COVID UPDATES | BOARD PORTAL | CAREERS | CONTACT US Duncaster is where I live Duncaster > About Us Duncaster is proud to have a leadership team made up of individuals who share a deep regard of service to seniors and their families. Each leader represents the values and mission of Duncaster, which are put into practice each day by our entire staff. Staff include tenured department heads, managers, supervisors, as well as caregiving and operations staff, all of whom enliven the campus with their energy, dedication, diversity and compassion each and every day. Click To View Kelly Papa President & CEO Kelly Papa, MSN, RN, is Duncaster’s President and CEO. Most recently, Kelly held the position of Vice President of Strategy and Community Life at Duncaster. Her broad and extensive experience in aging services includes serving as a director of nursing and a clinical educator. She is also a national consultant to dementia care and leadership development programs. Kelly has researched, published and presented at numerous national conferences on topics including: building learning organizations, creativity in staff development, person-centered care, dementia care, leading change and leadership development. Her most recently published book was titled Effective Nurse Leadership: Transforming Long Term Care. She was a fellow of LeadingAge’s first Leadership Academy class in 2007, and served as a coach for the National Leadership Academy. For the past seven years, Kelly has facilitated Connecticut’s LeadingAge Leadership Academy. In 2013, she served as Chair of the Workforce Development Committee for the State of Connecticut’s Task Force on Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Kelly earned her BSN from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and her MSN from the University of Saint Joseph. She currently serves on the boards of Connecticut League for Nursing and the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce. Ami Desai Chief Operating Officer Ami Desai joined Duncaster on January 2, 2020 as Vice President of Health Services before being promoted to the new position of Chief Operating Officer in 2021. In addition to her role as COO, Ami is the Administrator at Caleb Hitchcock Health Center where she oversees Assisted Living, therapy, and the Hartford HealthCare medical practice at Duncaster. As COO, Ami supports the daily Community Life of Independent Living residents through her leadership of the Resident Services and Wellness departments. Ami has over 25 years of executive leadership experience in senior living, health care management and clinical operations as well as a proven background in operations/strategic planning, program development, quality initiatives and hospital/physician relationships. Ami received her Master of Science in Physical Therapy from the Maharaja Sayajerao University in India and a Masters in Health Care Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is a Member in the American College of Health Care Executives. A licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Ami received her Long-Term Care Management Certification from the University of Connecticut. Lisa Greene Vice President of Sales & Marketing Lisa Greene holds the position of Vice President-Sales and Marketing. Lisa brings over twenty years of senior level sales and marketing experience as well as considerable involvement with local non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Duncaster, Lisa was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company in Ohio and held senior level marketing and sales positions at Nestle USA and the Procter and Gamble Company. In addition, as the daughter of current Duncaster residents Ivan and Marianne Mueller, Lisa knows the Duncaster Community well and has a unique perspective and a personal understanding of the value of a Life Plan Community. Lisa resides in West Hartford with her husband and two children. A native of the State of Ohio, Lisa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and has a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Betty Anderson Vice President of Finance Betty Anderson, Vice President – Finance started working at Duncaster in November of 2006 after working at Retirement Living Services, a senior living consulting firm, for 5 years. Prior to RLS she worked for 13 years at ECHN at Rockville and Manchester Hospitals as well as their skilled nursing community Woodlake at Tolland. She held both financial and IT management positions with the last 2 years spent at Woodlake as their Director of Finance. Betty has a B.S. in Accounting and MBA in Healthcare Administration. Her work at RLS though rewarding took her away from face-to-face interactions with individuals whose lives her clients provided care and services to and whose lives were impacted in a positive way as they aged. Being chosen for the position as top finance person at Duncaster brought her back to where she wanted to be, working with like-minded senior living professionals whose primary goal is to create positive experiences for residents every day. When not at Duncaster she love to play sports, travel, gather with family and friends as well as volunteering on non-profit boards. Valerie Santos Vice President of Human Resources Valerie Santos is currently the Vice President of Human Resources at Duncaster. She has been with Duncaster for 15 years and is responsible for assisting senior management in the annual review, preparation and administration of Duncaster’s wage, salary and benefits programs. She is responsible for recruitment and retention of qualified staff. She oversees training & development and has responsibility for Duncaster’s compliance with all federal and state regulations pertaining to employment matters with direct responsibility for Payroll Administration, Pension Administration and the Workers Compensation Program. Valerie is a 2015 fellow of the LeadingAge CT Leadership Academy and currently serves as a coach for the CT Leadership Academy class since 2017. Prior to coming to Duncaster, Valerie spent 15 year at ING Investment Management /Aetna. Her last position focused on recruitment of investment professionals. Valerie earned her B.S. in Marketing at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI along with an Associates Degree in Public Relations, Advertising and Retail Management. John Shulansky Chairman of the Board John D. Shulansky, was elected to the Duncaster board of directors in 2014 and chair in 2021. He has decades of experience in senior living and geriatrics since 1986, and for more than ten years as a partner of EldersChoice of Connecticut that provides case management and home care for elder and chronically ill adults. He has extensive business and community experience as a member of and consultant to governing boards, C-suites, nonprofits, as a (retired) elected official, and a variety of complex entrepreneurial business undertakings. He also serves on the executive committee of the Travelers Championship; a board of visitors of the University of Hartford; a corporator of Hartford Hospital; and, a life trustee of the Greater Hartford Jewish Federation and Hebrew Community Services. He is Duncaster’s first legacy board member – John’s late father, Ralph served on the board from 1996-2003. Mr. Shulansky is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, earned his A.B. in psychology with honors from Hamilton College where he was elected to Sigma Xi, and an M.B.A. from New York University. Board of Directors Susan Aller Frank W. Barrett Brian Clemow Yvonne Renée Davis Nancy G. Dean Robert Fisher Lenworth Jacobs Irmgard Klee Rick Knauft Deborah Koltenuk Noreen A. Shugrue John D. Shulansky Dr. Marie M. Spivey John H.P. Wheat Thomas M. Wood Outlook Newsletter Stay up-to-date with the latest Duncaster community news. READ THE CURRENT ISSUE Understand the cost. Realize the value. Cost Comparison Worksheet > PHOTO GALLERY Click To View Our Full Photo Gallery > Sign up for our E-newsletter SUBSCRIBE The Realities and Myths of Long-term Care Insurance Be informed with the help of our FREE e-Book download. Name (required) Email (required) Phone (required) 40 Loeffler Road Bloomfield, CT 06002 860.726.2000 © 2020 Duncaster. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Terms of Use