Eli Gabay
CEO
Eliyahu received his Bachelor’s of Talmudic Law from the Talmudic Institute of Upstate New York and started his 13-year career as a licensed administrator in California providing excellent care in multiple assisted living homes. Mr. Gabay enhanced his work relationships with the surrounding communities such as hospitals and nursing homes, helping his cause to expand and increase the scope of care to his residents, progressing in a chain of continuity of the level of care as well. Eli’s true calling was found in Michigan where he launched Michigan’s first assisted living home to offer high standards of care to low-income seniors that we know today as True Care Living. His goal is to expand his excellence of care throughout Southern Michigan at a price point that is not on the market.
Kalina Dery
Administrator
Kalina has been in the hospitality industry for 23 years. She recognized her career path at the young age of 13 when helping manage her family’s business where she quickly learned communication is everything. Kalina’s talents in art put a splash in Northern Michigan social media where she accomplished several awards and published articles. With art being an influence in her family, Kalina moved onto the art of food where she became a gourmet dessert chef. She focused her studies in art and business management while working her way into various administrative and management roles in the hotel chain. Kalina’s philosophy in life is that anything can be achievable when you choose patience and perseverance – in the meantime, don’t forget to enjoy the view. “The world is a wonderful creation and everything in it is a work of art which is why I never had my sights set on one specific thing. I wanted to devote my time learning and enjoying all the art the world had to offer. I thought certainly my career would lead to becoming an art professor, but I always found myself wanting to learn and discover more. It was when True Care Living came into my life that I recognized my ‘home’. I thought, ‘Ah, this is where I’m meant to be’. When I met our CEO, Eli Gabay, and saw where his heart was invested in his family and the care of his senior residents, I knew, too, this is where I wanted to invest my heart into making a difference in the quality of these seniors’ lives.”
Calina Foster
Admissions Director
Calina has been involved with models of healthcare for nearly 9 years including developmentally disabled adults, working her way into management. She has received her CNA training as well as training through Community Mental Health and expanded her skills, gaining 4 years of marketing and networking to include the experience and knowledge of sales and advertisement. Calina believes in a holistic approach to providing a quality of life to our residents. “I believe in managing the person, not the process in every situation, both staff and residents, and catering my communication with them to fit their needs and personality style. Treating our residents with dignity and respect is at the forefront of everything I stand for. This field has always sparked my interest because it is something I excel at. Taking care of others is a passion of mine and to be able to showcase those skills and do something I love at the same time is a blessing.” Calina’s main professional goal is to help our community in placing low-income elderly adults into a safe and stable environment with an added goal of being more involved with the veteran population while closely working with the VA and other veteran entities in the community. A major success of hers has been to help many individuals into a more stable environment as she continues to strive with the same tenacity and passion she started with when accepting this role.
Sonya Jones
Kitchen Manager
Sonya has over 10 years of assisted living work experience and 40 years of cooking experience with a smile that lights up any room she walks into. She describes her career in assisted living as a “happy accident” – one she stumbled upon and found a love for. Her favorite part of coming to work is getting to know residents and their life stories as well as putting a smile on their faces with her healthy home cooking and made-from-scratch skills. Sonya’s main hobby in life is nurturing plants which she was born into and has founded a family greenhouse for the past 20 years.
Steve Sullivan
Maintenance Manager
For nearly 45 years, Steve has been honing his vast array of skills, dedicating the last 9 years to maintenance work in the healthcare sector. He found this role quite fulfilling until the owner of an assisted living home, recognizing Steve’s exceptional skills, offered him a full-time, permanent position. Mr. Sullivan takes great pleasure in the company of our home’s seniors, who in turn deeply appreciate and adore him. His guiding principle in life is to always work hard. “That’s how I raised my daughter,” he says. “When you make a commitment, you see it through.”