At the heart of our exceptional care is our exceptional team.

Jim Kimzey is founder and CEO of Tender Rose Dementia Care Specialists, the nation’s only health services company exclusively dedicated to one-on-one dementia care. Before starting Tender Rose, Jim had more than 20 years of healthcare experience educating physicians, nurses and other caregivers on how to use new technologies for diagnosis and treatment of disease and to enhance patient safety. Jim holds a Bachelor's degree in economics and an MBA from Stanford University.

Teri grew up in a small town in Iowa. In high school, she earned her CNA license and then worked in skilled nursing on and off for five years with thoughts of potentially pursuing a nursing career. After some exploration in college, Teri found her true passion lies in human psychology and behavior, and she received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in the Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania. As Vice President of Operations at Tender Rose, Teri is responsible for managing and supporting the agency's leadership team and providing ongoing management of HR and operations policies, procedures and projects. In her free time, Teri enjoys running, hiking, singing, watching live music and writing.

Karoline moved to the SF Bay Area from Brazil when she was ten years old and later studied at San Francisco State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development, as well as a certificate in Human Resources Management. As Vice President of Staffing, Karoline leads our team of Staffing Managers, managing every aspect of the company’s hiring, staffing, and scheduling needs. Karoline describes herself as a very optimistic person who loves to make people laugh, and she spends most of her leisure time with her family, dancing, hiking or bike riding.

After leading the business development efforts for a prominent traditional home care agency for nearly four years, Paula Marks joined the Tender Rose team in 2016. As Tender Rose's Vice President of Care Partnerships, Paula interfaces with the local community, referral sources, and families to educate them about securing the highest quality one-on-one dementia care possible through Tender Rose. Paula comes to her position from a long career devoted to helping others in both the public and private sectors. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Criminology from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

After spending more than 25 years in clinical research and a variety of healthcare roles, Mike decided he wanted to provide care in a more hands-on and direct way, and he joined Tender Rose in 2012. Mike quickly demonstrated his keen understanding of the dementia disease process and how to meaningfully connect with clients living with dementia.

As Senior Director of Training and Education, Mike develops the curriculum for Tender Rose Academy, and he provides hands-on training to each of the agency’s Memory Care Professionals and client families who need additional support. Mike is a Teepa Snow PAC certified trainer and applies her Gems model when developing training programs. His goal is to help care providers truly understand the unique challenges their clients face in order to offer a higher quality of life through expert dementia care.

Eric joined Tender Rose in 2020 as the agency’s Information Technology Manager, and he brings two decades of technology experience to his role. Prior to Tender Rose, Eric supported the IT functions at companies across myriad sectors, including healthcare, biotech, and professional services. Eric hails from Salt Lake City, Utah, but he has called the Bay Area home for many years.

Courtney is a Bay Area native and moved to San Francisco in 2002. After working in finance for thirteen years as an event planner and bookkeeper, Courtney was thrilled to bring her organizational prowess and big heart to the field of healthcare. She is responsible for managing Tender Rose’s invoicing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and bookkeeping. In her free time, Courtney likes to read, travel, hike, and hang out with her husband and two nutty cats.

Years ago, Laisani left her job in finance with a major oil company to pursue a career in caregiving; she spent the better part of 14 years working with seniors in their homes and residential care facilities to improve their quality of life. Compelled by the company’s mission and values, Laisani joined Tender Rose in 2012 as a Memory Care Professional. She quickly learned that providing exceptional, person-centered care to clients with dementia dramatically improves their quality of life.

In 2018, Laisani decided to apply her skills and understanding of dementia care and accepted a position as Scheduler with Tender Rose, and in 2020, Laisani transitioned to the role of HR Manager. In her current role, she works closely with the agency’s more than 100 Memory Care Professionals, offering ongoing guidance, support, and coaching. When she’s not at work, Laisani enjoys traveling, hiking, snorkeling, reading, and spending time with family. 

At the age of ten, Lucero was called upon to help care for her grandmother who was living with dementia. This formative experience left a profound and lasting impact; Lucero always found joy in knowing she could bring a smile to her grandmother’s face and make her days a little bit brighter. Lucero later pursued caregiving and spent six years working with adults with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and dementia. After earning her CNA and HHA licenses, she worked her way up at a local retirement community, from Caregiver to Medication Manager to Office Manager. Lucero joined Tender Rose in 2019 as a Staffing Manager, excited to bring both her passion for dementia care and administrative acumen to the lives of caregivers, clients, and their families. She has since been promoted to Lead Staffing Manager, providing oversight and support to a team of Staffing Managers. When she’s not working, Lucero enjoys hiking, watching sports, going to concerts, singing karaoke with her family, and spending time with her daughter.

Before leaving the Bay Area for Seattle to pursue her Bachelor’s degree, Erika’s career had centered around healthcare research. After graduating, she began working as a Scheduler for a traditional home care agency. In 2011, Erika returned to the Bay Area, newly married and with a young son; she found that caregiving offered the flexibility she needed as a working mom. After caregiving with several other home care agencies, Erika found Tender Rose; the agency’s vision and approach immediately resonated with her. In Erika’s words, “Working as an MCP with Tender Rose, I had all of the support I needed to provide excellent care to my clients and their families.” In 2018, Erika accepted a position as Staffing Manager with Tender Rose and now works with families and MCPs to create schedules that balance the needs of clients and their caregiving teams. In her free time, Erika enjoys hiking, vegetable gardening, and spending time with her family. 

