HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES
Beginning the journey of looking for a senior living community for yourself, a parent, grandparent, or friend, whether independent, assisted, or memory care is a challenge for everyone.
Recruitment
We identify and attract top talent through a streamlined hiring process tailored to your needs. From job profiling and candidate sourcing to interviewing and onboarding, we ensure you find the right people—quickly and confidently
Payroll Management
Our accurate, timely, and compliant payroll services remove the stress from managing employee compensation. We handle everything from salary processing and statutory deductions to reporting and year-end requirements, so you can stay focused on your core business.
HR Consulting
Whether you’re navigating organizational changes, building HR policies, or enhancing performance management systems, our expert consultants provide strategic guidance that aligns your people strategy with your business goals.
Employee Relations
We support healthy workplace cultures by helping you manage employee concerns, improve communication, and foster positive employer-employee relationships. From conflict resolution to engagement initiatives, we help create environments where people thrive.
ABOUT US
At Grand Living Iowa, we provide end-to-end HR services designed to support your people and strengthen your business. Our team combines expertise, efficiency, and a people-first mindset to help organizations build strong, compliant, and high-performing workplaces.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dan Tareka
Over 35 years of diverse experience including development, management and business experience in the U.S. and Europe, Dan has been directly responsible for the start-up and growth of the company. His creation and roll-out of The Sterling Touch® world class customer service program is the foundation of Grand Living’s culture and positions the company as an innovative leader in the senior living industry. Dan’s background includes over 20 years in executive and CEO responsibilities for a national senior living and healthcare organization that developed, owned and managed senior living and healthcare communities, residential apartments and commercial properties, along with extensive experience at Arthur Andersen, an international accounting firm, where he consulted directly with entrepreneurs and closely-held businesses.
15 +
years of
experience
Nikos Westmoreland
President and Chief Operating Officer
An impact-driven, results-focused leader with a relentless drive for achievement and a heart for humanity, Nikos has a track record of performance and growth amassed over two decades of executive leadership experience within renowned brands of global reach known for prioritizing service, innovation, and talent development.
As part of Grand Living’s fervent and continued commitment to developing its team and its brand story, Nikos originally served Grand Living as its Chief Brand & People Officer. With a chart of work that included maximizing human potential through data-driven strategies, he developed the roadmap for the company’s people operations and orchestrated the teams, infrastructure, and processes to ensure a strong organizational culture.
As President and COO, his visionary leadership will drive strategy, focus and operational excellence across all communities nationwide, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and solidifying Grand Living’s position as both a best-in-class employer and a well-respected leader in senior living environments.
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Tara Chester
Vice President of Human Resources
With a diverse background inclusive of over 17 years of experience spanning from highly-regulated public companies to nimble entrepreneurial ventures, Tara brings a wealth of knowledge and versatility in Human Resources to Grand Living. Known for her strategic partnership and operational acumen, she excels at championing change and business objectives while also ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Tara is dedicated to cultivating and developing the world-class team at Grand Living, driving greater levels of engagement, innovation, fulfillment, and organizational success.
TESTIMONIALS
Sarah Ausherman
Vice President of Operational Excellence
Sarah has more than 20 years of experience driving enterprise-level transformation, operational excellence, and growth across a variety of industries, including healthcare, hospitality, marketing, and government entities. She consistently demonstrates a people-first approach and strong execution, bringing expertise in aligning strategy, stakeholder collaboration, and the structured change management processes that deliver high-impact outcomes. In her role, Sarah leads cross-functional initiatives aimed at scaling best practices, builds frameworks that lead to greater levels of success, and champions our culture of continuous improvement. Her passion for excellence and innovation play a vital role in advancing the Grand Living service experience across our national footprint and positioning us for future growth.
Bryan Bourgeois
Vice President of Operations, The Distinctive Collection
With over 20 years of leadership experience in the hotel and resort industry across diverse and exotic global locations, coupled with an extensive background in senior living, Bryan has garnered invaluable expertise. Having worked worldwide, including New York City, Hawaii, Dubai, Abu Dhabi’s five-star luxury hotel, and Bali’s five-star luxury resort, he has a remarkable track record. Notably, he spearheaded the successful opening of a 499-room hotel in Abu Dhabi. Similarly, he played a pivotal role in launching a 526-room hotel in Bali, offering eight restaurants, 16,000 sqm of function space, and 14 meeting rooms, while overseeing a team of over 900 individuals. Throughout his international hospitality career, he discovered his true passion for servant leadership in senior living. This led Bryan to join a rapidly growing luxury senior living company with 38 communities in 2013 as General Manager based in Washington State. Today he continues to excel in his dedication to delivering exceptional service and fostering a vibrant living experience for senior residents at Grand Living.
Jane Gullickson
Vice President of Operations, The Remarkable Collection
With over 20 years of experience in the Senior Living industry, Jane has dedicated her career to successfully leading residents, families, and teams. Jane’s journey with Grand Living began as an Executive Director in 2017. In her current role, she works closely with the Grand Living Communities throughout Iowa and Texas. Jane possesses undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Journalism, and graduate degrees in Public Health Leadership, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare. During her career, Jane has committed to serving as an advocate for providing the best possible environment for seniors, including ensuring fine dining, first-rate healthcare services, and ongoing opportunities for wellness and recreation.
Eric Varin
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
With nearly three decades of sales and management experience, including more than 15 years in senior housing, Eric Varin’s national senior living journey began at a community in New York City, where he served as its Community Relations Director. From there, his responsibilities steadily increased as he accepted progressive leadership roles that would take him to Massachusetts, Florida, and most recently, Texas, where he served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Chantal Aube
National Director of Culinary Operations
Over 25 years of hospitality experience in culinary operations, including fine dining, hotel and senior living communities. Michael has led, developed and enjoyed creating memorable dining experiences from heart of the house to tableside. Michael has been a featured presenter in Chef programs for the broader community as well as a guest lecturer on culinary trends. Michael studied Culinary Arts at Baltimore Culinary College.