Board of Directors

The INHAA BOARD OF DIRECTOR ELECTION WILL BE HELD AT THE ANNUAL CONVENTION NOVEMBER 4, 2026. It is time to decide if you would like to run for election to serve on the INHAA Board of Directors. Please contact Board Member, Kaye Strauch (email kas@mtco.com) or the Association Coordinator Vicki Wiltsie (email vwiltsie@inhaa.org). All members who qualify and submit a bio by October 1, 2026 will be added to the ballot. Only active members in good standing for two or more consecutive years are qualified to be elected to the INHAA Board. Additionally, board members must be willing to attend the board meetings held the afternoon prior to each seminar (four times per year). Board members must be dedicated to supporting the organization and its members. Each board member serves for a three-year term. In the next few months, the newsletter will highlight members who are running for office.

Angela Simmons served as the Nursing Home Administrator for the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna from 2013 until 2023, in 2022 she was promoted to the Senior Homes Administrator for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs overseeing all Veterans Homes in the state. Her list of achievements is noteworthy. In 2015, she won the Illinois “Pioneering Culture Change Champion of the Year” award and in 2024 was elected as the President of the Illinois Nursing Home Administrator Association Board of Directors. Angela also serves as the President of the Illinois Pioneer Coalition Board of Directors and is the co-chair of the Healthcare Subcommittee for the Illinois Commission on LGBTQ Aging. Angela is dedicated to changing the culture of long-term care into more of a homelike “think outside the box” environment. Angela has a history of presenting on topics like person-centered care, dementia care training, and disaster preparedness.

Angela was raised in Southern Illinois and is the proud daughter of a Vietnam veteran. She graduated from Nursing School in 1997 and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She is committed to service in the community and volunteers much of her personal time supporting the Special Olympics.

Lester E. Robertson Jr. recently served as the Administrator of the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno. He is the former owner of Robertson Healthcare, LLC, which owned two nursing facilities. He is a licensed nursing home administrator with more than 55 years of experience. Mr. Robertson was a member of the IHCA Board of Directors for more than 20 years. He has served as the IHCA Non-Proprietary Facility Vice President, Chairman of the IHCA Government Relations Committee, Chair of the IHCA Education Committee, Chair of the IHCA Peer Review Committee, and as Peoria Chapter President. He has served as a member of the Assisted Living Work Group, Chairman of the Regulatory Task Force, and IHCA Representative to the Illinois Department of Public Health Long Term Care Advisory Board. Mr. Robertson has been a member of INHAA for over 20 years, currently serving as 1st Vice President and Chairperson of the Bylaws Committee.

Hope McNitt, RN, LNHA, began her 40+ year journey in long term care as a CNA. After becoming an RN, she realized her passion was caring for the elderly and continued the long-term care path holding numerous positions, including DON and LNHA. She has been a member of INHAA since 2001 and is honored to have received the President’s Award in 2016 and 2019 and the Service Award in 2022. She currently serves on the following committees: Membership (Chair), Finance, Program, and Newsletter. She is also a member of the LTC Nurses Association and a recipient of the “Nurse of the Year” award presented by IHCA. She is a past president and past executive director of the LTC DON Association of Metro East.

Kathy Eyre is the Director of Assisted Living and Memory Care at MeadowLark of Clark Lindsey Village. Kathy has over 30 years of experience in the Healthcare field. She has served as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA) in IL, and as a Licensed Health Facility Administrator (HFA) Assisted and Supportive Living in IL and IN. She is a Certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional. She has been a member of the Illinois Nursing Home Administrator’s Association since 2004 and has served as a Board Member/Secretary from 2009 to present. Kathy started her career in long-term health care in 1987 as a line staff position and became a LNHA in 2002. She is passionate about the opportunities she has had to “pay it forward” by mentoring others to advance in the healthcare field. Kathy has two daughters and six grandchildren. She resides at Lake Iroquois in Loda, IL.

Steve Brant is a long-standing member of INHAA. He has been active in the long-term care industry since the early 80’s. Steve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master’s of Science degree from Illinois State University, both majoring in Accounting. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and started in this industry as a financial consultant specializing in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. In addition to consulting, he taught a reimbursement course for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants across the country for three years. After this tenure, he obtained his Nursing Home Administrator’s license and began operating a skilled nursing facility as their licensed administrator. During the next 30 years, he became more involved in the industry through ownership of three facilities. During this period, these facilities were members of the Illinois Health Care Association and Steve served on their board of directors and Nursing Home Constituencies task force. During the past seven years, he has been involved with financial and management consulting on a part-time basis in the industry. In addition to his experience in the long-term care industry, he has been a full-time instructor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the Accounting Department for over twenty-one years.

