Meet Our Team

My life’s motto has been to live life to the fullest, make a difference, and have a deep passion for all that you do.  Thanks to a very important person early in my life, and through Yoga practice, I learned the importance of balancing drive and ambition with gratitude and self-awareness.  Everyday, I find time for reflection, recharging and relaxing.  It helps me live a fulfilled life by harmonizing the body/mind connection, which leads to overall wellness.   This is essential for all human beings no matter their life stage.  Working in the senior living industry is an incredible responsibility and I am humbled for the opportunity to enrich lives and help change the way society thinks about aging.

With more than 20 years of executive level experience in seniors housing, Maria possesses a keen understanding of the seniors housing industry and in-depth knowledge of strategic planning, operational excellence, acquisitions management, financial controls   and leadership and culture development. Her passion for enhancing seniors’ lives through creative, engaging and purpose-filled experiences is balanced with a drive to not only achieve, but exceed, operational and financial expectations.   Maria sits on the Operations Executive Roundtable for Argentum, is a member of the Advisory Board for Senior Living 100 and a Board Member of Leading Age Illinois.   She holds a Bachelor of Science in management from National Lewis University.

My fondest Childhood memories all stem from sitting around the table with my family and playing board games.  No matter what was going on in life, this was a time to laugh and have fun.  My competitive nature developed during these family games.  This is a tradition that carries on today not only with my father and sisters but with my husband and own children.  Board games teach good sportsmanship, friendly competition and a strong family bond.  As hard as it is, I have learned through my children that while winning is fantastic, sometimes you have to put that competitive nature aside for the good of the cause. 

Nicole Bartecki is a marketing and sales professional with over 20 years of sales experience in the senior living industry and over 12 years of sales management experience.  Nicole has been involved in sales and marketing from the community to the executive level within the skilled nursing, assisted living and memory care settings.   Nicole has successfully planned, managed and executed sales and marketing plans for start-ups, acquisitions and repositioned communities including the rebranding and identity development.  As the Vice President of Sales and Marketing and a member of the executive team of Pathway Senior Living since 2011, Nicole is responsible for the branding strategy and optimization, market research, and creation and execution of integrated strategic marketing plans for the sales and marketing efforts for the ever-expanding portfolio of Pathway Senior Living communities, as well as all acquisitions and management contracts nationwide.  

I enjoy supporting my nephews and their football teams in the fall months. The biggest highlight over the past eleven years was watching my nephew, teammates and coaches accomplish their goal of becoming the 2014 Football State Champions in the state of Illinois. To say that the season was magical is an understatement. The team suffered only one loss throughout the entire season and in true Celtic fashion they used that as a learning experience that would continue to drive and motivate them for the remainder of the season. The Team was an example of how to achieve success on so many levels. They decided on one goal and everyone was clear as to what that goal was. Every team member and coach contributed their absolute best to achieve the goal every practice and every game. Above all everyone was committed; committed to one another and to the outcomes they were striving to achieve. There was no we/them, first string/second string, juniors/seniors. There was ONE TEAM with each member contributing value. The Team achieved their ultimate goal and experienced what many have not – a State Championship. I often share this experience with those I work with because the same strategy works in the business place. Clarity of goals and commitment to achieve produces winners.

Colleen has been in the seniors housing industry for 20+ years. She has had the benefit of working for stellar organizations: Senior Lifestyle Corporation, Horizon Bay Senior Communities, Gardant Management and Pathway Senior Living. Working as an Executive Director, Regional Vice President of Operations and Director of Operations has offered the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the Residents and Team Members that she works for.

I unofficially began playing the guitar at the tender age of 12. You could really say, I started playing with my brother’s guitar back then. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew that I wanted to learn to play. Every chance I could, I would sneak into my brother’s room and strum away. After being caught numerous times, my brother decided to teach me how to play. After several months of lessons, he believed that I was serious and so he convinced my parents that I needed a guitar of my own. I’ll always be grateful to my brother for that. He gave me the gift of music, which is something we will always share.

As a former Executive Director of one of our Pathway communities, and as a daughter whose mom was blessed to live in a Pathway community, I was able to experience first hand how the VIVA! philosophy and culture can positively impact the lives of our residents, our families, and our team members.

As the Director of VIVA!, I have the unique responsibility for teaching, coaching and mentoring our community leaders and our front line team members in creating the VIVA! culture in all of our communities.

I received my B.A. in Marketing from DePaul University, and my M.Div. from Unity School of Christianity. Prior to joining Pathway Senior Living, I served as a Hospice Chaplain for 8 years. It has been an extraordinary honor to have walked the final journey with hundreds of people from all walks of life.

Terri is a sales and marketing professional with over 25 years of experience in various industries. She has been in the senior industry the last nine years, starting as a Director of Community Relations supporting multiple communities. She has been involved in the start up marketing with 4 different Pathway communities. In 2014, she accepted the position of Director of Community Development, working with the start up teams on Pathway acquisitions and new projects. She has served on various boards of different provider groups and associations in the senior industry. She is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a B.S. in Marketing and has completed the Certified Marketing Professional (CMP) program through Leading Age. 

Jim is a Principal and Board Member of Pathway Senior Living, LLC. Jim is President of the Real Estate investment Association (REIA) and a Director of the Illinois and Michigan Housing Council. Jim is also active with the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition and the American Seniors Housing Association. He is also a member of the steering committee and an adjunct professor at DePaul University. Jim holds a Master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University.