Board of Directors
Committed to Our Future
Strong governance is critical to strong operations and long-term sustainability. Board duties include strategic planning, reviewing organizational structures and system operations, monitoring Asbury’s growth plans, and ensuring transparency of audit information and other financial reports.
The Asbury Communities Board of Directors represents the Asbury parent corporation, which provides management services to its related organizations. As directors of a not-for-profit organization, board members ensure that Asbury fulfills its Mission and tax-exempt purpose, as well as meets its obligations to all of its constituencies.
Asbury owes a debt of gratitude to these dedicated Board members who bring business acumen, leadership, and commitment to building our organization’s future.
For detailed information on recent Board activities and decisions, please view the Asbury Atlantic, Inc. Board minutes.
Eric is a seasoned board chair and financial strategist with extensive experience guiding life sciences organizations through growth, transformation, and long-term value creation. Over his career, he has led more than $1 billion in debt and equity financings and advised organizations at every stage—from emerging ventures to global enterprises.
He has served as Chief Financial Officer for both public and private companies, bringing deep expertise in capital strategy, governance, mergers and acquisitions, and financial oversight. His leadership experience spans Immunomic Therapeutics, OpGen, Avalon Pharmaceuticals, Invitrogen Corporation, Life Technologies, and Genex Corporation, where he supported innovation, operational scale, and investor financial stewardship.
As Chair of the Board of Directors for Asbury Communities, Eric provides disciplined governance, financial stewardship, and strategic insight to support Asbury’s continued evolution as a forward-thinking leader in senior living. He also serves on the board of Nuo Therapeutics (OTCQB: AURX) and chairs its Audit Committee.
Eric holds an MBA from Mount Saint Mary’s University, a BA in Economics and Business Administration from McDaniel College, and is a Certified Public Accountant in Maryland (inactive). He lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife, Terry, and values time with their six children and eleven grandchildren. His personal interests include travel, biking, and golf.
Eric brings deep financial, governance, and capital strategy expertise that supports Asbury’s long-term stewardship, resilience, and continued growth as a mission-driven senior living organization.
Connect with Eric on LinkedIn.
Scott has spent over 40 years as a senior corporate executive, Partner at a premier human resources consulting firm, and most recently as an Executive Leadership Coach and Board Member. In addition to managing a private executive coaching practice, Scott is affiliated with two organizations: MyNextSeason and Human Capital Advisors. Before joining MyNextSeason and Human Capital Advisors, Scott spent 13 years at Freddie Mac, where he served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and played a pivotal role in developing and implementing talent management strategies to assist the organization in navigating the turbulent waters of the financial crisis that began in 2008. As a Partner at Towers Perrin, a major human resources consulting firm, Scott’s accountabilities included new business development, client relationship management, and delivery of innovative solutions to clients’ human capital, total rewards, and compensation challenges. On an individual level, Scott has also engaged in various coaching and consulting opportunities, including serving as interim CHRO at numerous small and mid-sized companies, a strategic HR consultant, and an executive leadership coach. Scott currently serves as Chairman of the Board at Asbury Communities, a major integrated services senior living organization, and is a Board member of Flat Rock Opportunity Fund, Flat Rock Core Income Fund, and Flat Rock Enhanced Income Fund, which are all alternative asset management funds. Scott received a BA from Harvard University and is certified as an Executive Leadership Coach from Georgetown University. He and his wife, Joda, enjoy spending time with their four adult children and spouses, along with six grandchildren. They currently reside in the mountains near Hendersonville, NC, and also spend time during the winter in Anna Maria, Florida. Scott enjoys a full range of outdoor activities, travel, as well as the cultural and social opportunities each region has to offer. View Scott on LinkedIn.
Melissa Fors Shackelford is a healthcare marketing and growth leader with deep experience shaping brand strategy, consumer engagement, and organizational reputation across complex healthcare ecosystems. Her career spans senior leadership roles within global health services organizations, nonprofit healthcare, and high-growth health technology companies.
Through her consultancy, Shackelford Strategies, Melissa is a sought-after advisor to C-suite leaders, venture-backed startups, and established healthcare brands. She partners with executive teams to sharpen market positioning, expand influence, and accelerate sustainable growth. Previously, Melissa held senior marketing leadership roles at Cigna’s Evernorth Health Services, where she led strategic marketing for Express Scripts’ pharmacy benefit management and specialty pharmacy services, contributing to market growth and customer engagement.