Jennifer is originally from Northern Indiana where she grew up on a small farm with her parents and younger sister. When her grandmother needed help to remain at home independently, Jennifer and her family stepped up to offer hands-on support. This experience profoundly impacted Jennifer, and she knew then that her mission was to impact others’ lives through her work. 

Jennifer earned her associate’s degree in human services and relocated to Southern Illinois to pursue a career in healthcare, working in the medical records department of a hospital, and as a caregiver with clients in their homes. Through her work with seniors, Jennifer has learned and embraced the Alzheimer’s GEMS approach by dementia expert Teepa Snow, the foundation of Tender Rose’s training program. The core values of Tender Rose inspired and resonated with Jennifer, and she joined the company as a Staffing Manager in 2021. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors, painting, drawing, and going hiking and camping with her partner. 

Taylor joined Tender Rose as a Staffing Manager in 2018, working remotely from her hometown in rural Iowa and collaborating with families and MCPs to create schedules that balance the needs of clients and their caregiving teams. In 2021, Taylor transitioned to the role of Recruiter, helping educate caregivers about the benefits of working for Tender Rose and guiding them through the interview and onboarding process. Prior to working for Tender Rose, Taylor spent nearly a decade in the hospitality and service industry where she worked in a variety of roles, including server, bartender, manager, and event coordinator. When she's not working, Taylor enjoys spending time with her husband and pets and keeps busy by practicing yoga, hiking, and taking photographs.

Natalie worked with seniors in facilities for seven years and has been working in the home care industry for more than a decade. She originally joined Tender Rose as a Memory Care Professional (MCP) in 2013 and has been promoted steadily over the years. As a Director of Care Coordination for Tender Rose, Natalie is responsible for monitoring and managing all aspects of her clients’ care needs, as well as supporting a team of Care Coordinators in the field. Natalie is a Certified Medical Assistant and Certified Nursing Assistant. Natalie realized early on that caring for seniors was her calling. She understands how one-on-one care can greatly improve a client’s care and life and has always enjoyed working with clients who have dementia. In her free time, Natalie enjoys swimming, gardening, and spending time outdoors with her children and two dogs.

During her teenage years, Debbie’s grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She helped care for her grandfather until he asked to return to the Philippines. At that time, Debbie decided to pursue nursing school at the American College of Nursing where she received her Licensed Vocational Training and then joined Tender Rose as a Memory Care Professional (MCP) in 2014 to work directly with individuals living with dementia. In her current role, as Director of Care Operations for Tender Rose, Debbie is responsible for managing and optimizing operations within the care management department. In her spare time, Debbie enjoys reading Anthropology or Science Fiction-based literature, snowboarding, playing water polo, and playing the guitar or piano.

Colleen has a rich and diverse professional background in science and healthcare. She originally studied biochemistry with her sights set on becoming a marine biologist. She later applied the skills she acquired in college to the pathology department at Massachusetts General Hospital where she was instrumental in determining diagnoses for cancer and kidney disease patients. After the birth of her three children, Colleen relocated to the SF Bay Area and several years later found her way to caregiving, appreciating the flexibility the schedule offered her as a mom. Colleen was promoted several times at the traditional home care agency where she worked, spanning roles in scheduling, marketing, and operations. She joined Tender Rose in 2016 as a Memory Care Professional (MCP), she was promoted to the role of Care Coordinator in 2019, and promoted again to the role of Director of Care Coordination in early 2021. When she’s not working with clients, Colleen enjoys embroidery, singing in her choir, learning to play the fiddle, and spending time with her children.

As a young teenager, Mila helped care for her aunt who was diagnosed with Guillain- Barré syndrome, and later stepped in to support her grandmother who needed a lot of assistance. Those experiences helped shape Mila’s career goals, and she realized that helping make someone’s life easier through skillful care is what she enjoyed doing. She joined Tender Rose as a Memory Care Professional (MCP) in 2016, and now in her role as Care Coordinator, Mila manages the ongoing care needs of her clients, ranging from helping to start new cases to developing comprehensive care plans for caregivers to follow. When she’s not at work, Mila enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Diana grew up in Fairfield, and her introduction to caregiving began when she enrolled in a program to obtain her CNA license. She realized that providing care directly to seniors was her passion, and shortly thereafter she started working at an assisted living facility as a Resident Assistant. She returned to school for LVN training, worked for several home health agencies, and then decided to put her full attention on seniors living with dementia and joined Tender Rose as a Memory Care Professional (MCP) in 2016. In her current role as a Care Coordinator, Diana manages the ongoing care needs of her clients, ranging from helping to start new cases to developing comprehensive care plans for caregivers to follow. When she’s not working with clients, Diana enjoys hiking, biking, spending time with family and exploring the Bay Area.

In Claudia's native hometown of Mexico City, Mexico, she spent her days teaching English and Spanish to students from all walks of life. When she moved to Reno in 2011, Claudia started caring for a quadriplegic client and realized she had found her calling in caregiving. She later settled in Northern California with her husband, where she continued to care for senior clients in their homes while completing coursework toward her nursing degree. Claudia found her way to Tender Rose in 2017 and worked as a Memory Care Professional for two years before being promoted to the role of Care Coordinator. In her free time, Claudia enjoys going for long drives, nature walks and spending time with her husband, cat, and dog.