From Housekeeping to the C-Suite: Elevating Women and Wellness in Senior Living
While women make up the majority of the senior living workforce, they remain underrepresented in leadership, particularly in technology and innovation. In this dynamic discussion, leaders Severine Petras, Lauren Wilson, and Erin Shvetzoff Hennessey will spotlight the often-overlooked frontline heroes—housekeepers and operational staff—who are the backbone of community care. The discussion will explore how leaders can create safer, more supportive work environments by investing in wellness-first technologies and tools, like non-toxic cleaning systems from Viking Pure. Stories of women rising from frontline roles to executive leadership will inspire action toward a more inclusive, empowered future in senior living.
Event Participants
Severine (Sevy) Petras, CEO & Co-Founder of Priority Life Care
Severine (Sevy) Petras spent a decade in investment banking, specializing in debt solutions for Senior Housing and Healthcare. Her career included roles at NatCity Investments, 5/3 Securities, and Merrill Lynch Capital, which was later acquired by GE Capital.
In 2009, Sevy and her family founded Priority Life Care (PLC), recognizing the growing need for affordable senior living options. Leveraging her financial expertise, along with her family’s deep experience in senior living and leadership, they focused on creating alternative models for senior living while fostering an employee- first culture that drives success.
With Sevy’s leadership and a dedicated team, PLC has revitalized underperforming properties by building strong teams and cultivating a positive, people- centered culture. The company has also expanded into joint ventures with capital partners, focusing on strategic growth and innovation in senior living.
At PLC, Sevy believes that the well-being of the team drives the quality of care for residents, shaping the company’s approach across affordable, middle market, and high-end communities.
The mission at PLC is to light the way for seniors nationwide by creating supportive communities and delivering compassionate, quality care tailored to their needs.
Lauren Wilson, Chief Revenue Officer, PalCare
Lauren Wilson is currently serving as the Chief Revenue Officer at PalCare. PalCare is a premier nurse call system focused on customizable analytics and scalable technology to improve outcomes in senior care. During her tenure in healthcare, Lauren has built a reputation for networking, her analytic approach, and the ability to lead high-performing teams. This includes time at Kevala, TSOLife, iN2L, West Corporation and Lexis Nexis serving enterprise healthcare organizations. Lauren’s experience with her Mother’s Alzheimer’s journey has shaped her passion and drive to improve the quality of life for older adults. Lauren currently serves on the board of the Alzheimer’s Association in the Northwest, the NIC Academy Board, and co-chairs the NIC Growth Conference Planning Committee. Lauren graduated from the University of Oregon with two Bachelor of Science degrees in Marketing and Management.
Erin Shvetzoff Hennessey, Chief Executive Officer at Health Dimensions Group
Erin Shvetzoff Hennessey leverages her hands-on experience as an administrator and senior leader of skilled nursing and senior living facilities to set the tone for HDG’s commitment to providing clients with expert solutions steeped in real world experience. As CEO of HDG, Erin is active in helping clients navigate the complexities of providing care and service for older adults and sets the company’s strategic direction.
Erin has more than 20 years of experience in senior health care and is a certified gerontologist. She leverages her expertise to steer organizations towards solutions that not only enhance their strategic initiatives but also elevate their market position. She brings unique insight into acute and post-acute integration strategies that improve performance for all stakeholders in the care continuum. Erin also has considerable experience advising post-acute care providers around ownership and organizational structure, operational performance, and financial improvement.
Erin’s zeal for improving the lives of older adults extends beyond HDG. She plays an active role in many professional associations supporting aging services, serving as both a resource and speaker at local and national conferences on senior health care, senior living trends, and planning for aging populations. Erin also serves on the LeadingAge Minnesota board of directors, helping advance advocacy, leadership, and education around the care of seniors.
In recognition of Erin’s reputation as a national thought leader, she was honored as one of Modern Healthcare’s 2023 Top Women Leaders and Argentum’s 2019 Senior Living Leader Under 40. In 2021, she was presented with a Women in Business award by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Daniel Lawson, Co-Founder and President of Business Affairs at Viking Pure Solutions
Daniel Lawson spent over a decade in the medical device industry, earning unparalleled insight into the intricacies of our health care environment and some of the biggest needs yet to be addressed. Daniel partnered with Viking Pure’s co-executive team to introduce a disruptive, patent protected, and environmentally-conscious technology to transform cleaning and infection control in commercial facilities across a wide range of industries. He is dedicated to creating a movement to remove TOXIC CHEMICALS from the environment and to challenge the status-quo of what it means to truly clean and disinfect safely, sustainably and effectively.