Donna is responsible for the Engel Burman brand. In this role, she works to maintain the consistency and integrity in all Engel Burman communications and the alignment of all divisions – EB Development, EB Construction, EB Management, EB Living. As needed, she coordinates with the teams for the various communities and properties developed by Engel Burman.

Donna brings to Engel Burman over 20 years of experience honing her skills in stewarding brands and developing and implementing strategic marketing plans across a wide array of industries and in a wide array of roles. She has led large internal marketing teams as well as multi-disciplinary teams within some of the world’s largest advertising agencies. Her experience includes being a co-founder of a marketing consultancy firm.

As Director of Land Use and Zoning Entitlements, Nicholas is responsible for analyzing and navigating the complex municipal approval process for projects from due diligence, through closing. As part of the in-house counsel team, Nicholas works directly with the Principals and General Counsel on all legal matters concerning development projects. In these roles, Nicholas leverages his expertise in the areas of land use and zoning, real estate law and transactions, municipal and legislative law, and industrial development agency law to navigate Engel Burman efficiently and diligently through all aspects and phases of real estate transactions and development.

Nicholas has been named a New York Metro “Rising Star” in the practice area of Land Use and Zoning by Super Lawyers in 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017. He is also a frequently published author and has written several articles for the Real Estate/Municipal Law Edition of the Nassau Lawyer.

Nicholas graduated with a B.A. in political science from Hofstra University and received his J.D. from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.

Collin Gabriel is responsible for the launch and operation of the Multifamily Division at Engel Burman. He has built a career on “lifestyle experience” focused property management. He and his teams have been recognized with multiple service and revenue awards.

Collin brings over a decade of rental management and development experience, most recently as Regional Manager of the Long Island portfolio for Greystar Management which he built from a single property. Prior to that, he managed various properties for Avalon Bay Communities, including successful redevelopments of Avalon Towers in Long Beach and The Avalon, in Bronxville, NY.

Collin began his multifamily career on the construction side with Pulte Homes in Florida and Timber Ridge on Long Island, building condominium and townhome communities in Orlando, FL before moving to Long Island to build condo communities in Massapequa, Mount Sinai, Oceanside and Patchogue. He has over 15 years of experience working in multifamily real estate between building, renovating and managing properties across Nassau and Suffolk counties and Florida. Collin also spent time renovating brownstones in Brooklyn which required working within strict guidelines set by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Brooklyn Historical Society. Collin is also a member of the Long Island Builders Institute.

Andrew is responsible for overseeing the accounting and financial activities of the company. He has extensive experience in banking, working previously for European American Bank and People’s United Bank. Utilizing that expertise, Andrew works closely with the Principals in securing financing for the acquisition and construction of the company’s residential and commercial real estate projects. Additionally, he manages all the cash needs of the company in respect to acquisitions and predevelopment activities.

Craig has more than 20 years of experience in real estate law. Prior to joining the team at Engel Burman, Craig was Senior Counsel at Proskauer Rose LLP. There he acted as outside counsel on a wide range of substantial real estate transactions, including dealings for Engel Burman and their portfolio of The Bristal Assisted Living communities. Craig graduated with honors from the State University of New York at Binghamton and cum laude from Brooklyn Law School.

Over the course of more than forty years, Maryellen has distinguished herself in the field of Assisted Living and has maintained a particular focus on enhancing operations in Independent and Adult Care Facility Management. At times, Maryellen has simultaneously overseen over 29 communities throughout the Northeast. She was awarded Administrator of the Year in 1990 by the Empire State Association – being recognized for upholding quality care, compassion and high professional standards – and has become a visible and respected authority in the field. Throughout her tenure with the Association, she has also co-chaired its Assisted Living Services Committee along with its Conference Committee.

Maryellen joined Engel Burman in 2001 and helped establish Ultimate Care NY, LLC, the team responsible for the development, construction and daily management of eighteen upscale Assisted Living communities grouped under the well-known and highly respected name of The Bristal. A committed advocate and sought-after speaker for the cause of senior living issues, Maryellen has served on the Board of ESAAL (Empire State Association of Assisted Living) since 2002, and today, she continues to play high-profile roles in many of the Association’s most important initiatives and influential committees.

Ellen brings to the table over twenty years of experience in the sales and marketing of various real estate properties, multi-use developments and single- and multi-family residential homes and communities. In that time, Ellen has personally sold over 1,200 properties. She possesses a deep understanding and a focused specialization in the senior living segment – particularly, with Assisted Living and 55+ Active Adult Communities – which makes her, of course, an invaluable asset to our organization. Ellen is familiar with what families need in senior living, and she is able to convey with clarity and confidence the life-enriching qualities that residents can expect to experience at The Bristal.

Ellen completed her bachelor’s degree in Economics at Union College, and continually attends conferences and seminars to continue expanding her education and training. She is also CAASH-certified — Certified Active Adult Specialist in Housing. Familiar to many families and professionals across LI for her work with The Bristal as well as other numerous community initiatives, Ellen is frequently recognized for her commitment to the industry and has been honored by the JCC (Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center) in Roslyn, NY. She has been with The Bristal and Ultimate Care Management since their inception.

