Meet our Team

Rose has more than 40 years of experience in management, recruiting, marketing, fund development, and public relations. For the majority of her career, Rose served as the president of Lester Consulting Group, Inc., where she was responsible for building community networks. Rose has counseled national clients in health care, social services, higher education, and religious institutions. Her models for fundraising success, strategic planning, and board development have strengthened multiple nonprofit organizations. Rose is responsible for developing the Covenant Living culture of philanthropy while ensuring our fundraising efforts run smoothly, strategically, and are integrated across the organization.

Julie has over 25 years of experience in the areas of non-profit fundraising, health insurance sales, and health care management. She has held sales and managerial positions working for large and small for-profit corporations, as well as working independently as an insurance agent. Julie has focused on serving the senior population for the past 15 years, which included independently selling Medicare Advantage Plans and working with retirement communities. She was responsible for increasing philanthropic support at Covenant Living of Florida from 2018 -2020 by developing, cultivating, and expanding donor relationships for the community, including fundraising for benevolent care funds as well as for outdoor campus beautification initiatives.

Julie has been a member of the Greater Plantation Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business and Power Leads Group, and has attended Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Broward Chapter meetings. A Broward College graduate, her husband and she have 4 active grandchildren.

Sarah serves the Covenant Living of the Great Lakes community. She has over 15 years of nonprofit experience in a variety of roles, including fundraising, grantmaking, event management, and youth programming. A Michigan native, Sarah has a bachelor’s degree from Albion College, in Michigan, and a master’s degree from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, in California. She also holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential. Sarah serves on the Board of Directors for the West Michigan Planned Giving Group – a professional association of estate planning attorneys, fundraisers, and financial planners – and volunteers with the Junior League of Grand Rapids. She and her husband have one child.

Nicole comes to the Skokie office of Covenant Living Communities and Services with over 10 years of nonprofit experience in various roles. From volunteer engagement to donor marketing, and event management to website upkeep, Nicole is a “Jill of all trades.” She holds a bachelor’s degree from Olivet Nazarene University and happily resides on the North Side of Chicago.

Kathy has over 22 years’ experience in fundraising in the Midwest, having always been based in the Chicago area. She worked for her alma mater, Cornell University, for 11 years as director of the Midwest Regional Office of Alumni Affairs and Development. During that time, she actively participated, start to finish, in a $200 million scholarship campaign. Later she actively participated in a university-wide campaign that began with a goal of $4 billion and ultimately raised over $6 billion.

Kathy also served for 2 years as Advancement Director for the Sierra Club’s Midwest Region. Immediately prior to joining the team at Windsor Park in April 2018 she worked as an independent fundraising consultant doing projects with smaller not-for-profits. Before her work with not-for-profits Kathy spent 15 years in the business world. She worked for 10 years in the search business with a variety of client companies doing high-tech searches for senior positions, and 5 years as manager of national accounts for a start-up software company. Prior to her business career Kathy taught classes at the College of DuPage and National College of Education and was a research assistant while she was in grad school at Northern Illinois University (master’s in Education) and the University of Chicago (“All-But-Dissertation” in Educational Psychology). Her first job after college was teaching preschoolers in Head Start.

Diane Dale, Director of Philanthropy for Covenant Living at the Samarkand in Santa Barbara, CA, has over eighteen years of fundraising and nonprofit experience. Most recently, she served as the Director of Development for La Casa de Maria, an inter-spiritual retreat and conference center serving over 12,000 individuals and 250 nonprofit groups annually. During her tenure, they completed a $7.6 million capital campaign. Diane then created their first annual giving program and Legacy Society, coordinated fundraising events, and implemented a robust grants program supporting capacity building, operations, capital projects, and sponsorships.

Previously, Diane was Director of Annual Giving and Grants at the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, where she was part of the team that raised $70 million to restore the historic Granada Theatre. Also a professional writer, she has authored scripts for the Pittsburgh Symphony and production companies, and one of her pieces won a Telly Award for “Best Video Documentary.” A native Californian, Diane graduated from California State University, Fullerton. She is honored to be a part of the Central Coast nonprofit community. Diane is honored to be working with the amazing seniors at Covenant Living at the Samarkand.