Earlier in her career, Melissa served as Vice President of Marketing at Hazelden Betty Ford, where she guided enterprise marketing strategy for one of the nation’s leading nonprofit healthcare organizations. She also spent six years at UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, holding multiple leadership roles focused on healthcare marketing and brand development.
A recognized thought leader in healthcare marketing, Melissa is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and a published writer on topics including healthcare branding and marketing ethics. Her work has been recognized with the American Marketing Association’s Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award and the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST Award.
Melissa serves on the Board of Directors of Asbury Communities, where she is Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee, bringing a strategic, consumer-focused perspective to board leadership and organizational stewardship. She also serves on the board of the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST and contributes to the field as a member of the American Hospital Association’s Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) Editorial Advisory Board.
Melissa holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas and a BA from the University of Minnesota and is a NACD.DC Certified Director.
Melissa brings a consumer-informed, healthcare marketing perspective that supports Asbury’s focus on reputation, growth, and meaningful engagement across communities.
Veronica Hill-Milbourne is a healthcare executive and board leader recognized for advancing access to care, strengthening community-based health systems, and leading complex healthcare operations. Her experience spans provider, payer, and community health organizations, giving her a holistic perspective on care delivery, strategy, and sustainability.
Veronica currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of a Federally Qualified Health Center in Philadelphia, where she leads a multi-site organization delivering primary care, behavioral health, specialty medical, and pharmacy services. She has also led large-scale behavioral health and home and community-based service organizations with multiple service office locations across Pennsylvania, supporting care delivery in diverse and underserved communities.
Throughout her career, Veronica has held senior leadership roles within regional and national healthcare organizations administering government and commercial sponsored health care delivery programs. She is well regarded for her governance expertise, operational leadership, system-level strategy, and community advocacy. Her work reflects a strong commitment to equity, public service, and outcomes driven care.
An active board member and civic leader, Veronica serves on the boards of Addus HomeCare, the Pennsylvania Association for Community Health Centers, and The Health Federation of Philadelphia. Her prior board service includes Temple University College of Public Health’s Board of Visitors, Southeastern Chapter of the American Cancer Society, Villanova University’s College of Nursing Board of Visitors and Councilwoman for Horsham Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Veronica holds a Juris Doctor from Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law, a Master’s Degree in Health Education from Saint Joseph’s University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and is the proud mother of two daughters.
Veronica’s experience in community-based healthcare and governance closely aligns with Asbury’s commitment to access, equity, and integrated care.
* The Baltimore-Washington Conference United Methodist Church acts as an Ex-Officio Non-Voting Advisor.
Jean is a Digital Health Executive, who creates health solutions for better lives. She is known for leading growth strategies, developing truly innovative experiences and products, and leading Digital & AI Transformation, located in the Greater Minneapolis area. She is the Chief Operating Officer at Children’s Cancer Research Fund and an Expert at Residence at DigitalDX, where she selects start-ups that are applying AI for early diagnosis. Previously, she was Vice President at UnitedHealth Group within the payer and provider spaces, where she played key Digital, Artificial Intelligence, and Operations roles in strategy development, roadmap alignment, and leading global cross-functional teams. Jean also served in executive roles at Ameriprise Financial where she led the largest mutual fund advisory program with P&L responsibility, and successfully led large-scale change as the Product Executive for New Brokerage Platform program, partnering with additional executives and teams, enabling an enterprise-wide growth acceleration of high-net-worth clients and process digitization, and integrating an integration, and at American Express Financial Advisors, she held positions in finance and platform delivery. Jean holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management in Information Technology and Operations, and a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Finance and Mathematics. In her free time, Jean enjoys international travel, reading, and hiking with her family. View Jean on LinkedIn.
Dr. Mariana Matus Garcia is a seasoned executive with over 10 years of experience driving the adoption of innovative technology and data products in historically low-tech sectors. As CEO and Cofounder of Biobot Analytics, she has transformed public health surveillance by integrating near real-time epidemiological data from wastewater with clinical surveillance. Today, wastewater intelligence is recognized as a critical technological breakthrough from the COVID-19 pandemic, and Dr. Matus was pivotal in advancing its development and adoption across U.S. public health agencies. Biobot provided vital insights during the pandemic to the CDC, HHS, and hundreds of state and local communities, designing and scaling the first nationwide wastewater surveillance program. This landmark initiative required coordination across wastewater facilities, public health agencies, federal institutions, and academia.
Biobot has also led innovations in wastewater intelligence within congregate living settings, including assisted-living facilities, university dorms, military bases, and correctional facilities. Recently, the company has begun piloting its wastewater intelligence platform with top pharmaceutical companies to support vaccine and medical countermeasure development.
Thanks to Dr. Matus’s technological expertise, Biobot continues to expand its platform to monitor additional infectious diseases and high-risk substances of public health concern.
An internationally recognized expert, Dr. Matus has testified before Congress on the value of wastewater data for national biosurveillance and regularly briefed strategic teams at the White House during the COVID-19 pandemic. She holds a PhD in Computational Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where her research focused on fecal biomarkers for clinical and public health applications. Mariana has raised approximately $40 million in venture capital for Biobot and was selected to the prestigious Y Combinator startup accelerator in early 2018.
Dr. Matus’s leadership and entrepreneurial excellence have been recognized through numerous awards. In 2020, she was named a C&EN Trailblazing Woman in Chemistry. She appeared on Newsweek’s list of America’s 50 Greatest Disruptors (2021) and 50 Enterprising Idealists (2022). Boston Globe ranked 8th on its inaugural 50 Tech Power Players list in 2022, and TIME100 NEXT recognized her as a 2022 Industry Innovator. Most recently, she was named a 2023 Henry Crown Fellow in the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.
Carla Robinson is CEO and Co-founder of Canary Telehealth, a healthcare services company that connects with patients in the home via telehealth, phone outreach, and home visits to improve access and close gaps in care. Under her leadership, Canary Telehealth has successfully implemented programs in chronic disease management and prevention, maternal health, Prior to founding Canary Telehealth, Carla spent 16 years in management consulting with McKinsey & Company and The Cambridge Group, advising Fortune 500 corporations on growth strategy, innovation, and consumer or patient engagement. She has led strategic initiatives across the U.S. and globally with expertise in health & wellness, digital health, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals industries.
Carla and her husband owned a home care franchise for 12 years before pivoting to focus on telehealth.
Carla serves as Vice Chair of the board for Partnership for a Connected Illinois where she advises on telehealth access initiatives. She served for seven years as a Board Member for Kaleidoscope, an Illinois-based non-profit supporting youth in care and their families. She has served as Vice Chair of the Board for Friends of Jones and held numerous executive board positions for Jack & Jill of America, Chicago Chapter. Carla is an active member of The Chicago Network, The Chicago Club, and The Economic Club of Chicago.
Recognized for her thought leadership in technology-enabled solutions to support health equity, Carla commonly speaks at conferences or forums, podcasts, and webinars.
Ms. Robinson holds an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management where she was named an Austin Scholar and a BBA from Howard University where she graduated with honors. Ms. Robinson also holds a Kellogg School Executive Education certification in AI Strategy.
Carla resides in Chicago with her husband and business partner, Dr. Sam Robinson, and their two children.
Rich Shuman is a strategic advisor and business leader recognized for helping organizations clarify direction, strengthen brands, and navigate growth and transformation. His work spans large-scale enterprises and entrepreneurial environments, combining disciplined strategies with operational insight and execution.
Rich is the Founder and President of AP’OGEE, a business advisory firm focused on financial, operational, and brand-centric strategies. Through AP’OGEE, he advises organizations on strategic positioning, acquisitions, start-ups, and change management, working alongside leaders to build new sales channels, scale businesses and drive sustained value creation.
Earlier in his career, Rich spent thirteen years with Kellogg’s, a Fortune 200, Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company, where he played a key role in building its natural foods division from the ground up through acquisition and organic growth. He later served as President of a privately held company with leading market share in U.S. pain management imaging and examination equipment, guiding growth, operational performance, and market expansion within a specialized healthcare sector.
Rich brings a balanced governance perspective shaped by both corporate and entrepreneurial leadership. His experience blends structured enterprise processes with the agility required to drive transformation in fast-moving organizations. He has served in a variety of board and committee leadership roles, with contributions that emphasize strategic oversight, disciplined decision- making, and responsible stewardship, grounded in a commitment to serve those we lead.
Rich holds an MBA in Finance from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Elizabethtown College. He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kendra, and is the proud father of two.
Rich’s strategic and brand-centered perspective supports Asbury’s continued growth, clarity of purpose, and organizational stewardship.
