Aspen Associates Group, LLC Direct: (303) 683-7333
Toll free: (877) ASPEN-02 / (877) 277-3602 info@AspenAssociatesGroup.com
Tom Zeleny, NHA, CEO and Founder
In addition to having been a licensed administrator for over 20 years, Tom is also an expert consultant for a state Board of Nursing Home Administrators, and testified as a subject matter expert for operational and regulatory compliance for long term care. He has worked for prestigious national and privately-owned providers in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors as Administrator, Executive Director and multi-site manager. This hands-on experience has helped him consistently place candidates in senior living positions throughout the United States since 2003.
Tom received his Certificate of Gerontology from Colorado State University, and has received professional certification from the American College of Nursing Home Administrators (ACHCA). Tom maintains an active Administrator’s license, and continues to keep abreast of the constant regulatory changes that affect senior living clients and candidates. He has been selected as speaker for multiple state organizations on topics to include: talent acquisition, effective salary negotiation, generational differences in the workforce, job performance standards and job descriptions, as well as other human resource-related best practice topics.
Marie Besgrove, Associate Recruiter
Marie received her bachelor’s in psychology from Metropolitan State University knowing that she wanted to spend her professional career working with the public & help make a difference in someone’s life. While pursuing a career in sales, she was able to work on her professional development as a team leader. She earned an award with her prior company, the Circle of Excellence, for outstanding achievements in teamwork, integrity, execution, results, and relationships. Her experience in sales and leadership encouraged her to constantly be striving for professional excellence and to explore new challenges so she could continue to grow.
Two years prior to coming on board with Aspen Associates, Marie recruited heavily on college campuses for entry level sales roles. She developed a passion for being a positive influence in the lives of young college graduates as they take their first steps into the professional world and chose to pursue recruiting as her career to continue to make a difference in the lives of candidates. After her experience in entry-level recruiting, she decided to take on a new challenge in the senior living term care & skilled nursing recruiting profession. She is incredibly excited to utilize her strong sales background and continuing to pursue her passion for working with people and positively influencing their professional aspirations.
In her free time, Marie enjoys taking her dog to the dog park and exploring new restaurants with her husband.
Annell Mook, Executive Recruiter
Annell has forty years of experience in the healthcare industry. She began as an admissions director for a hospital, and grew to become an owner of a corporation that developed customer service and supervisory training programs for over 400 hospitals. Annell’s long-term-care experience includes serving as Director, Regional Director, and Area Director of skilled nursing centers, assisted and independent living communities. She also was the Director of Provider Network and Sales for United Health Care’s Evercare program. Throughout her endeavors, Annell discovered that she had a talent for recruiting great people and helping them realize their career goals.
She appreciates being associated with Aspen Associate Group because of its dedication to matching skill sets and culture sets between employees and employers and the resulting successes that ensue. Annell attended the University of Kentucky. Most of her career has been in Colorado. She has been involved as an officer, or on the board of numerous organizations that serve seniors – including White House Conference on Aging. She was a recent recipient of the Colorado Gerontology Society’s Al Berger Distinguished Service in Aging Award.
Brent Meyer, Associate Recruiter
Brent has always had a desire to learn people’s stories, and to help facilitate growth in their lives. This desire led him to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education & Youth Ministry, before earning a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in counseling, as well as a Master of Education with a focus on increasing motivation in post-secondary and adult learners.
Prior to his employment at Aspen Associates, Brent served as the Director of Counseling & Education at the Denver Rescue Mission, where he employed his experience to assist in developing the Mission’s Career Services Department, writing curriculum, and teaching soft skills for work readiness to adults recovering from addictions and homelessness.
He also served as an independent contractor with Activate Workforce Solutions, helping to prepare candidates for meaningful employment, and to further their careers as they pursued their unique workforce goals.
Brent is now turning his enthusiasm for service to the realm of recruiting in the senior living profession. His desire is to match ideal candidates in roles with our clients that will contribute to their organization while serving our communities’ aging population.
Brent enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, teaching math, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors in Colorado. His favorite quote is, “There is no higher calling than to love someone so much that they begin to hope.”
Clara Galley, Director of Business Development
Clara has always had a passion for people and communications. Having grown up in Brazil, a career in the United States seemed out of reach, so she pursued Physical Therapy in Brazil for three years with a full scholarship. During that time, she had the opportunity to participate in internship programs in geriatrics. While attending college, Clara also worked as a full-time English Teacher where she gained important critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. She was eager to connect with as many people as possible who shared her passion of being fluent in English.
When Clara was 22, She was diagnosed with cancer and went through a full year of treatment. After surviving cancer, she focused on pursuing her true dream of having a career in the United States helping others through communication. Clara is finishing her Associates Degree, with honors, at College of San Mateo and plans on transferring to a 4-year university to complete her degree in Business.
Combining her passion for people and communication and her knowledge from her past experiences, Clara is excited to contribute to Aspen Associates Group’s team as Director of Business Development.
In her free time, Clara enjoys everything outdoors, jamming to music and exploring restaurants with her husband.
Nicole Hartog, Associate Recruiter
Nicole spent the last two decades of her career working directly with seniors and their caregivers which has enhanced her passion to help seniors age well. This direct experience in senior services has expanded her intimate knowledge of the industry. She is excited to utilize this wealth of knowledge in her recruiting career to make a difference for older adults by placing well-qualified candidates with senior living organizations.Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Colorado, and after graduation, she went on to achieve a certificate in Gerontology from UCCS. She has presented seminars at national conferences on topics including program innovations in senior services, evidenced-based older adult wellness programs, and elder abuse prevention.
Nicole serves on the board of a local non-profit serving seniors in the Denver area, which has allowed her to make lasting connections with senior living professionals across the region.
In her free time, you’ll find Nicole hiking in the Colorado mountains with her husband and their two huskies. She also enjoys cheering on the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, gardening, and singing with a local choir.