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Christ-Centered Service to Seniors, Each Other and the Community.
That single focus guides everything we do—from the direction of our entire organization to the day-to-day decisions made by our professional staff.
Christ-Centered Service to Seniors, Each Other, and the Community.
Here, we are called to serve others, to do what’s right. At our core, we are about respecting and providing dignity, safety and wellness for all. That is The Immanuel Way.
All People will Grow and Age with Dignity, Safety, and Wellness.
Since 1887, Immanuel’s mission has been to serve our neighbors, to fill gaps in community health and services, and to express Christ’s love in our lives and work.
We began as a Lutheran ministry, led by Pastor E.A. Fogelstrom and five Deaconesses. They were dedicated to “works of mercy” and established programs that cared for the community’s most marginalized—the sick, orphaned and elderly.
Pastor Fogelstrom’s dedication flourished into the establishment of Immanuel Hospital and eventually to our family of retirement communities and senior services which serve people of all faiths throughout the Midwest.
We are guided by the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as a leader in retirement living and senior services. We are also a proud member of Lutheran Services in America (LSA), one of the largest health and human services in the country. The LSA network includes more than 300 members and touches the lives of one in fifty people each year. Learn more at www.lutheranservices.org.
Our leaders believe every person deserves respect, safety and wellness. They lead by example, living the mission set forth by our founder.
Eric Gurley
Chief Executive Officer
Eric Gurley
Chief Executive Officer
Eric is the President and CEO of Immanuel. He is a skilled financial and operational professional with more than 20 years of senior housing and health care experience, excelling in the areas of strategic planning, implementation and reporting.
Eric served on the EAA Board of directors from 2005 to 2013. He joined the EAA Foundation Board in 2015 and currently serves as the Vice President. Eric re-joined the EAA Board in 2020 and is a member of the finance committee.
He resides in Omaha, Nebraska with his family and is a member of the Omaha Symphony Board and finance committee, Lutheran Giving Board and finance committee, and Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries finance committee.
Julie Kaminski
Chief Operations Officer
Julie Kaminski
Chief Operations Officer
Julie is responsible for strategic operations for all of Immanuel’s service lines. With a master’s degree in Gerontology and a nursing home administrator license, Julie has extensive senior leadership experience, with a focus on operational excellence, mentoring, and critical thinking. She has a passion for seniors, aging services, and being a collaborative leader in the field. She serves on numerous aging committees, advisory boards and non-profit boards in Omaha and Des Moines.
Scott Bear
Chief Financial Officer
Scott Bear
Chief Financial Officer
Bear is a dedicated leader with a strong background in healthcare finance. He has over 20 years of experience specializing in strategic, operational and financial planning and budgeting. Bear has a passion for developing great business relationships to create consistent supply chain processes for the effective acquisition of goods and services for the organization.
Tammy Sealer
Chief Administrative Officer
Tammy Sealer
Chief Administrative Officer
Sealer has over 25 years of experience in senior services including operations, development and project management. Sealer is a member of the Nebraska Healthcare Association and LeadingAge Nebraska and currently serves on the SAGE, Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments, Board of Directors.
Joe Brown
Vice President of Marketing & Sales
Joe Brown
Vice President of Marketing & Sales
Brown is a Nebraska native with former executive leadership positions in banking, agriculture, nonprofit, and IT-managed services. He earned his degree at Hastings College in Web Communication Design and has won 7 international marketing awards. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Brown oversees all initiatives related to occupancy, branding, growth, and communications.
April Butterfield
Vice President of PACE Operations
April Butterfield
Vice President of PACE Operations
As Vice President of PACE Operations, April oversees the strategic operations of Immanuel's three PACE Centers. April has over 20 years of experience in Revenue Cycle and Healthcare Administration, most recently leading Primary Care operations and value-based initiatives. With a master's degree in organizational leadership, she brings a passion for servant leadership, health equity, and serving the underserved.
John Croghan
Vice President of Immanuel Community Operations
John Croghan
Vice President of Immanuel Community Operations
John Croghan has served in the Senior Living Industry for over 20 years. He is currently the Vice President of Operations for Immanuel. Croghan has served at three different Immanuel campuses and held the Regional Director of Operations - Lincoln position before his current role. Previously, he worked as a regional operations manager for a senior living organization, assisting in opening new retirement communities across the Midwest. He also gained experience in an affordable housing setting, managing Housing Urban Development apartments and Tax Credit apartment homes.