Tammy Becker has over three decades of experience as a healthcare paralegal. She is currently employed at Benesch. She advises in all aspects of the long term care industry in connection with assisted living facilities, skilled nursing, and intermediate care facilities, intermediate care facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities; long term care facilities for under age 22, sheltered care facilities and CILAs. Tammy reviews and analyzes new and proposed federal, State, and local regulations and monitors developments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Illinois Department of Public Health. She also regularly assists with preparing for administrator and nurse disciplinary hearings before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Tammy has been an LNHA and a member of INHAA since 1996. She earned her B.A. from Carroll University and a Certificate in Health Law from DePaul University, College of Law.

Tim Bledsoe has been a licensed nursing home administrator with the state of Illinois since 1989. He recently retired from The Elms in McDonough County Illinois which is a 98-bed county home located in Macomb IL. Tim previously worked at Nature Trail Health Care Center in Mount Vernon, IL. While working at Nature Trail the facility has received the 2016 AHCA Bronze Award, the SAVA Senior Care CEO Round Table award for excellence in financial management, and the SAVA Blue Ribbon award for excellence in customer care. Tim has worked in the Long-Term Care industry since 1988 and has had several leadership positions. He has been a nursing home administrator, regional director of operations and CEO of a Not-For-Profit Long-Term Care Organization. He has had several years of experience as an IHCA Board Member and Treasurer and sat for 2 years as a Knox County YMCA Board Member.

Sandy Erickson has worked in healthcare for over 40 years, serving those within Long Term Care/Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, Home Health /Hospice and outpatient mental health. Sandy has been a licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 2006 and became licensed as a Health Facility Administrator for Indiana in 2018. Sandy began in healthcare working as an Activity/Social Service Director and worked her way up within the industry to become an Administrator for long term care/skilled care in Illinois. Sandy has also worked within the Assisted Living industry as an Executive Director in Indiana. Sandy has a bachelor’s degree in social work and a (MBA) master’s degree in business administration. Sandy has been an active member of INHAA for over 20 years and has served on the INHAA board for the past 6 years. Sandy has been married to her husband (Ken) for 42 years and has 3 children, a son and a daughter-in-law, and 1 grandchild. Sandy enjoys traveling, substitute teaching, working out at the health club, singing in her church choir, and most importantly, spending time with her family. It has been an honor to serve on the INHAA Board for the past six years. I hope to continue serving on the Board and helping professionals gain the knowledge and information they need to make a meaningful difference in healthcare.

Becky Haldorson, MS, LNHA, Educator is currently engaged in educating Care Partners as well as elders in the person-directed philosophy. As an Educator and advocate for elders she has presented educational sessions throughout the state as well as nationally. She has been licensed by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 1995 and holds a Master of Science degree in Health Care Management. Becky has worked in long term care for over 30 years. Starting out as a CNA “back in the day,” she has worked as an Administrator in the private and in the public sector. She has also worked as an Executive Director in Assisted Living and a Regional Director for the Alzheimer’s Association. An avid supporter of the person-directed care movement; she has dedicated her career to the transition of long-term care communities as they grow from an institution operation into a home for elders. Becky is a founding member and Past President of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Pioneer Coalition for Culture Change in Long Term Care a statewide organization promoting person centered care for elders.

Maggie McDowell, LNHA, RN has experience that has spanned almost four decades in healthcare. Having completed dual nursing degrees in 1987 and 1989 in the United Kingdom (UK) her career started out in the field of Forensic Psychiatry and later Acute Care nursing. Once she relocated to the USA in 1990, she elected to continue to work in the Acute Care setting at Rush Presbyterian St Luke’s Medical Center (RPSLMC), currently Rush Medical, holding various line and management level positions. She did not discover or have exposure to Long Term Care until 2009 when she commenced working at Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County, a 238 bed, not for profit, county home, as the Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON), Infection Preventionist and Staff Development Coordinator. In 2013 she worked for Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Chicago at Holy Family Villa, as a Director of Nursing of a 129 bed Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). She obtained her Administrators license and returned to Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County in 2018, serving as the Assistant Administrator of a 157-bed facility and subsequently became Administrator in 2019 when the serving Administrator retired. It is her honor to serve the residents at Sunny Hill Nursing Home and to continue to carry the established Person Directed care torch by providing a homelike environment and quality individualized care to all residents. Over the years, she has been recognized and received many nursing and director level awards in recognition of her commitment and contributions at various levels in the field of nursing. She has also successfully nominated a nurse who was the recipient of an Excellence in Nursing award at RPSLMC and more recently the AHCA Director of Nursing of the Year Award 2022 at Sunny Hill Nursing Home. She has been an active member in Leading Age, AHCA and more recently INHAA since 2018. At this juncture of her professional career, she relishes the opportunity to expand her horizons and serve in a meaningful way, on this board to enhance the administrative process, inject new ideas and support existing administrators and others working in the industry.

