BrightStar Care Hires New Marketing Chief; Addus, Pennant Make Changes To Their Boards

BrightStar Care names new chief marketing officer

BrightStar Care has promoted Teresa Celmer to chief marketing officer.

Prior to her appointment, she had served as the company’s senior vice president of marketing since 2019.

“I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of chief marketing officer of BrightStar Care and am expertly positioned to continue leading the BrightStar Care marketing team with passion and resilience,” Celmer said in a press release. “From the start, I have been committed to BrightStar Care’s vision of enriching lives, and I am ready to continue leading the brand forward through creative and innovative channels.”

The Chicago-based BrightStar Care is a home care and medical staffing franchise with more than 370 locations nationwide. The company provides medical and non-medical services to clients in their homes, as well as supplemental care staff to corporate clients.

In her new role, Celmer will be in charge of the overall strategy and execution of all marketing programs and initiatives under BrightStar Group Holdings, which includes BrightStar Care, BrightStar Senior Living and BrightStar Care Homes.

Additionally, Celmer will strengthen consumer B2B and employer branding.

“Teresa Celmer truly embodies the heart and soul of BrightStar Care, and through her tremendous work, she has taken the brand to extraordinary heights,” BrightStar Care CEO Shelly Sun said in the release. “The state of the healthcare workforce has fluctuated over the years, and being the solution-oriented professional she is, Teresa has swiftly pivoted marketing efforts towards attracting health care workers. Teresa is a trailblazing marketer who focuses on the interconnectedness between our customers, staff and partners and strategically aligns marketing to fit each audience seamlessly.”

Prior to joining BrightStar Care, Celmer was brand director of consumer marketing at Ace Hardware.

Addus gets a new board member

Addus HomeCare Corporation (Nasdaq: ADUS) announced that Heather Dixon has been added to the company’s board of directors as an independent board member.

Dixon is taking over a seat on the board that was previously filled by Steven Geringer. She will serve as a member of the audit committee.

“We are delighted to welcome Heather as an independent member of the Addus board of directors,” Addus Chairman and CEO Dirk Allison said in a press statement. “One of our top priorities is to have a board of directors that brings together individuals with diverse skills and backgrounds to create balanced, objective, and thoughtful decision-making that supports sound corporate governance practices and best serves shareholder interests. Heather brings extensive financial and strategic experience across leading health and wellness companies that complements the work and expertise of our other board members.”

The Frisco, Texas-based Addus currently provides home-based care services to approximately 46,500 consumers through 202 locations across 22 states.

Currently, Dixon serves as the CFO of Everside Health, a primary care provider. Before joining Everside Health, she was the senior vice president, global controller and chief accounting officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA).

Additionally, Dixon is also an independent board member of Signify Health (NYSE: SGFY).

Pennant makes changes to its board of directors

The Pennant Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PNTG) has named Barry Smith as chairman of its board of directors and Brent Guerisoli as a member.

The Eagle, Idaho-based Pennant is a holding company of independent operating subsidiaries, with a network that includes 95 home health and hospice agencies and 49 senior living communities located across the U.S.

Smith has served on Pennant’s board since 2021. Previously, he served as chairman and CEO of Magellan Health Inc., a provider of behavioral health services and pharmacy benefit management services. He succeeds Daniel Walker, who has served as the company’s chairman since 2019.

Brent Guerisoli is currently Pennant’s CEO.

“In more than a decade with Pennant, I have had the opportunity to lead an individual operation, cluster, market and company while also supporting the service center,” Guerisoli said in a press release. “In every part of my Pennant journey, I have seen the incredible impact of individual leaders united by our mission, culture and operating principles. I look forward to joining Barry on the board and working closely with these distinguished leaders to drive the organization forward.”

Executive Home Care promotes new brand president

Executive Home Care has named its former senior vice president of franchise operations, Kevin Porter, to the position of brand president. He first joined the company’s leadership team in June 2022.

As brand president, Porter will be responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and overall performance of Executive Home Care.

“We are thrilled to have Kevin step into this new role,” Executive Home Care CEO Tim Hadley said in a press release. “His passion for delivering exceptional care, combined with his extensive experience helping franchisees grow and succeed, make him the perfect candidate to lead our brand as we continue to expand. We are confident that under his leadership, Executive Home Care will continue to provide top-quality care and service excellence to clients and families across the country.”

Executive Home Care is a personal care and companion care company. Currently, the company has more than 20 franchise locations across the country.

New chief revenue officer joins Homethrive

Homethrive has hired Patrick Twohig as the company’s chief revenue officer.

“Pat is one of the most creative, curious and gritty colleagues with whom I have ever worked,” Homethrive co-founder and co-CEO Dave Jacobs said in a press release. “We believe strongly in the need for family caregiver support, and Pat is the right person to help us accelerate awareness and adoption far and wide.”

Homethrive is a tech-enabled provider of non-medical care management and personal assistance services. The company’s staff of social workers provides clients with a comprehensive care plan for older adults, as well as coaching, personal assistance and concierge services.

The company services the private-pay market, long-term care insurance companies and Medicare Advantage plans.

In general, Homethrive has been beefing up its leadership team. Karan Chawla, a former Uber (NYSE: UBER) executive, recently joined the company as its chief product officer.