Josh is an entrepreneur and leader with a passion for improving the lives of elders. He has vast experience in the senior housing and senior care industry. As a mission-driven entrepreneur and founder, Josh had developed, owned, operated, and acquired more than 40 senior housing communities across the Midwest and Southeast prior to founding EmpowerMe Wellness. His experience as a senior housing operator is what led him to found EmpowerMe, with the belief that there is a huge opportunity for positive change in the healthcare services sector of the industry. Josh’s dedication to serving seniors began more than 20 years ago when he spent several years working on the front lines of hospice agencies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Eastern Illinois University and a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to undergraduate studies, Josh was an enlisted member of the United States Marine Corps. He resides in Ladue, Missouri, with his wife of 17 years and three children. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of NIC MAP Vision, a member of the Executive Board of the American Seniors Housing Organization, a member of Young Presidents Organization, a member of the Chairs Council of Greater St. Louis, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Niagara University.

As Chief People Officer, Carrie leads EmpowerMe’s Human Resources and Recruitment efforts, working to provide our team members with the best possible employee experience. Carrie has an extensive history of leading companies through periods of rapid expansion. Formerly Chief Human Resources Officer for GardaWorld and Chief Operating Officer for Major Brands, Inc., Ward’s expertise spans multiple disciplines and has created substantial value for the companies she has served.
A magna cum laude graduate of St. Louis University’s John Cook School of Business, Carrie has earned black belt Six Sigma certification. She is active with a number of civic service organizations, serving on the boards for the United Way of Greater St. Louis, Banded Brigade Outdoors, and the Veteran’s Business Resource Center.

Ken is a highly motivated and effective leader with recognized expertise in finance and operations. For over 30 years, he has been personally responsible for growing companies big and small, and developing numerous Fortune 1000 leaders during his career. As Chief Operating Officer for EmpowerMe Wellness, he manages operations and finances across our nationwide footprint, ensuring we continue to grow to meet the ever-expanding needs of our aging population. Most recently, Ken served as Chief Financial Officer for Caleres, Inc., a 144-year-old, $3 billion global footwear company. Prior to joining Caleres, Hannah served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer to JCPenney, was named Executive Vice President and President of Solar Energy at MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., and held senior executive leadership positions in finance and operations with The Home Depot, The Boeing Company and General Electric. Ken holds an MBA in International Business from Saint Louis University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He and his wife Amy have five children. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the St. Louis Zoo Association and Meta Materials, Inc., and he serves on the External Advisory Board at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Angie has spent nearly 25 years dedicated to improving the quality of life for older adults by supporting those who provide services to seniors. As Senior Vice President of Integrated Care, she oversees the implementation of our integrated healthcare platform at senior living communities nationwide and manages ongoing process improvements across the company. Prior to joining EmpowerMe Wellness, Angie owned a consulting company and served as the Chief Wellness Officer of a national independent and assisted living operator. She started her career in the Programs and Services Division of the Alzheimer’s Association’s national office in Chicago, and then moved back to St. Louis to start up a prestigious memory care community. She has served on several nonprofit boards and committees advocating for culture change in long-term care and for older adults with memory loss. Angie graduated with her master’s degree in Social Work from Washington University, was published in JAMDA, and is an internationally renowned speaker and thought leader in senior living.

Allison joined our organization in 2022 when ONR Rehab joined EmpowerMe Wellness. A Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), Allison began her career as a staff therapist in a skilled nursing facility, where she became ONR’s first-ever Clinic Director in a direct bill setting. She later advanced to a role as an Assistant Director of Operations (ADO), and later, Regional Vice President. As Divisional Vice President, she oversees clinical operations in California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Based in Laguna Niguel, CA, Allison is known for her person-centered approach to both care and management. She is passionate about connecting with the teams in her division, understanding their needs, and fostering their growth. Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from California State University Fullerton, and is a former professor of Occupational Therapy at Stanbridge University in Irvine, CA. Married with two children, Allison enjoys cooking and values spending time with her family. 

Jennifer is an Occupational Therapist with 18 years of experience working with seniors. She graduated from the University of Florida with her Master of Occupational Therapy degree in 2005. Jennifer is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner, an LSVT BIG, and PWR! Moves certified instructor, and a certified Rock Steady Boxing instructor. In 2021 she received her Professional Certificate in Gerontology from Bellarmine University. When Jennifer isn’t leading her team and growing EmpowerMe’s footprint, she’s a multi-event world-champion equestrian and former member of the UF Equestrian Team. She loves spending time out on the water with her husband Scott and daughters Emma and Cora. Jennifer resides in Floral City, Florida.

Jesse is a Physical Therapist with 12 years of clinical experience in the SNF and ALF settings. She has a Master of Physical Therapy degree from Maryville University, is certified in Vestibular Rehabilitation and OTAGO fall prevention, and is an APTA member. Jesse has spent her career providing person-centered care to the senior population and is a passionate advocate for her patients and co-workers. Her interests include being active, spending time outdoors with her family, reading, and watching sappy Hallmark movies. Jesse currently lives in O’Fallon, Missouri with her husband and three children.