Croghan has been actively involved in various organizations and committees throughout his career. He served on the Government Relations Committee with the Nebraska Health Care Association and was a member of the statewide advisory board for the Alzheimer's Association. Additionally, he is a Past President of the Seniors Foundation in Lincoln and currently serves as the NALA Director at Large Non-Profit for the Nebraska Health Care Association. In 2019, he was recognized by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living as a future leader in long-term and post-acute care. He also contributed to the Mayor's COVID-19 task force for Lincoln.
Outside of work, John enjoys leading the 4-H Dog Club called "4 On the Floor" and is a member of the cover band "Blacktop Pony." He and his wife, Krista, are proud parents of two beautiful children, Noah and Bella.
Rhonda Distefano
Vice President of Construction, Facilities Management & Environmental Services
Rhonda Distefano
Vice President of Construction, Facilities Management & Environmental Services
Distefano has nearly 30 years of experience in commercial construction. She brings the ability to create a vision of excellence throughout the construction, facilities management and environmental services areas of Immanuel. Distefano is a past board member of Habitat for Humanity.
Dr. Devin Fox
Medical Director
Dr. Devin Fox
Medical Director
Dr. Devin Fox serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services at Immanuel, responsible for all clinical elements of each service line. Dr. Fox is a Board Certified Internal Medicine physician who has practiced in the Omaha area for over 20 years and has expertise in Geriatrics, Hospice care, Quality, Patient Safety, and Leadership Development. Before coming to Immanuel, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Creighton University Medical Center - Bergan Mercy. He is a member of the faculty of the Creighton University School of Medicine and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He serves as the Board Chair of Omaha's Josie Harper Hospice House and the BLUEBARN Theatre.
Betty Harris
Vice President of Human Resources Strategy
Alan Jarecki
General Manager of Culinary Operations
Pastor Brian Maas
VICE PRESIDENT OF MISSION AND SPIRITUAL CARE
Jamie Pearson
Vice President of Information Technology
John Sigmon
Corporate Legal Counsel
Cynthia A. Alloway
Retired - CHI Health
Rev. E. Jon Benson
St. John Lutheran Church
Brenda Bergman-Evans
Retired - CHI Health
John E. Bothof
Retired- Northwest Bank
Steven R. Bullock
OpenBook Pharmacy & Perfect Rx
Randal J. Burns
Foundation First Corporation
Dan R. Friedlund
Retired - Immanuel
George A. Grieb
Retired - Creighton University
Eric N. Gurley
Immanuel
Kristen L. Hoffman, M.D.
Retired - Methodist Physicians Clinic
Scott J. Howerter
North Channel Capital
Bishop Scott A. Johnson
Nebraska Synod ELCA
Clarence L. Nichols
BancAlliance
Jill M. Powers
Retired - CHI Health
Steven A. Scanlan
Retired - Physicians Mutual
Andrea M. Skolkin
OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc.
Jane A. Tonniges
Retired
Mary A. Balluff
Retired - Douglas County Health Department
Scott A. Bear
Immanuel
Brenda Bergman-Evans
Retired - CHI Health
Deborah M. Conley
Methodist Hospital
Betty G. Foster
Retired - University of Nebraska Medical Center
Dan R. Friedlund
Retired - Immanuel
Eric N. Gurley
Immanuel
Rev. Timothy M. Koester
Saint Michael Lutheran Church
Carolina R. Padilla
Intercultural Senior Center
Delight Wreed Byrd
Retired - Bellevue University
Rev. E. Jon Benson
Saint John Lutheran Church
Randal J. Burns
Foundation First Corporation
Rev. Kathryn K. Gerking
St. Timothy's Lutheran Church
Eric N. Gurley
Immanuel
Kristen L. Hoffman, M.D.
Retired - Methodist Physicians Clinic
Bishop Scott A. Johnson
Nebraska Synod ELCA
Mary J. Parker
Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
Jill M. Powers
Retired - CHI Health
Dara L. Troutman
University of Nebraska Foundation
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