat them as patients; I continued my family tradition of treating them as an extension of my own family.

My interest in the medical field began as a young child when I spent weeks in a hospital burn unit. I remember the nurses being kind and taking the time to explain everything; this fueled my passion for nursing from a young age. I started my nursing management career as an outpatient nurse manager for a psychiatric clinic, where I gained valuable skills in managing a team of nurses and direct-care staff while running a busy clinic.

As a Home Health Nurse, I spent time learning about the clinical end of home health and one-on-one care within the home setting. I was offered Leadership Roles within the Assisted Living Administration, where I learned how to manage teams and budgets thoroughly and, more importantly, how to encourage the staff to be the best friend of the residents.

I am honored to have assumed the role of Home Health Administrator for ACASA Senior Care of Tampa. I chose to align myself with this company because they also believe that healthcare should come from the heart. It's my goal to inspire my team to honor your loved one's life and have meaningful moments with them every day.

My Role At ACASA:
Nurse Administrator

How I Would Choose Care for a Loved One: They say nurses make the worst patients. If a loved one needed care I would be choosing based upon if I personally would be the recipient. Unless the care would be up to my standards, then it would not work for my loved ones.

How I Inspire the ACASA Team: When I was a nurse on the floor, I would "play" with my patients while providing care. I wanted to make every day the BEST DAY, as you never know which could be someone's last. It is my goal to train and inspire my team to make fun a priority in care, making everyday a little brighter.

How I Can Help:
I am here not only to oversee the operations of ACASA, but I bring a wealth of knowledge in Alzheimer's & Dementia Care. I am a Nurse, not a sales person, so I want my team to make sure our clients are getting what makes sense for their needs, even if it means not choosing us.

I am a compassionate nurse, born and raised in Florida. I spent the early part of my career helping run my family's small business. Over a decade of customer service experience helped mold me into the caring and passionate person that I am today. My dad is someone who I look up to immensely; I remember calling him one afternoon because he wasn’t at work, and found out he was at a customer's house who recently lost his legs due to diabetes building him a ramp for his house. I truly felt the “we care” in our motto. This is when I realized I wanted to do more to help and chose to become a nurse. I wanted to make the world a better place, one person at a time. After nursing school, I left the only job I ever knew and began my nursing career at an Assisted Living Facility. A new nurse fresh out of nursing school, I worked my way up to becoming an Associate Health and Wellness Director. The time spent there was a stepping stone that landed me in ACASA SeniorCare. I believe I bring a unique perspective to the work we do by pushing the team to enjoy and have fun making people‘s lives better one day at a time. My team, we all have different personalities, different chapters in our life, and different goals, but the SAME objective is to make this world a little brighter and to live by compassion. Everyone has a seat at our table. When I’m not working I enjoy spending time with my daughter. I also enjoy making handmade cards, yard work, watching Hallmark, and trips to Disney. One day I want to live in the mountains of Virginia and build my dream home. Until then I continue to help the ACASA team every day be inspired by compassion.

My Role At ACASA:
Alternate Nurse Administrator

What I look for In A Caregiver: Honesty, Dependability, & Friendliness.

How I Inspire the ACASA Team: I try to lead by example showing my team the power of staying positive throughout the day. I love to send them positive affirmations and send appreciation for all they do for our clients.

How I Can Help: I am here for both my families and clients to provide my expertise in the industry in helping them choose the best care option for their needs. My goal is to help people whether they choose our company or not. I am one of the supervisors for our staff on the ground, so I am here to help my staff with concerns they may have.

In a speech I gave in high school, I read a quote by Emerson that I’ve never forgotten. “To leave the world a bit better…To know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded.” I think about that line often and do my best to live by it.

I was born in Louisiana and moved with my family to Omaha, Nebraska when I was a teenager. I joined the Navy at age 19, spending the next several years deployed to the Persian Gulf onboard the USS John C Stennis. Joining the military was one of the most impactful decisions I’ve made. Throughout my time, I learned that strong teamwork is invaluable, and how important transformative leadership is in the key to success. After active duty, I settled down in Tampa. I graduated from USF with a Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders. While a junior, I was involved in the creation and Vice President of “Forever Friends,” a university club in which students matched one on one with seniors in local assisted living/memory care as part of a buddy program. It quickly grew from 2-3 members to many and was where I discovered my passion for working with seniors, especially those living with dementia. After graduating, I began working as Memory Care Director, and spent the last several years in a Memory Care- Assisted living setting.

I have been able to work together and learn from some incredibly talented specialists in dementia care and engagement, developing my skill set to engage residents in positive, meaningful approaches. The relationships I form with seniors are truly my passion and purpose. The connections we share with others are the most significant thing we can do to change a life. I am honored to be working with ACASA to share the knowledge of how to engage and connect as Director of Training and Development.

What I look for In A Caregiver: Choosing the right people for the job is one of the most important things to do in this industry. The basic qualities I believe you need to have to be a good caregiver are patience, compassion, and resourcefulness. The caregiver has to be genuine, and able to provide encouragement to those in need.

How I Inspire the ACASA Team: I take the time to actively listen to the input from staff, clients, and families. Once I understand where we need to improve I am able to implement training and solutions to the families and the team. I like to inspire the team to put compassion in everything they do.

How I Can Help: I am here to support the ACASA team by placing not only the client in the center of care, but also the families. I provide my years of dementia experience and guidance to the caregivers on how to make any task a fun activity. I am here to support our staff’s development not just as an employee, but as an individual.

How I would Choose Care For A Loved One: The most important thing to me would be finding somewhere with person centered care. I would want to know they are accountable for their actions, and bring meaning and joy to their clients' days. It is also important to make sure they treat their staff well, have a supportive team, and ongoing education for staff and families .