Meet Our Team
David Schneck
Executive Director – Dave comes to us with a long and successful history in hospitality based senior living. He has served as Executive Director for several large (150-250 unit) CCRC and Retirement Living communities in the Midwest, Northeast and Southwest known for their upscale amenities and services. Prior to entering senior housing, Dave had worked in the hotel industry as a General Manager and Food and Beverage Director, opening as the GM what became one of Chicago’s most successful 4-Star boutique hotels.
He holds a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin and graduated from the Cornell University School of Hotel Management Program.
Dave and his wife Linda join us from the great city of Chicago.
Molly Ratfield
Associate Executive Director – Ratfield has more than 15 years as a health care professional in the Reno-Sparks area. Prior to joining the Cascade Living Group team, Ratfield served as Administrator of an Assisted Living community for 7 years. In this position, she maintained high customer and employee satisfaction rates. During her career, she was selected as a certified mentor for administrators in training through the Geriatric Education Council and the State of Nevada Bureau of Long Term Care Administrators. She was chosen due to her strong reputation for quality and commitment to the senior living industry.
Ratfield has a bachelors of science degree in health and human services and a certificate in gerontology from Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa.
She has lived in the Spanish Springs Community for the past 15 years and enjoys her time spent with her spouse and three children.
"We chose to move here several years ago to the Reno-Sparks area because the people are so friendly and the quality of life is second to none!"
Susan Martin
Community Relations Associate – Susan comes to Cascades of the Sierra with more than 20 years in the mortgage industry. She was responsible for processing and funding loans for both commercial and private money. Susan has a passion for the Senior Living Industry and is excited by the opportunity to assist in making the transition effortless. Susan’s main goal is to use her exceptional customer service skills to assist with both Residents and Family Members as they relocate into their new lifestyles.
Susan enjoys spending quality time with her husband and family. She also enjoys camping, fishing and water skiing.
Mary Brady Sanders
Director of Sales and Marketing – Mary Brady Sanders is a 4th-generation native of Northern Nevada and a 20-year marketing and hospitality veteran. Her background brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in 4 and 5 star amenities, as well as a true appreciation for the important standards necessary for high levels of guest service. Mary has recently returned to the Reno area following 15-years serving at some of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast’s most outstanding resort destinations including The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia and at Callaway Gardens, a 13,000-acre resort and garden preserve in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Sanders attended the University of Nevada, Reno and is a graduate of the Northern Nevada Real Estate School.
Mary resides in Reno, enjoys living on the family ranch, riding horses, skiing, hunting and fishing as well as traveling to visit her 3 children and her 4 grandchildren.
Marie DiPietro
Business Office Manager – Marie has joined Cascades of the Sierra from a financial management position in the real estate industry. Previous to that, she held various management positions over a 12 year period at a large hotel/casino in Sparks. Her broad based management experiences and people skills will assist families and clients with the important decisions they must make.
Marie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She will begin studies for an additional bachelor's degree in accounting in Summer 2009.
She is a life long resident of the Reno-Sparks area and now lives in Spanish Springs with her husband and son.
Karen Marsh, RN
Wellness Director – Karen is a Reno Native and joins the Cascade team with more than 21 years as a heath care professional in the Reno/Sparks area. Her experiences as a Nursing Assistant, Nurse, and Nurse Manager in skilled nursing brings the team her lifelong passion and commitment to seniors and improving and maintaining quality of life. She is committed to the wellness focused lifestyle that seniors crave.
She is a Registered Nurse with her Associates Degree in Applied Science-Nursing from Truckee Meadows Community College
Karen, her husband and two children are lifetime residents of Northern Nevada.
Jacques Cornelis
Executive Chef – Jacques Cornelis was born and raised in Belgium. At the age of fourteen he entered on a four year apprenticeship program at the Michelin starred restaurant “De Watermolen” in his home town of Temse, Belgium. Upon graduation and completing his one year mandatory military service, Jacques worked for the next ten years in the finest restaurants in Antwerp, Brussels and Paris.
At the age of twenty eight he came to the United States. After working for one season at the Cordon Bleu restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Jacques spent the next 21 years working for J.C Resorts, a small family owned hotel group that includes The Rancho Bernardo Inn, Surf & Sand Hotel and Temecula Creek Inn. Jacques was overseeing all food and beverage operations for this company. In 2000 Jacques was recruited by the Resort at Squaw Creek on Lake Tahoe as the Executive Chef where he oversaw five restaurants and an extensive culinary operation for the next eight years. Jacques is a past member of the national Board of Directors of the American Institute of Wine and Food and President of its San Diego chapter.
In 2007 he won the Blazing Pans event, an Iron Chef inspired event, at the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival.
Jacques is fluent in Dutch, French and English and has been a resident of Reno for the last five years.