Kristen Celender joined the Ultimate Care Assisted Living Management team in 2020 with over 20 years of experience in the human resources field. She graduated from Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, and eventually relocated to Long Island in 2008. She earned her master’s degree in Professional Studies with a concentration in Human Resources from Stony Brook University. Prior to joining Ultimate Care, Kristen worked for a nonprofit organization which supports children and adults with developmental disabilities. During her time there, she led the development and growth of their HR department, which included streamlining and centralizing training, recruitment, and payroll processes.

Kristen serves the employees of Ultimate Care with a mission-oriented mindset. Superior benefits packages, continuous training opportunities, and employee appreciation programs are just some of the ways that The Bristal supports the team members. Kristen firmly believes that the exceptional team who take care of the residents who choose to call our communities home, deserve to be well-taken care of, too.

Melissa Marino brings with her over a decade of experience working in the geriatric field. Her impressive clinical career includes positions in a variety of long-term care settings, including skilled nursing, assisted living, and hospice care. From her beginnings as a geriatric psychiatric nurse to her current position as the Vice President of Clinical Services of New Jersey, her continual focus has been to deliver compassionate, competent care.

As the Vice President of Clinical Services for New Jersey, Melissa oversees the clinical operations for The Bristal Assisted Living’s communities in New Jersey. She is responsible for resident care services, developing healthcare policies, and providing oversight and guidance to the nursing team. A graduate of the College of State Island, she is also board certified in gerontological nursing. She received her Master of Nursing from Western Governors University, and is currently working on her doctorate in nursing practice leadership.

For over a decade, Eileen Rainer has brought impeccable and dependable expertise to Ultimate Care Management in the areas of accounting and finance. She possesses the hands-on knowledge for managing day-to-day financial issues with confidence; and yet, she brings both creativity and an enthusiastic vision for tomorrow, to help pave the way to a strong and stable future. Eileen has been honing these management and analytical skills specifically within a Senior Living setting since 1995.

She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from State University of New York at Fredonia, and quickly climbed the rungs of success – first beginning as a staff accountant and eventually working her way up to serve in the capacity of a VP of Finance, which she does for us today. Augmenting her financial credentials, Eileen is also proficient on numerous software platforms. Her exceptional management, evaluation and forecasting skills have been essential in keeping The Bristal on solid ground, and she continues helping to position the organization for steady and healthy growth.

Maureen Scalesi comes to us with over 25 years of experience in senior care with a special emphasis in assisted living and resident services. During her career she has been promoted through the ranks from nursing home admission coordinator to serving as regional director for an assisted living organization, giving her broad, first-hand experience and making her an expert in her field. Her meticulous attention to detail and deep understanding of residents’ needs enable her to develop policies and procedures that help empower The Bristal management to provide the most commendable, consistent and compassionate resident care.

Maureen is well known and well respected within the senior living community. She is an active participant and presenter at conferences, seminars and other events, sharing her experiences and mentoring. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Gerontology from Molloy College and a Master’s in Public Administration from Long Island University – CW Post, both with highest honors.

Kyra has been with the organization since June 2003, and during that time she has continued to be instrumental in the Grand Openings of several communities of The Bristal as well as daily operation across all communities. In many respects, Kyra is the administrative IT glue that keeps Ultimate Care Management up and running. Among her many responsibilities are included configuring and maintaining our various hardware and software platforms to ensure the operational integrity and security of our network. She manages the provisioning of all server and PC applications and oversees IT operations for our employee and resident populations.

Kyra serves as the liaison between in-house operations and our numerous information systems vendors, as well as construction and development partners, ensuring all aspects of expansion, build-out and renovation align with our IT goals, objectives and daily operation. In terms of education, Kyra received both her Bachelors in Sociology and her Master’s in Business Administration from SUNY at Albany; her master’s has a concentration in Human Resources Information Systems

The importance of having true gourmet food at an Assisted Living community simply cannot be overstated. We fundamentally understand this at Ultimate Care, which is why we hired Randy Tremble to oversee the dining experience at The Bristal. Few resumes in this industry come as solid and comprehensive as his, culminating in over 30 years of experience in the culinary arts. Formally trained in the US Air Force, Randy has served the private sector now for decades, and has worked alongside some of the world’s best chefs, both nationally and abroad.

His many and impressive credentials include being twice decorated for meritorious service, he earned participation in the esteemed Hennessey Trophy, a worldwide cooking competition across all branches of the Military, and he has won Best in Show for culinary display; the list goes on. This massive talent and global expertise translate into a consistently exceptional Resident Dining Program for residents of The Bristal. His uncompromising attention to detail, his understanding of senior nutrition and his love for the culinary arts have all been instrumental in making The Bristal second-to-none when it comes to dining.

The build-out, expansion or renovation of a senior living community is no standard project – nor are the countless maintenance, refurbishment and construction tasks required on a daily basis. No one knows this better than Brian White and his team. There is a complex balance that must be maintained between functional need, design aesthetics, and resident safety and comfort. One of the differentiating aspects of The Bristal Assisted Living is how well these dynamics are executed and managed every day.

With over twenty years of hands-on experience in the environmental maintenance and construction fields – and with a specific concentration in senior living settings – Brian brings this unique expertise to the communities of The Bristal. With unquestioned integrity, a sharp eye for quality and an extensive knowledge of New York State Department of Health codes for Assisted Living facilities, his work helps ensure the quality of life of every resident of The Bristal.