Meet Our Team

As CEO/President of Youville, Nicole promotes the mission and values of Youville House and Youville Place in partnership with Youville’s Board of Directors. She is passionate about maintaining an engaging living environment at Youville and ensuring that high-quality, person-centered care is provided to all Youville residents. Nicole earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Management and Policy from the University of New Hampshire. Before joining Youville, she served as Operations Specialist for Covenant Health and later as the Administrator for Campion Health Center in Weston, Mass. Nicole also is the current chair for LeadingAge Massachusetts.

Joanne has been actively involved with seniors and elder care for most of her career. Previously Executive Director of Youville Place in Lexington, she is now Chief Operating Officer for both the Lexington and Cambridge Youville residences.

Joanne received her bachelor’s degree from Framingham State College and a master’s degree from Boston University in Policy, Planning and Administrative Studies. She served on the Board of Minuteman Senior Services for many years in various positions, including Chairman of the Board.

Paula has over nine years of experience at Youville, where she values belonging to a close-knit team and working for a mission-based organization that serves the needs of older adults. A native of Lowell, Paula received her bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Early in her career, she worked as an accountant for a CPA firm before transitioning to the non-profit sector.

Tom brings 20+ years of human resources experience to his role of Director of Human Resources at Youville. He enjoys getting to know the Youville staff and working with them to strengthen and enhance the work environment. Tom holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Salem State College.

Kathleen is a Board-Certified Chaplain and brings compassion, vast experience and a natural affinity for older adults to her role at Youville. Kathleen trained as a chaplain at Boston-area hospitals and was employed by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as an interfaith chaplain. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she earned her Master’s of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Before her pastoral calling, Kathleen earned a master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy and worked for a consulting firm specializing in community development and planning.

Katie brings over 20 years of programming experience to the Youville communities. She is passionate about developing engaging programs for all residents at Youville that are designed to that fit their needs. Katie is actively involved with both Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s programming and is a certified Dementia Practitioner and Ageless Grace Educator. Katie earned her bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Southern Maine.

Yanira received her bachelor’s degree from Suffolk University, where she majored in Journalism focused on Public Relations and Business. She has spent much of her 15-year career at Youville learning about the needs of older adults and finding creative ways to provide supportive resources. Yanira serves as the Parkinson’s Liaison for Youville and is a member of Moving Day Boston through the Parkinson’s Foundation. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Lexington Rotary Club as Second Vice President.

Ginger has 30 years of service to non-profit organizations and is pleased to have celebrated 10 years of that service with the Youville family. Her career experience includes time with Easter Seals Virginia in event management and program development, supporting individuals with disabilities and with Children Incorporated assessing and auditing international service programs to children and their families. Ginger attended Fisher College in Massachusetts and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, focusing on administration and non-profit management.

Bob Salamanca brings over 25 years of experience in the housing industry to his role as Director of Environmental Services at Youville House and Youville Place. Bob has implemented several green indicatives at both properties. He has successfully installed a new Combined Heat and Power plant at Youville Place and started a composting program at Youville House. Bob is proud to be part of a great team of maintenance associates and housekeepers at both properties.

Originally from the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, Abygail grew up in upstate New York and spent a year studying abroad in Israel. She attended Bowling Green State University where she majored in Gerontology and Long-Term Care Administration.  Prior to joining Youville, Aby was a licensed Nursing Home Administrator in Ohio. She also worked in sales and marketing for the Visiting Nurse Assisted and Senior Living Communities in Somerville.

Lydia earned her nursing degree from Middlesex Community College and began her career in pediatrics before transitioning to elder care. She began working at Youville Place in 2012 as Wellness Nurse, and a year later she joined Youville House as Nurse Manager. Lydia became the Director of Wellness in 2016. She provides invaluable leadership to the Youville Wellness team and works closely with residents and family members to ensure all resident wellness needs are met.

Bianca has over 18 years of experience in caring for older adults. She has spent the majority of her professional career at Youville, honing her talent for developing meaningful and long-lasting relationships with new residents. She particularly enjoys fostering connections among residents by learning about each individual’s life story. Bianca received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UMass Boston.  

Susan has extensive experience in the Human Services industry. For the past 10 years she has focused her talents in the area of elder care. Her passion is helping individuals and their families navigate the complex transition to assisted living so they can continue to live vibrant lives. Susan attended the University of Massachusetts and is a certified Feldenkrais practitioner.

Kathryn brings many years of experience of working with seniors to her role as Director of Wellness for both communities at Youville Place. She received her BS in Human Services from St Joseph College of Maine, and her RN from Faulkner Hospital School of Nursing. With a special interest in fitness, Kathryn takes a proactive approach to resident wellness. She believes good nutrition and exercise are top priorities when it comes to helping residents maintain their health.

James is an award winning, farm-to-table chef who has worked throughout the east coast for the past 15 years. He started out in New Hampshire working at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Nashua, NH. He then became the Executive Sous Chef for Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, NH. James also spent two years as the Executive Chef at Harvest Gallery Wine Bar in Dennis, MA. Most recently, James was the Corporate Director of Culinary Services for Gosnold Behavioral Health in Falmouth, MA.

Tammy’s career spans 25 years of working with older adults, caregivers, families and healthcare professionals. She is the owner of Alternatives in Alzheimer’s Care, a specialized training and consulting business with the mission to improve the lives of those living with dementia through caregiver training and education.

Tammy established the first Memory Cafe in Massachusetts, known as Create a Better Day Cafe, in 2011. Tammy is a Board-Certified Dementia Educator and has delivered numerous keynote and workshop presentations at state, national and international organizations.