John Orestis
President
John Orestis, President and co-owner of North Country Associates since its inception in 1982, is an attorney and former Mayor of Lewiston, who has served as a legislative representative in the state of Maine. John is a past President of the Maine Health Care Association. Mr. Orestis was responsible for developing a company consisting of 14 nursing facilities in Maine and Massachusetts. Through his leadership, North Country Associates has grown substantially and emerged as a leading provider of healthcare services and is regarded for high quality care and excellent customer service.
Mary Jane Richards
Chief Executive Officer
As the Chief Operating Officer, Mary Jane oversees facility operations, fiscal, clinical and human resource management. She began her career in long term care in 1991 with North Country Associates, first as an Activity Director and eventually earning her Multi-Level Administrator’s license and operating several of North Country Associates facilities. With her years of management experience she brings a collaborative style to the Senior Management Team. Mary Jane earned her Bachelors Degree from the University of Maine. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Maine Health Care Association and has been an active member on the Nursing Home Administrator’s Licensing Board for several years, serving as both Chair and Complaint Officer.
Douglas S. Gardner
Senior Vice President of Development & Operations
Doug’s first experience in long term care came in 1992 when he worked as the QMRP at Northland Living Center. After completing an Administrator-in-Training Program with North Country Associates, he worked at several NCA facilities until his departure from the company in 1996. After working three years as the Administrator of a large multi-level facility in Lewiston, he became the Administrator at the Barron Center, a 235-bed LTC facility owned and operated by the City of Portland and part of the Portland’s Health & Human Services Department. In 2005, Doug was promoted to the position of Director for Portland’s Health & Human Services Department; a position he would hold for nine years until rejoining NCA in the middle of 2014. Doug earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education for the University of Maine, Farmington and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Muskie School of Public Service at USM.
Sandy Verge
Senior Vice President of Human Resources
& Customer Relations
Sandy Verge, Senior Vice President of Human Resources & Customer Relations, serves in a central role providing Human Resources consultation services to all North Country Associates’ facilities. She received her degree from the University of Maine and has an extensive background in managing Human Resource policies and programs in the healthcare setting. Having worked in the long term care setting for more than three decades, Sandy coordinates and oversees all aspects of Human Resources, insuring compliance with federal and state regulations as they pertain to employment. As a member of the Senior Management Team, Sandy serves as a valuable resource to facility staff. The outcome is the successful merging of operational goals and human resources demands – resulting in quality healthcare delivery.
Glen G. Cyr
Senior Vice President of Finance
Glen began in the health care field in 1988 after being in public accounting for approximately 2 years and graduating from the University of Maine at Orono with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. After working approximately 10 years for a small regional provider, in 1998 Glen joined North Country Associates, Inc., as the Senior Vice President of Finance. As the Senior Vice President of Finance, Glen oversees the financial and reimbursement operations of the company, serving a vital function in supporting the stability and expansion of the organization.
Kim Dufour
Vice President of Clinical Services
Kim Dufour, Vice President of Clinical Services & Quality Improvement, has worked in healthcare for nearly 30 years. Her experience began as a Certified Nursing Assistant while in high school, then as a Licensed Practical Nurse, and becoming a Registered Nurse in 1999. Kim’s nursing career has always been in the Long Term Care setting, with the first 10 years in the ICF/IDD setting. She has worked with North Country Associates since 2005, working in various capacities to include: MDS Coordinator, Nurse Manager, and Director of Nursing Services. In her present position, Kim works collaboratively with all NCA facilities to ensure delivery of high quality clinical care with a focus on Quality Improvement. Kim has also become NCA’s content expert related to our COVID-19 response.
Sara Sylvester
Facility Operations Manager/Education Coordinator
Sara has 30+ years of experience in Long Term Care. She began her career as Registered Nurse and quickly worked her way up to become a Director of Nursing Services. Staying in Long Term Care, Sara went on to acquire her Multi-level Administrator License, which led to a career as an Executive Director for multiple buildings throughout Maine. Sara was a long time member of the Maine Health Care Association, having served four years as Chairwoman. In her current role, Sara is focusing on her passion related to health education – specifically Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training. Sara has taught at local adult education institutions throughout her career and now shares her expertise with the NCA family of facilities.