Ben Searle
CEO, Partner
Ben has been a part of senior living development and management since 2006. He has led the successful entitling, planning, permitting, financing, constructing, and operating of multiple new senior living developments since then. Ben has experience with finance, accounting, marketing, human relations, operations, risk management, and most other areas of managing senior living communities. He values the opportunity of working with great people to create inspiring living experiences for seniors.
Ben graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human resource management (2003) and a master’s degree in business administration (2006) from Utah State University where he played and coached tennis. He also has a current assisted living manager’s license in Arizona and has completed different dementia practitioner trainings.
There are many hobbies that Ben enjoys, but spending time with his wife and four kids is his favorite. He also enjoys golf, tennis, mountain biking, snowboarding, and the outdoors.
Casey Balmforth
COO, Partner
Growing up in Southeastern Idaho, Casey enjoyed a close-knit family and many wonderful opportunities for hard work, outdoor adventures, and small-town living. It’s there that he learned the importance of treating people with kindness and respect, caring for and honoring our elderly loved ones, and learning to serve others. These are the principles that have guided Casey’s life and had a huge impact on his career in senior living.
Casey has been in the senior living industry since 2011 and has served in many capacities from Executive Director to COO/Partner. He has led successful phases of development, construction, and operations at multiple communities throughout Arizona. Casey has experience in planning, zoning, design, marketing, management, human relations, procurement, and other areas critical to successful management.
Casey graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing/public relations. Prior to working in the senior living industry, Casey worked at 3form in Salt Lake City, Utah as the Digital Projects Manager where he helped develop and lead the growth of the new product format. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife and kids, watching sports, and anything related to the outdoors – specifically golf, snowboarding, and mountain biking.
Joy Rihs
VP, Human Resources
Joy Rihs brings over 20 years of senior living experience with expertise in human resources and operations. Her focus is on retention and motivation solutions to help companies harness the full power of one of their most valuable assets – their employees. Her strategic leadership fosters a people-first culture creating a meaningful employee experience where employees understand the connection between what they do every day while feeling valued and cared for. She is dedicated to creating a robust company culture that promotes continuous business growth by empowering and motivating employees to realize their full potential and bring the best to the job.
Before joining American Care Concepts in 2019, Joy served as an Executive Director for over 10 years, where she was instrumental in growing revenue, maximizing operational excellence, and delivering financial performance.
Sterling Wahl
VP, Marketing & Sales
Sterling is a seasoned marketing professional with 15+ years of experience and has held notable positions in the marketing industry. As Head of Strategy for a global digital marketing agency, Sterling was able to successfully develop and lead marketing strategies for both large Fortune 500 companies, and smaller privately owned companies.
Over the last 7+ years, Sterling has focused his efforts on Senior Living and brings his marketing expertise in-house to better serve American Care Concepts communities. Areas of expertise include marketing strategy, brand marketing, digital marketing, sales enablement, and customer experience. Sterling enjoys working with community teams with the goal of building strong brand reputations, driving occupancy, and ensuring marketing dollars are utilized in the most effective way possible.
Teresa Relatos
VP, Finance & Accouting
Teresa joined American Care Concepts in October 2020. She brings over 30 years of accounting, financial, and operational experience in both publicly traded and private companies. This is combined with her financial experience in scaling high-growth companies, mergers and acquisitions, and multi-entity organizations including various lines of business.
Prior to ACC, Teresa served in senior leadership roles across many industries; such as healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, financial, and service industries. She held management positions for Fortune 100 and 500 companies such as CVS Health (Aetna) and Ford Motor Company.
At ACC, she has responsibility and accountability for financial reporting, accounting, treasury management, and financial audits.
Rose Leib
Clinical Director
Rose joined American Care Concepts in October 2020, bringing over 15 years of leadership and clinical expertise gained across various roles within assisted living and memory care communities. With a proven track record as a Director of Nursing and Executive Director in multiple successful startup communities, Rose plays a pivotal role in driving impactful strategies to enhance the operational excellence of American Care Concepts' sister communities.
In her capacity, Rose offers invaluable guidance and training to our care teams, directors, and nursing staff, all geared toward delivering unparalleled standards of resident care and satisfaction.
During her tenure as Executive Director at Countryside Living, Rose spearheaded her team to earn the esteemed "Best of Queen Creek" recognition. Additionally, under her leadership, the community achieved commendable results, including a stellar deficiency-free rating on its inaugural annual survey.
We’d love to hear from you...
HEADQUARTER LOCATION:
Gilbert, AZ