Efonda Sproles serves as the Vice President of Scouting & Casting and Brand Ambassador at Life Time, a health way of life company, that provides members with a whole-person approach to wellness through its health clubs, digital membership, coaching and more. Through his 30 years at Life Time — and more than 40 years of experience in the health and fitness industry — Efonda has kept a guiding principle in mind: people first. His strengths in building relationships and talent identification have been instrumental in helping Life Time scale and attract top talent across North America. Efonda’s broad expertise includes leading and working in every facet of club management, from grand openings to daily operations at Life Time’s now 170-plus clubs in North America. With certification as an Executive Coach through Stakeholder Centered Coaching, SCC, Efonda also has significant experience in leadership growth, sales training and coaching, and public speaking. In 2020, he joined Life Time’s Inclusion Council Board as a founding member to make the organization a place of Belonging. Among his initiatives were expanding the brand’s presence in underserved communities, businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). With credentials in Diversity and Inclusion Training from Ashton College as well as his experience in the field, Efonda’s multifaceted contributions showcase his unwavering dedication to empowering individuals and fostering inclusive communities. In addition to his work with Life Time, Efonda also has lent his talents to nonprofit boards, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and as a founding board member of both The Sanneh Foundation and Literacy Matters, a group that aims to making reading accessible to underserved students in grades 1 through 3. As a champion of excellence in customer service and intentional, thoughtful care of clients, Efonda enjoys his role with Asbury Communities and the contributions he can make in continuing its superior facilities and programs in senior care. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Northern Iowa, where he also was an All-American wrestler. He is a husband, proud father of three young adults, step-father to three young adults, and grandfather who resides in Minnetonka, Minn. View Efonda on LinkedIn.
Ms. Gary currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Finance for Erlanger Health in Chattanooga, Tennessee effective August 18, 2025. She previously served as the SVP/Chief Financial Officer at TidalHealth, a Maryland-based health system of hospitals and specialty offices from 2021 to July 2025. Ms. Gary oversaw all finance functions at TidalHealth, including accounting and financial reporting, strategic financial planning and analysis, budgeting, forecasting and decision support. Prior to TidalHealth, Ms. Gary held executive leadership positions at Methodist Health System, TX (2016-2021) and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2012-2016) in Dallas, where Ms. Gary managed operating and capital budgets, strategic planning, as well as finance and business operations.
Ms. Gary is a Certified Public Accountant and Fellow of The American College of Healthcare Executives. She also holds a Bachelors in Accounting from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas. Ms. Gary currently serves as the Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair for CRISP (Chesapeake Regional Information System for Patients), located in Maryland. She also previously served on the Corporate board of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, based in Delaware; on the advisory board for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; and the Boards of the Duncanville and Cedar Hill Chambers of Commerce in Texas. Ms. Gary was recognized in Women in Leadership 2024 published by The Forum of Executive Women. She is married to her husband of 17 years (Kito) and has two teenage children (Isaiah & Corinne).
Stephen Benoit is an executive leader and board member with broad experience in building, scaling, and guiding innovation-driven organizations across pharmaceutical, food and agricultural biotechnology, and consumer sectors. His career spans venture-backed start-ups and public companies, with a focus on translating science, technology, and strategy into sustainable growth.
Stephen has co-founded and led multiple venture-backed companies and business units, raising approximately $100 million in venture capital and guiding organizations through critical stages of development. His leadership experience includes advancing therapeutic programs from discovery through early clinical trials, leading acquisitions and post-merger integrations valued at more than $400 million and building high-performing teams that delivered consistent growth and operational results.
Currently, Stephen serves on the Board of Directors of MDI Therapeutics, a University of Michigan spinout developing novel treatments for fibrotic diseases. During his recent tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer, he led capital formation efforts, strengthened organizational capabilities, and oversaw key regulatory and clinical milestones, including the successful completion of Phase 1 clinical studies and continued progression of the company’s development pipeline.
Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Executive Officer and board member of Metabolic Solutions Development Company, and founded or led organizations focused on pharmaceutical development, food safety, biotechnology, and consumer health. His experience includes leadership roles with NanoMed Pharmaceuticals, Calgene, Applied Microbiology, and The Kellogg Company, as well as early career experience in financial services with Bank of America.
He brings a governance perspective grounded in innovation, risk awareness, and long-term value creation—experience that supports Asbury’s commitment to thoughtful growth, scientific advancement, and future readiness. He holds an MBA and a BBA in Finance from Loyola Marymount University and has served as a Visiting Executive Lecturer at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Western Michigan University.
Stephen is the proud father of three children and a grandfather of five.
Talk with an Expert
We get it. Moving to a senior living community is a big decision. Our sales counselors are here to listen, understand your goals, and partner with you to find the solution that is right for you.