Meet the Board

Steve McAlilly, Chair

Steve McAlilly is the past President and Chief Executive Officer of Methodist Senior Services (MSS), one of the largest nonprofit senior living organizations in Mississippi. Since joining MSS, he led the growth of the organization to 12 retirement communities across 11 locations, serving more than 1,500 residents with independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care, as well as an additional 200 individuals through Meals on Wheels and home-based services.

Under his leadership in 2003, MSS developed and opened the nation’s first Green House home for long-term care, pioneering a small-home, person-centered model that has since influenced senior care practices worldwide. McAlilly is widely recognized as a national leader in long-term care innovation and aging services transformation.

His honors include the United Methodist Association Administrator of the Year Award (2004), Otterbein Homes’ Distinguished Service to Aging Award (2005) for advancing the Green House model globally, the LeadingAge Award of Honor (2012), and Millsaps College Distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2015). He currently serves as a director for Caring Communities Insurance Company and remains active in leadership initiatives advancing nonprofit aging services.

McAlilly holds a Bachelor of Science in History from Millsaps College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Maggie Calkins, Secretary

Dr. Maggie Calkins is an internationally recognized pioneer in environments that improve quality of life for older adults, particularly people living with dementia. She serves as Board Chair and Senior Researcher of the IDEAS Institute a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing evidence-based social, organizational, and physical design for aging populations .

She has secured more than $7 million in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and other foundations to study how environments influence health, well-being, and dementia care outcomes, and she has authored or co-authored seven books, 24 book chapters, and more than 80 scholarly and professional publications . Her landmark 1988 book, Design for Dementia: Planning Environments for the Elderly and the Confused, is widely regarded as the first major design guide for dementia-focused care and continues to shape global best practices.

Dr. Calkins has received numerous honors, including the 2022 Changemaker Award from The Center for Health Design, the Platinum Touchstone Award (2021) for innovations influencing health design standards, a Gold Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Researcher of the Year from the Ohio Association of Gerontological Education, and recognition as a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. She has also been inducted into Marquis Who’s Who for her contributions to aging and dementia-focused design research.

Jeffrey Ash, EdD

Jeffrey R. Ash is currently (since November 2022) The inaugural Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO) for The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) located in Rockville, Maryland. Prior to assuming the CDEIO position, Dr. Ash was the inaugural Associate Dean, Diversity and Inclusion, and Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Nursing.

During his tenure at the School of Nursing, the organization was recognized and the recipients of Insight into Diversity, a highly acclaimed Healthcare Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award five consecutive years, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. In his role, Dr. Ash served as the primary advisor to the Dean and senior leadership on all diversity and inclusion issues within the School of Nursing.

Lastly, Dr. Ash teaches part time in the Erickson School for Aging Studies at UMBC.

Currently an active Life Member of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Gamma Pi Chapter, initiated at Iota Epsilon Chapter in 1984, at Towson University. Through the fraternity, Jeff is active on the health Initiatives committee which promotes monthly health and wellness seminars for the African American and underserved communities.

Dr. Ash has published The Changing Face of Academic Nursing: Nurturing Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equity Journal of Professional Nursing (JPN) and a chapter “Dimensions of Diversity” in the Ronch, Weiner text, Person Centered Elder Care (2013). His academic background includes Bachelor of Science Degree (Economics) from Towson University, Master of Science Degree (Human Resources Management -Organizational Development and Training) from University of Maryland, Global Campus, and a Doctoral Degree (Urban Educational Leadership) from Morgan State University.

Joycelyn Elders, MD

Dr. Joycelyn Elders is a trailblazing physician, educator, and public health leader whose career spans clinical excellence, advocacy, and transformative national service. She made history as the 15th Surgeon General of the United States, serving from 1993 to 1994, and was the first African American and only the second woman to lead the U.S. Public Health Service.

A native of rural Arkansas, Dr. Elders overcame socioeconomic and racial barriers to become the first person in the state certified in pediatric endocrinology and a renowned clinical researcher with more than 100 scientific publications on child growth, diabetes, and health education. She served as director of the Arkansas Department of Health, nearly doubling childhood immunization rates, expanding prenatal care, and enhancing services for the underserved before her national appointment.

As Surgeon General, Dr. Elders was a courageous voice for comprehensive public health education, reproductive health, and equitable access to care, sparking critical national conversations. After returning to academia, she continued to mentor future health professionals as Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Her myriad honors include the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation’s Alma Dea Morani, M.D., Renaissance Woman Award (2025), the Arkansas Democrat Woman of the Year, the National Governor’s Association Distinguished Service Award, the American Medical Association’s Dr. Nathan Davis Award, and induction into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, reflecting her enduring influence in medicine and public health.

