Who we are
Our leadership team
With a foundation built on 135 years of experience and forward-thinking innovation, we aim not only to meet the needs of seniors but also to redefine the possibilities in retirement living and senior care. We set a standard that transcends time and expectations.
Executive leadership
Eric Gurley
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 healthcare experience, excelling in the areas of strategic planning, implementation, and reporting.
Eric served on the Experimental Aircraft Association (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
Julie Kaminski is the Chief Operating Officer for Immanuel Communities, a nonprofit provider of retirement living and senior care spanning a two-state region, including Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, and Council Bluffs. Immanuel has a long Christ-centered heritage of healthcare and senior services. The organization’s mission is to serve seniors with compassion and devote resources to bettering our communities.
Julie is responsible for the strategic operations of all of Immanuel’s service lines. With a master’s degree in gerontology, she has held leadership positions at LeadingAge Nebraska and Notre Dame Housing and Life Care Services. Julie has extensive leadership experience focusing on operational excellence, mentoring, and critical thinking. She is passionate about older adults, aging services, and being a collaborative leader in the field. Julie serves on the LeadingAge Iowa Board of Directors, Nebraska’s Alzheimer’s Advisory Committee, Business Ethics Programming Committee, NHCQP Quality Committee, and Lutheran Services of America Affordable Housing Committee. She has been an adjunct instructor for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Midland University, and the College of St. Mary.
Scott Bear
Scott 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.
Scott has a passion for developing great business relationships to create consistent supply chain processes for the organization's effective acquisition of goods and services.
Tammy Sealer
Tammy Sealer is Immanuel’s Chief Development Officer. She has more than 30 years of experience in senior services, including operations, development, and project management.
Tammy is a member of the local healthcare associations and serves a Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE).
Joe Brown
Joe 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, Joe oversees all occupancy, branding, growth, and communications initiatives.
Betty Harris
Betty Harris, Immanuel's Senior Vice President of HR and Employee Experience, brings over 30 years of experience in human resources and organizational development. Leading a team of 20 HR professionals, Betty is dedicated to optimizing service delivery and achieving organizational goals.
With a master's in organizational design, she has successfully managed HR for diverse companies, from small entrepreneurial ventures to large corporations like FDC Card Division. Betty's passion lies in enhancing and aligning the employee experience with organizational values. Her leadership has fostered a high-performing team focused on customer service, performance, morale, ethics, and integrity.
Since joining Immanuel in 2018, Betty has continued to drive HR excellence.
Leadership team
Alan Jarecki
With 17 years of expertise in retirement living and a master's degree in healthcare management, Alan Jarecki leads as the General Manager of Culinary Operations. Responsible for the vision, execution, and satisfaction of the culinary program across the company, Alan's extensive experience ensures a top-notch dining experience. Beyond his role, he actively contributes to community welfare by serving on the OneWorld Organization Board of Directors.
April Butterfield
As Vice President of PACE® Operations, April Butterfield 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.
Dr. Devin Fox
Dr. Devin Fox serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services at Immanuel and is 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 Hospital. He is a member of the Creighton University School of Medicine faculty and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is active in the Omaha community with service on the Boards of Directors of the Josie Harper Hospice House, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, the BLUEBARN Theatre, and the Metro Omaha Medical Society Foundation.
Jamie Pearson
Jamie Pearson is the Vice President of Information Technology at Immanuel. Jamie has held leadership positions across various industries, including many years specializing in supporting clinical systems.
With more than 30 years of technology experience and over 15 years in leadership roles, Jamie is focused on operational performance, efficiency, and long-term forward strategy. Jamie also has a background in information security, which is an area of primary focus for Immanuel.
Jamie joined Immanuel in 2021 as the Vice President of IT. A lifelong Nebraskan who enjoys the outdoors, Jamie resides with his family just outside Omaha, Nebraska.
John Croghan
John Croghan has served in the senior living industry for over 25 years and is Immanuel’s Vice President of Operations. John has served at three different Immanuel campuses and held the Regional Director of Operations-Lincoln position before assuming 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.
John 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 has served as the NALA Director-at-large, Non-Profit for the Nebraska Health Care Association. He serves on the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia Advisory Council for Nebraska. 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, Nebraska.
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.
John Sigmon
As Corporate Legal Counsel, John Sigmon oversees Immanuel's legal, compliance, and government relations aspects. John serves on several industry association committees and is passionate about issues affecting the communities Immanuel serves.
Pastor Brian Maas
Brian Maas, Immanuel's Vice President for Mission and Spiritual Care since 2022, previously spent a decade as the Bishop of the Nebraska Synod, ELCA.
A Nebraska Wesleyan University and Yale Divinity School graduate, Brian served congregations in Tekamah, Lincoln, and Kansas City. With board roles at Immanuel and the Immanuel Vision Foundation, he brings a wealth of experience. Brian, married to counselor Debbie, is a proud parent of two adults and a grandchild.
His journey reflects a commitment to spiritual leadership, profoundly impacting both local congregations and broader organizational boards.
Rhonda Distefano
Rhonda Distefano has nearly 30 years of experience in commercial construction. She brings the ability to create a vision of excellence throughout Immanuel's construction, facilities management, and environmental services areas. Rhonda is a past board member of Habitat for Humanity.