As the Chief Medical Officer of EmpowerMe Wellness, Dr. Joseph “Jody” Mitchell oversees and manages clinical practices, focuses on staff development for field clinicians, and utilizes the most current research and practices to provide better outcomes for residents of senior living communities nationwide. As an experienced healthcare leader, Dr. Mitchell brings over a decade of experience to his role. He has an eye on the future of healthcare, with a persistent drive to use technology to create better medical outcomes. But most importantly, he has a deep, life-long passion for improving the lives of seniors. Prior to coming to EmpowerMe Wellness, Dr. Mitchell served the clinicians, patients, and families of Owensboro Health in Owensboro, Kentucky, most recently in the roles of Medical Director of Outpatient Services and Medical Director of Athletic Training Services. He also served as Owensboro Health’s Medical Director of Healthpark, Kentucky’s only facility certified by the national Medical Fitness Association. Originally a Kentucky native, Dr. Mitchell recently relocated to St. Louis with his wife, Kate, and their three children. In addition to earning a Doctor of Medicine degree with a clinical focus on primary care in 2011 from the University of Kentucky, Dr. Mitchell graduated at the top of his program from Western Kentucky University with a Master of Business Administration degree. He completed his Family Medicine residency and a Sports Medicine fellowship from the University of Kentucky in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and received the Resident Teacher of the Year Award in 2014 and 2015.

As Chief Financial Officer for EmpowerMe Wellness, Jake Miller is tasked with implementing our fiscal strategy with an eye toward creating value for the communities we serve. Jake has extensive experience guiding healthcare companies through periods of rapid growth, executing capital raising and merger/acquisition transactions and building exceptionally high performing finance teams. Most recently, Jake served as head of finance for molecular diagnostics company Geneoscopy, where he oversaw corporate strategy, finance and supply chain efforts. Prior to joining Geneoscopy, Jake was VP of Finance and Corporate Treasurer for Essence Healthcare/Lumeris, a market-leading Medicare Advantage plan and technology-enabled services company developing novel care management programs for seniors nationally. Jake began his career in investment banking where he advised clients on merger/acquisition and fundraising activities in the seniors housing sector. Jake holds a degree in economics from Vanderbilt University.

Steve founded EverSpring Pharmacy in 2008 and has specialized in medication compliance pharmacy since 1993. As President of EverSpring under the new partnership with EmpowerMe Wellness, Steve leads the pharmaceutical service line that serves senior living communities. Steve brings a wealth of industry expertise, having held several positions in the Midwest within the long-term care pharmaceutical industry including consulting pharmacist, operational clinician, executive director, and regional director of a long-term care pharmacy. Steve has earned specialized certificates in geriatric medicine from colleges such as the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and Harvard University. Steve graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in 1993 from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and with his Master’s of Business Administration in 2002 from St. Louis University. Steve has served on several long-term care advisory boards and was a previous Arch Grants Advisory Council Member.

Lucas has been appointed to the role of Chief Strategy Officer. In his new role, EmpowerMe’s longtime Managing Director will drive account management and marketing strategies. Lucas joined the team in 2020 as Managing Director of EmpowerMe Holdings. Prior to EmpowerMe, Lucas was the Managing Director of Dreampact Ventures, an early-stage Venture Capital firm. Lucas created and ran the Dreampact due diligence and deal flow processes, as well as managing the day-to-day operations of the firm. Lucas started his career with J.P. Morgan, where he worked in New York with executive leadership in the Wealth Management business to develop and execute the firm’s highest strategic priorities. Lucas graduated with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

As Senior Vice President & General Counsel at EmpowerMe, James directs the legal department. Prior to EmpowerMe, James was a founding partner at Kamykowski, Gavin & Smith, where his practice focused on defending healthcare providers in various aspects of civil litigation. During his 20+ years as a defense attorney James also defended large corporations in various legal actions and represented individuals in federal criminal matters, including claims involving anti-kickback issues. James received his undergraduate degree from Maryville University. He received his law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

With over 30 years in the rehab industry, Lisa was recruited specifically to lead the launch of EmpowerMe in 2017. Formerly, Lisa spent 20+ years at RehabCare, one of the largest providers of post-acute rehab services in the country. There, as Division VP, she had full P&L responsibility of over 350 clinics located in senior living communities across the Midwest with annual revenue exceeding $120 million. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from St. Louis University and a Master of Business Administration from Maryville University. She has been a licensed PT for 34 years. Lisa lives in Columbia, Illinois on her family ranch and has two adult children.

Kevin started his own long-term care pharmacy in 2012, servicing patients in Missouri and Illinois. After exiting that pharmacy as part of a merger with PharMerica in 2016, he served as a consultant for long-term care pharmacies across the country. In August 2018, Kevin became Chief Financial Officer of EverSpring Pharmacy to oversee that company’s strategic growth and development. His efforts supported EverSpring’s partnership with EmpowerMe Wellness, which began in 2021.

Nick Hughes is EmpowerMe’s Chief Partnership Officer, where he will lead our efforts to forge new strategic partnerships, expand our reach, and enhance the care we provide to communities across the country. Prior, Nick was the President of EmpowerMe Wellness, Southeast, where he managed the sales process and business development throughout the Southeast US. A leader in the therapy/rehab and healthcare industry, Nick brings over 14 years of experience to his role at EmpowerMe. He has a passion for allowing seniors to age in place and thrive in their new environment. Nick was CEO of Salus Physical Therapy, one of the largest providers of physical and occupational therapy to the senior living space throughout Florida. Nick received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from University at Buffalo after his undergraduate work at Fordham University in New York City. Nick is a native of Buffalo, NY and currently lives in the Tampa Bay Area with his wife Bethany and two daughters, Olivia, and Emerson. When he is not working and collaborating with our incredible senior living partners, Nick is outside and being active with his friends and family.