Dan Hermann

Dan Hermann is President and Chief Executive Officer of Ziegler, a premier privately held investment bank, capital markets, and proprietary investments firm based in Chicago. He also serves as Head of Investment Banking and sits on the firm’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, where he drives strategic growth and cross-practice collaboration across all business lines, particularly in healthcare and senior living.

Since joining Ziegler in 1987, Hermann has become a nationally recognized leader in senior living finance. He has structured and led or co-led more than 325 senior living financings totaling over $8.2 billion, demonstrating deep expertise in capital strategy, financial structuring, and operational analysis for single communities, multi-facility systems, start-ups, and major renovation projects. His work has helped shape the financial foundation for organizations across the continuum of aging services.

Hermann played a central role in creating and fundraising for the Ziegler Link•Age Longevity Fund, one of the first investment vehicles focused on the aging market and companies innovating for older adults and senior living providers. The fund has advanced access to capital for technology, services, and products that support healthy aging and longevity innovation.

A frequent speaker at industry conferences, including the What’s Next Longevity Innovation Summit, Hermann has addressed the future of longevity markets, investment innovation, and demographic shifts shaping aging services.

Hermann holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting from Illinois State University and an MBA with a focus in Health Services Management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and serves on several industry advisory boards, reflecting his ongoing commitment to advancing financial excellence and innovation in aging services.

Jessica Luh Kim

Jessica Luh Kim is a global educator, consultant, and strategist widely recognized for her work advancing inclusive aging, person directed care, and strengths based leadership across the health and aging services sector. With more than 25 years of experience spanning community support, research, long term care, senior living, and system level policy, she brings a rare blend of lived caregiving insight and professional leadership to the aging field.

Jessica has served in senior leadership roles including Vice President of Membership, Policy and Professional Development at the Ontario Retirement Communities Association, Director of Education & Program Development and Resident Experience at Schlegel Villages, and Associate Director of Education at the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program. In these capacities she helped design and implement innovative programs that improve quality of life for older adults and strengthen organizational cultures in aging services.

A respected speaker and facilitator, Jessica has presented internationally on topics including inclusive leadership, organizational culture change, and person centered service delivery for older adults, direct care teams, and system leaders. She was named a 2022 Walk With Me Trailblazer in recognition of her contributions to culture change in aging services.

Jessica also serves on multiple boards and advisory committees focused on equity, innovation, and excellence in aging, and works as an independent consultant supporting senior living providers in Canada and the U.S. Her approach blends learning centered facilitation, Gallup certified strengths coaching, and deep sector expertise to help organizations grow more inclusive and effective.

John Ponthie

John Ponthie is a seasoned leader in long term care innovation and operations with more than 30 years of experience in healthcare administration, including 16 years in hospital and related ancillary health service management before focusing exclusively on long term care in 2005. He is the owner and managing member of Southern Administrative Services, a healthcare support organization that provides administrative and operational services to nursing homes, including 10 campuses with Green House homes, an innovative small house model that reimagines skilled nursing as homelike, person centered environments.

Under Ponthie’s leadership, Southern Administrative Services has developed first of their kind for profit Green House homes and helped expand the small home care model throughout Arkansas and Colorado, demonstrating the viability of this differentiated approach even in traditionally institutional sectors. His work emphasizes resident dignity, quality of life, and operational excellence, with many of his Green House campuses serving a high Medicaid population while maintaining strong financial and care outcomes.

Ponthie has also served continuously on the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Health Care Association since 2007, including two terms as President, contributing to advocacy, professional standards, and sector collaboration across the state. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University and a Master of Health Administration from Tulane University, reflecting his commitment to combining mission driven care with sound organizational leadership.

Matt Trimble

Matthew R. Trimble is President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Elizabeth Community, a nonprofit senior living organization in Rhode Island dedicated to compassionate, person centered care across the continuum of aging services. With nearly three decades of leadership within the organization, Trimble has a long record of guiding strategic growth and operational excellence, shaping senior care that honors dignity, community, and quality of life.

Trimble began his career at Saint Elizabeth in 1994 and served as Administrator of Saint Elizabeth Home for more than 18 years before becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2015, where he oversaw multiple service lines including skilled nursing, assisted living, affordable housing, and adult day centers. He led the development and opening of four Green House Homes, a small house model prioritizing homelike environments and deep resident engagement, now a landmark of Saint Elizabeth’s innovation in senior care.

In 2020, Trimble was appointed President & CEO, where he continues to advance person directed living and organizational sustainability, emphasizing innovation even through challenging times such as the COVID 19 pandemic. In recognition of his leadership, he received a PBN Leaders & Achievers Award (2024) for his contributions to aging services and community impact.

Trimble is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of New Hampshire, holds professional certification as a nursing home administrator, and actively engages with industry leadership groups, including service as a former Chair of LeadingAge Rhode Island and past President of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators.