Northern California senior living provider celebrates exceptional team members and recognizes six Carlton Heroes for life-saving actions.
Pleasanton, CA May 27, 2026 –(PR.com)– Carlton Senior Living, a trusted provider of Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and support for families in Northern California, hosted its annual “Best of the Best” awards celebration on May 7 at The Club at Castlewood in Pleasanton, California. The event brought together leaders and team members from across Carlton’s communities to honor the people whose compassion, dedication, and service reflect the family-founded culture of caring Carlton has shared with seniors and their families for more than 40 years.
The annual “Best of the Best” awards recognize exceptional team members across Carlton communities who go above and beyond in their roles each day. Since 2016, the awards have honored standout employees in unique positions across every shift, from care partners and medication technicians to dining, maintenance, activities, sales, and leadership roles.
This year’s celebration also included a special recognition of six Carlton Hero Award recipients — employees whose quick thinking, training, and courage helped save a resident’s life. These honorees represent the very best of Carlton’s culture of care, showing calm leadership and decisive action during critical moments.
Rooted in the Carlton Commitments — Love, Honor, and Provide — Carlton Senior Living has built a family-founded, family-focused culture centered on exceptional care, meaningful experiences, and a deep respect for residents and their families. The “Best of the Best” celebration reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to honoring the people who bring those values to life every day.
Carlton President Dave Coluzzi presented awards to the 2025 honorees and shared: “The Best of the Best celebration is one of the most meaningful traditions at Carlton because it gives us the opportunity to recognize the extraordinary people behind the care we provide. This year, we are especially proud to honor not only our Best of the Best recipients, but also our Carlton Heroes — team members whose actions in moments of urgency made a life-changing difference. Their compassion, skill, and dedication are a powerful reflection of the culture that defines Carlton.”
Congratulations to our 2025 Best of the Best Winners:
Christin Pannell | Executive Assistant | Davis
Krystal Salvador | Sales Assistant | Elk Grove
Onuhliese Rodriguez | Care Manger | Elk Grove
Maria Neria | AL AM Care Partner | San Leandro
Kendra Hines | AL PM Care Partner | Elk Grove
Susana Escobedo | Overnight Supervisor | San Leandro
Abigal Moles | MC AM Care Partner | Orangevale
Doris Kibobori | MC PM Care Partner | Sacramento Campus
Esther Sowah | MC Overnight Supervisor | San Leandro
Jon Platz | Chef | Pleasant Hill – Martinez
Augustus Racelis | Cook | San Leandro
Andrea Fray | Dining Room Manager | Pleasant Hill – Martinez
Julie Olow | Director of First Impressions | San Jose
Mary Ann De Lara | Director of Memory Care | San Leandro
Jonathan Centeno | Director of Resident Services | Memory Care of Contra Costa
Alberto Hernandez Torres | Dishwasher | San Leandro
Kristine Fernandez | Evening Supervisor | Pleasant Hill – Martinez
Neika Jordan | Housekeeper | Sacramento Campus
Robert Bryant | Maintenance Assistant | Orangevale
Yesenia Flores | Medication Manager | Memory Care of Contra Costa
Lazel Palacay | Medication Technician | Downtown Pleasant Hill
Malti Devi | Nurse | Orangevale
Angela Crew | AL Activities Assistant | Davis
Emily Silva Da Camara Paiva | MC Activities Assistant | Memory Care of Contra Costa
Caroline Cato | Driver | Sacramento Campus
Jesse Vasquez | AL Activities Manager | Davis
Rebecca Frieholtz | MC Activities Manager | Orangevale
Ronaldo Carmelo | Maintenance Manager | Downtown Pleasant Hill
Cristian Cruz | Resident Liaison | Fremont
Aimee Beck | Sales Director | Sacramento Campus
Jasmina Huseinovic | Wait Staff | Pleasant Hill – Martinez
Jon McCraw | Executive Director | Pleasant Hill – Martinez
Watch the heartwarming nomination videos here: https://tinyurl.com/h7v3nuhd
Honoring the 2025 Carlton Hero Award Recipients
The Carlton Hero Award recognizes employees who took life-saving action during resident emergencies. This year’s honorees include team members who performed CPR, responded to choking incidents, used emergency response tools such as the LifeVac, called for urgent medical support, assessed critical symptoms, and helped ensure residents received timely care.
Their actions demonstrated courage, preparedness, and a deep commitment to resident safety and well-being. Carlton is proud to recognize these six team members for the critical role they played in helping protect the lives of residents in moments when every second mattered.
The 2025 Carlton Hero Award recipients:
Vianca Valle | LVN | San Jose
Rizz Jose | Wait Staff | Pleasant Hill
Suzette Marco | Activities Manager | Pleasant Hill
Reyna Lopez | Dining Room Manager | Fremont
Patty Dollesin | LVN | Fremont
Elizabet Ventura | Lead AL Care Partner | Downtown Pleasant Hill
About Carlton Senior Living
Since 1985, Carlton Senior Living has been a trusted provider of senior care services, dedicated to enriching the lives of older adults through exceptional, person-centered care. With communities throughout Northern California, Carlton offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care in warm, supportive environments where residents are encouraged to live life fully.
Contact Information:
Carlton Senior Living
Denee Coleman
800-227-5866
Contact via Email
carltonseniorliving.com
Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/969642
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