Liam serves at the Covenant Living of Mount Miguel (San Diego area) community. Liam has over 20 years of fundraising and operational leadership experience. Over the last eleven years, he has worked in aging services as a fundraiser, Marketing-Admissions-Public Relations Director, and oversaw a Senior Day Program for seniors with beginning to moderate memory loss.

Liam partners with the central office and coaches the Directors of Philanthropy on western campuses to strengthen the culture of philanthropy. Liam has a bachelor’s degree from Elmira College (NY) and a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Liam is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Liam and his wife have three elementary school aged children. In his spare time, he enjoys baseball, tennis, and reading books.

Adena has over 17 years of experience in the areas of fundraising, leadership, and relationship building. From 2014 to 2017, she served as the Director of Marketing and Development for the Beloit Regional Hospice/Beloit Health System in Wisconsin. Adena was responsible for the overall development, implementation and coordination of the organization’s outreach, referral and admissions program, development and fundraising, marketing, public relations and internal and external communications.

She has also held positions in community marketing and university admissions in Colorado. Adena has a Bachelor’s Degree with a dual emphasis in Public Relations and Advertising from Colorado State University and an MBA from Colorado Technical University. Her husband and she have three active young boys.

Stephanie Manley joined Covenant Living Communities & Services as the Director of Philanthropy in November 2020. Stephanie has a Master’s Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration. Stephanie began her career as an elementary school teacher and then joined Samaritan’s Purse as a Field Representative. Stephanie spent 14 years with The Medical Center of Aurora, where she led the hospital’s community program for seniors and volunteer program. She created and led a community partnership program combining staff, volunteers, and physicians’ efforts to donate over $600,000 and 22,000 volunteer hours to local non-profit organizations.

Since 2018, Stephanie has served as the Director of Development at the Food Bank of the Rockies, the largest non-profit hunger-relief organization in Colorado. She was responsible for a $6 million fundraising budget with an annual increase of 3% in financial donations plus management of $6.1 million in donations during the COVID pandemic. She is excited to join the Covenant family because she is passionate about being a part of a mission-driven organization focused on helping individuals live their healthiest lives.

Jan is responsible for all charitable giving on the Northbrook campus and works with local campus Directors east of the Mississippi. Prior to coming to Covenant Living, Jan served as the Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Roosevelt University. In that role, she was responsible for all fundraising for the University, overseeing its development staff and advancement operations. She has also served as Executive Director of Episcopal Charities in San Francisco, which provided pro bono services and funding to nonprofits in the five-county San Francisco Bay Area. Jan also served as Donor Relations and Communications Officer at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, in Berkeley, California.

Prior to her career in fundraising, Jan taught ESL to graduate students at Coe College, The University of Iowa, and Golden Gate University. Jan has a bachelor’s degree in Music from Roosevelt University, and master’s degrees in both Music (Conducting) and Linguistics from The University of Iowa.

Annsley Rogers-Scruton has worked with Covenant Living for nearly a decade and was promoted into the role of Director of Philanthropy Operations in 2019. In this key leadership position, she partners with the central office and each community’s leadership teams to build centralized and standardized processes while carrying out major programmatic initiatives. As a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) since 2017, Annsley holds 20 years of operational and management experience with global not-for-profit organizations and consulting firms. She piloted the Director of Philanthropy role at Covenant Living at Windsor Park and Covenant Living of Northbrook, resulting in an eight-fold increase in the size of the former’s investment fund, and creating a replicable model that is now scaled across over 20 communities and offices. 

Prior to Covenant Living, Annsley served as the Managing Associate for Business Development at JVA Consulting, where she spearheaded partnerships that generated $40 million in annual grant funding for clients of the consulting firm. She also worked as a Program Manager in International Business Development at Opportunity International, where she stewarded major donors while managing an active portfolio that increased from $12 to $30 million. She has also served in programmatic and finance roles with World Relief and UNICEF. Annsley graduated summa cum laude, with two bachelor’s degrees from Wheaton College. She recently served on the board of directors for her alma mater’s The Artist Series, Women in Development North, and Ten Thousand Villages of Glen Ellyn. Annsley lives in Colorado with her husband and children.