Carol Martinelli
Director of Dining Services – With over 25 years of experience in Food and Beverage management, Carol Martinelli joins Cascades of the Sierra’s as Director of Dining Services. Her experience includes restaurant ownership and management in the resort and university segment. Among her previous positions, Carol served as Director of Food and Beverage for Sierra Nevada College, which included planning special events for a United States president, three former Nevada governors, two senators, a Secretary of State and countless other dignitaries. She also owned and operated Gallagher’s Grill, located on a local golf course, and worked for Northstar at Tahoe and The Ridge at Tahoe as a Food and Beverage manager.
As a resident of the Tahoe area since 1982, Carol is active in a variety of local civic and non-profit groups including Tahoe Truckee Senior Center, Caring for Women, Horses for the Spirit, and AAUW. She enjoys traveling widely, skiing, cooking, reading, gardening, riding horses, and spending time with her four adult children, grandson and pet dogs.
Carol earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and is currently completing a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA). She is honored to be a member of Cascades of the Sierra’s team. She is looking forward to relocating to the Spanish Springs area after the first of the year.
Amanda Marshall
Assistant Dining Director – Originally from Memphis, TN, Amanda has lived in the Sparks, NV area for 21 years. She comes to us with over 11 years in the management field. The past few years Amanda temporarily relocated to Key Largo Florida to learn her families restaurant business, Rib Daddy's. In 2009 Rib Daddy's was listed as the #1 restaurant in Florida by Florida Monthly Magazine.
Amanda recently relocated back to Nevada and has since joined our team. She enjoys, fishing, snorkeling, snowboarding and spending quality time with her two children, Hunter and Isla. She and her family are avid supporters of the Wounded Warriors, Eagle Divers, Help for Heroes programs.
Christi Larsen
Pastry Chef – Born and raised in Southern California, Christi's fascination with food began during her childhood. A long-standing passion for cooking led her to enroll at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College Culinary Arts program. Upon graduation she worked throughout the hospitality industry as a banquet chef. Christi's passion for pastries inspired her to further her culinary education where upon she held various positions as pastry chef in the Southern California area showcasing her desserts at the historic Bullock's Wilshire Tea Room, Sisley's Italian Kitchen, Robinson Ranch Country Club to name a few. She considers herself an "American Baker" where she focuses on regional baking and loves the history behind each and every dessert she creates. She also stresses on the importance of using the freshest seasonal ingredients available. Christi has been baking and creating desserts and pastries for over 25 years and continues to add to her large collection of recipes.
Natalie Hilbert
Fitness Director – Natalie Hilbert has an in-depth knowledge of the Fitness Industry. Since 1997 Natalie has been involved with client management, program design, one-on-one fitness training, and leading group exercise classes. She writes exercise prescriptions for senior clients, youth, and clients with special needs and health conditions. Natalie coaches classes like Young at Heart Aerobics, Aqua Aerobics, Indoor Cycling, Kick Boxing, Youth Fitness, Quad Step, and Step Aerobics. She is Nationally Certified in both Personal Training and Group Exercise through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.
Natalie is passionate about helping people improve their quality of life. Through coaching and exercise prescriptions, Natalie encourages clients to make a lifestyle change to become healthier and more fit.
Cheryl Thomas
Environmental Services Coordinator – Cheryl has over 30 years experience working in retirement and senior communities. She’s originally from Nashville Tenn., and has lived on the west coast for over 38 years. For 10 years she managed a country club restaurant in a retirement community in the Sacramento Calif., area. From there she moved on to start her own cleaning service in the same community cleaning houses and businesses.
She moved to the Reno/Sparks area in 1995 where she worked for 13 years in a long term care community as their Environmental Director. She has a passion for working in senior living communities and finds it very rewarding.
Cheryl lives in the Spanish Springs area with her husband. She has 2 daughters and three granddaughters. She loves to go fishing, camping, traveling, doing crafts, and spoiling her granddaughters.
Sergio Quezada
Plant Operations – Sergio is a native of Guanajuato, Mexico and moved to the Reno area 22 years ago when he earned his US citizenship. He is married and has 5 children and has been in the construction industry for most of the last 22 years.
Sergio was a team member of the general contractors that built Cascades of the Sierra and was the “go-to” person when changes were needed in the building process.
Sergio joined Cascades of the Sierra as the head of the Plant Operations Department because of his intimate knowledge of the building in addition to his desire to be part of an industry that thrives on customer service as he likes to meet new people and help them with their needs.
Carolina Urizar
Caregiver of the Year – Nevada Caregiver Coalition
Carolina is originally from Guatemala and has lived in Reno for the past 17 years. She started her career as a beauty advisor and eventually decided that being a caregiver was her true passion in life. She says that she chose the path that she is on because she enjoys seniors. Carolina fondly speaks of times she has spent with her own grandmother and says that “she cooks like the angels.” When asked about why she enjoys her job so much Carolina states that she feels blessed to be a part of the resident’s lives and that she has the opportunity to change someone’s life. Carolina says that the residents appreciate everything that is done for them and it makes her day to come to work. One of her biggest honors is to care for those that have served in the military because she says that they have done so much for us.
