Clare Oaks appoints new executive director

Beth Welch has been named as new executive director for Clare Oaks, a continuing care retirement community in Bartlett.

Welch will oversee the daily operations of the community, according to Mick Feauto, senior director of operations management, Life Care Services, the management company for Clare Oaks.

“With nearly 20 years of experience in the senior living industry, Welch will play an integral role in positioning Clare Oaks as the continuing care retirement community of choice in the Chicagoland market,” said Feauto.

Before accepting the position at Clare Oaks, Welch served as administrator at the DuPage County Convalescent Center in Wheaton. Here, she provided executive leadership and operational guidance for the county-owned skilled nursing and subacute 360 bed rehabilitation center. Prior to that, she served as assistant administrator and director of social services for LifeLink Corporation Healthcare Division in Bensenville. Welch also held positions at HomeCorp Management Inc. and the Ritz Carlton Hotel, both in Philadelphia.

“We chose Welch for this position because she has a proven ability to effectively motivate and manage others,” said Michael D. Hovde, Jr., president of the board of directors of Clare Oaks. “We are fortunate to have someone with Welch’s extensive background and successful track record to help elevate the community’s profile in the senior living industry and the surrounding area.”

Welch serves on several local boards, including the Long-Term Care Advisory Committee at the College of DuPage where she is also an adjunct part-time faculty member. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration in marketing from Loyola University in Baltimore, MD., and holds a dual master’s degree in management and public health from Benedictine University in Lisle.