About Abby

Phil Benjamson has been named President at Abby Senior Living in Dallas, Texas bringing 17 years of senior living, servant leadership experience to help build on the foundation of excellence Abby has been delivering since 1999.  Mr. Benjamson joins Abby from AlerisLife, where he was the Chief Operating Officer Five Star Senior Living and Ageility Therapy and Rehab.  Within his leadership organization were 139 senior living communities, 150 Therapy locations and 10,000 Associates dedicated to server seniors.

Prior to AlerisLife, Mr. Benjamson was the Chief Operating Officer for Resort Lifestyle Communities and Blake Management group both of which were developing, operating and growing their management companies similarly to what we will do at Abby Senior Living.

Mr. Benjamson will focus on growing the organization’s industry-leading, hospitality-driven operating platform, while facilitating Abby’s expansion of their third-party operating platform.  All focused on delivering on the company’s mission to be the best place to live and work in seniors housing with “All of the Fun, None of the Chores”!

Meet Vicky Barger, a sales and marketing expert with twenty years of experience in the Senior Living Industry. Throughout her professional journey, Vicky has consistently showcased unwavering commitment and outstanding performance across diverse key positions.
Vicky’s leadership abilities and expertise in senior living organizations have been prominently showcased over the years. In her previous roles, she played instrumental parts in renowned senior living providers, leaving a lasting impact.

Notably, Vicky served as the Senior Vice President of Sales for both Holiday Retirement and Elmcroft/Eclipse Senior Living, contributing significantly for over a decade. Adding to her diverse experience, Vicky’s entrepreneurial spirit and marketing prowess came to the forefront during her tenure as the Executive Vice President and proprietor of LynCommunications (Marketing) Services.

Her company, which successfully served Sunrise Senior Living for eight years, provided strategic planning, facilitation, and training services to various clients. Vicky’s journey in the Senior Living Industry is a testament to her commitment to enhancing the lives of seniors through innovative solutions and dedicated service. Her wealth of experience and leadership qualities make her a valuable asset to our organization in the senior living sector.

Dawn Bearden, RN, CDP, CWS, brings over 27 years of nursing experience in senior care to her role as Vice President of Clinical Services. Currently pursuing her Masters in Nursing at Western Governors University, Dawn holds dual national board certifications in wound care, including Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) and Conservative Sharp Wound Debridement Certified (CSWD-C). Also with being a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), she has an essential focus to Memory Care. She specializes in orchestrating turnarounds, managing multi-state operations, and fostering dedicated leadership.

With a focus on team development, mentoring, and problem-solving, Dawn excels in achieving organizational goals. She collaborates effectively with sales & marketing teams, community leaders, and management professionals to enhance quality of life and patient outcomes. Dawn is adept at crafting innovative, evidence-based education and high-risk prevention strategies, delivered through various mediums including bedside, lecture, and web-based platforms.

Dawn’s communication skills extend to public speaking, sales, and vendor relations, facilitating effective collaboration with executives, physicians, and frontline staff. Her ultimate mission is to lead, mentor, and ensure the delivery of exceptional care to clients.

Darin Leonardson is the President and CEO of both Transformed Culinary Solutions, LLC and Transformed Culinary Kits, LLC.  In these dynamic roles, Chef Darin brings his flair for flavor and freshness across the country. His passion is to continue disrupting the Senior Living industry making every aspect more like a restaurant and hotel experience.  As a professional chef with well over 30+ years of experience in the hospitality market, Darin is transforming the industry with his passion for food and dining.  By combining exciting flavors with wholesome nutrition, he is sharing his love of good food with thousands of people every day.  

Darin graduated from South Seattle Community College with a Culinary Degree and an Associate Degree in Applied Science.  He also recently finished schooling at Ashford University for a bachelor’s degree in organizational management. Darin is happily married with three beautiful children, Isabella, Cameron, and Logan.  He loves to skateboard with his kids and teach them how to both garden and cook.  He believes God has blessed him with the ability to touch people with his enthusiasm for cooking and eating well.  He currently lives in Dallas, Texas and believes the best way to live is through a balanced lifestyle. One third of your life should be family; one third community and the final third should be work.  It should be in that order.

Prior to opening his own company, Darin was the VP of Culinary at Rapid Recovery Centers focusing on the healing aspects of food through for this new post-acute transitional care company.  Prior to this role he was the Director of Hospitality at Golden Living overseeing over 300 properties, serving over 60,000 meals daily. He was the Corporate Food and Beverage Manager at One Eighty, a Leisure Care company with 38 properties around the world. Prior to that, he was Executive Chef at The Bellettini, a Leisure Care property in Bellevue, Washington. Darin has also worked for Google as General Manager and Executive Chef and as an Executive Chef for a variety of restaurants in Washington State, including Toi, The Bellevue Club Hotel, and Elliott’s Oyster House.  

Darin has also been featured as a celebrity guest chef for Holland America’s Cruise Line on four prior voyages, sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam in the Caribbean and Amsterdam around the World Voyage and the Ms. Princendam for a South American World Cruise.

As Abby’s Sales Expert and the owner of Silver Tsunami Consulting LLC, Olga supports key communities under management through tailored lead management and sales solutions.  With over 17 years of experience in all types of senior living, she built her company by being hands-on and executing strategic plans that drive optimal results.  She and her team have a proven track record of consistently exceeding occupancy and sales goals through innovative leadership, support, and implementation of immediate and sustainable business strategies.

Her expertise in sales training, coaching, and management makes her instrumental in developing and executing effective sales strategies. Olga is a skilled strategist, adept at converting business goals into actionable results and benchmarking performance against key indicators. She is recognized for her ability to motivate large cross-functional teams to achieve high-level performance in a cohesive, team-oriented environment. Olga brings exceptional communication skills to her role, consistently solving business problems and supporting critical operations, all while being passionate about enhancing the lives of seniors and their caregivers.

Her technical proficiencies include Allscripts, Google Analytics, CRM Software, SEO, Salesforce, B2B Sales, Web Development, Yardi, Sherpa, Enquire, PCC, AL Wizard, REPS (Matrix Care), ECIN, and Windows. Fluent in both English and Greek, Olga is recognized for her excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, as well as her ability to motivate large cross-functional teams to achieve high-level performance. She is proficient in analyzing obstacles and implementing solution-based strategies, fostering a cohesive, team-oriented environment, and directly interacting with customers to solve business problems and support critical business operations.