Karla Rogers, LNHA, CDP, is working for Progressive Careers and Housing as a Regional Administrator for intermediate care facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities. She began her career as a Direct Support Professional in 1991, became an LNHA in 2013 and a Certified Dementia Practitioner in 2018. Karla has been married to Scott for 30 years, they have 4 adult children and 3 grandchildren. In her free time, Karla enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. She is excited to be on the Board and is looking forward to working with others in the industry.

Angela Simmons was born and raised in Southern Illinois. She graduated nursing school in 1997 and then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business. In 2006 she became the Administrator of an 83-bed skilled nursing facility and began her Culture Change/Pioneering journey. In 2013 she was appointed Senior Public Service Administrator with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and assigned to the Anna Veterans Home. In 2015 she won the Illinois Pioneering Culture Change Champion of the Year. In 2017, through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, she received her Certified Dementia Practitioner certification. In 2021 she was promoted to Senior Home’s Administrator overseeing all IDVA’s Veterans Homes across the state. In 2022 Angela was appointed to the Illinois Commission on LGBTQ Aging and serves as the co-chair for the Healthcare subcommittee and sits on the Older Adult Services Advisory Committee. Additionally, she is a member of Illinois Nursing Home Administrators Association, Southern Illinois Pioneer Coalition, and is the Vice President of the Illinois Pioneer Coalition Board of Directors. Angela presents educational seminars throughout the state on topics such as the Importance of Person-Centered Care, Dementia Care training, Disaster Preparedness and Veteran benefits. Angela is dedicated to changing the culture of long-term care into more of a homelike “think outside the box” environment.

Kaye Strauch has been a Licensed Illinois Nursing Home Administrator since 1985. Her passion in caring for seniors has always been a part of her life growing up with her parents owning a nursing home. She was taught quality of care by her mother who was a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and RN also a member of INHAA at its conception. Kaye has been the Executive Director of Brandon Wood Retirement Center an independent living facility since 1986. Senior independent living was a new concept in the LTC industry when Brandon Wood opened in 1985. She successfully obtained a profitable occupancy. Kaye has served on the boards of Tazewell County Triad, Senior Care Network, Heart of IL Region of Continuity of Care. She was the recipient of the SICCO award from the State of IL Continuity of Care also the President’s award from INHAA. Kaye has served on the INHAA board for over 20 years. She resides in Washburn with her husband, two children and three grandchildren.

Originally hailing from Sandwich, Illinois, Tim attended Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where, in 1987, he received a Bachelor of Religious Education. For the next 20-plus years he served as a minister and in various other leadership roles in the Central Illinois faith community. In 2007 Tim began his second career in aging services managing independent living apartments and villas. 2009 launched Tim into the role of Licensed Nursing Home Administrator wherein he has served homes that were multi-site, single-site, for-profit, non-profit, and now, county. He also had directed regional operations for a small company. Tim became a LeadingAge Illinois Leadership Academy Fellow in 2013. Tim’s mission has been to drive operational transformation, business growth, employee engagement, leadership development and adaptability to achieve both resident and employee satisfaction in the ever-changing world of aging services. Tim is blessed to have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. He enjoys vintage audio equipment, the night skies, and a love-hate relationship with a game called, “golf.”

Terri Taylor is a licensed nursing home administrator currently working as an interim administrator and/or as a consultant. She is experienced in Federal and State rules and regulations and the survey process along with the Joint Commission process. Her duties have included but are not limited to: Staff Education and Support Services; Survey Preparedness and Joint Commission Preparedness; Interim Administrator; State Monitor and Medical Records Review and Office Support. When not working, Terri enjoys photography, crafts, and gardening. She is regularly active in her community and writes for the local newspaper.

Phone: 815-452-2032
Email: tntimages318@gmail.com

Jill Wunderlich, MHCA, LNHA, COTA/L has worked in the SNF/LTC/Rehab industry for more than 30 years. She graduated in 1992 from Kirkwood Community College where she earned her Associates of Applied Sciences degree, which allowed her to become licensed as and practice as a certified occupational therapy assistant. She has been working in as a Regional in the rehab industry for the past 25+ years. She became a LNHA in 2001, earned her master’s degree in health care administration (MHCA) in Feb. 2017, and completed the RAC-CT in May 2019. She is currently a Regional Operations Director for QRM Health (Quality Rehab Management) and is a former member of the IHCA finance committee. She enjoys spending time with her family, cooking/eating, and traveling.