Stephen Simpson serves at Three Crowns Park and Covenant Home Chicago, both located in and around Chicago, Illinois. Simpson’s nonprofit experience comes from working as a Development Manager at United Way. Some of his responsibilities included fundraising, grant writing, project managing, event planning, and volunteer management. Simpson also has a background in senior living with experience in residential facility management, sales and marketing, and training and development. He has a passion for enhancing the dignity and quality of life for older adults. 

Simpson holds two master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, in Gerontology and Public Affairs. He also obtained a Certified Assisted Living Administrator license for the state of North Carolina. Simpson currently resides near downtown Chicago in the South Loop with his dog.

Amanda brings over 20 years of experience with nonprofits to her work at Covenant Living at the Holmstad. Prior to her tenure at the Holmstad, Amanda operated a successful fundraising consulting business, which served nonprofits in the Fox Valley and the western suburbs of Chicago. Amanda also served as the outcomes and grants manager at Waubonsee Community College and director of annual giving at Dominican University, as well.

She has worked as an English teacher at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, WI and Rosary High School in Aurora, IL, Waubonsee Community College, and Northern Illinois University. Amanda earned a B.A., double-major in Theatre and Creative Writing from Beloit College; and an M.A in Linguistics and Stylistics from Northern Illinois University. Amanda is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Amanda enjoys serving on the boards of the Batavia Public Library Foundation and Batavia Chamber of Commerce. She lives in Batavia, IL with her husband and three young children.

Jenny has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years. Her most recent position was with the March of Dimes, as the Senior Development Director, where she oversaw all fundraising for the Tulsa market and special events. She has worked in a variety of capacities, including disaster volunteer management, donor development, community relations and fundraising. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration, with an emphasis in Development, from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Jenny lives in Oklahoma with her husband and children.

Christine has over 25 years of experience in Philanthropy work in the greater Hartford area. She is an organized and enthusiastic professional with extensive experience in all aspects of fundraising programs, including event management, donor cultivation and stewardship, prospecting, campaign management, campaign marketing with successful results, public relations, project management, and customer relations. During those pivotal years she developed skills and assets in development for nonprofit organizations, including donor and volunteer engagement, and sponsorship solicitation.

During her 25 years she has successfully secured well over $3 millon for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Christine is an active member of the Board of Directors for Ädelbrook, which is an outreach ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church through affiliation with its Covenant Initiatives for Care, a subsidiary of Covenant Ministries of Benevolence with a vision to serve children and families in need, for the past 3 years. She continually serves on that board and is dedicated to serving others in her community.  

Victoria Wenick joined Covenant Living as the Director of Philanthropy at the Shores in November 2020. She graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Management and Marketing. Victoria began her career in marketing and advertising working in management positions for major retailers including Macy’s and Goody’s Family Clothing. In 2005, she joined The Seattle Times working in sales and marketing.

After 16 years of volunteering as Chair of the Arnold Guild supporting Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Victoria joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as the Senior Campaign Director in 2013 where she managed and implemented several fundraising campaigns. From 2013 to 2020, cumulatively she was responsible for over $4.6 million in fundraising to support cancer research, patient services, and advocacy. Victoria lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and two stepdaughters.

Martha is a mission-focused, strategic and values-based leader who influences teammates, fosters teamwork, motivates others, and champions change—all with humility and a little bit of humor. She’s spent over 10 years raising funds for churches, spiritual communities, homes for women who are homeless, and the performing arts. Career highlights include securing over $1 million legacy gifts and retiring over $3 million in organizational debt.

Martha earned a B.S. in Business Administration from East Carolina University, and a M.A. in Theology from St. Catherine University. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and has a certificate in Philanthropic Psychology from The Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy. Professionally, she is an active member of Association of Fundraising Professionals-Global as part of their national IDEA committee. She is also active in AFP-Twin Cities, the MN Council of Planned Giving, and she is a grant reviewer for the MN Regional Arts Council. Personally, Martha is active as a consociate member of the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet, St Paul Province. Her greatest accomplishment is raising four children who are accomplished in their own career fields. She is also enjoying her first grandchild.