Leadership Team
Compassionate. Motivated. Caring. Meet the team.
We are eliseo, a Life Plan Community who empower our residents to strive to meet the impossible every day. Meet our executive team of experts specializing in senior living.
Brian MacDuff is the Executive Director at eliseo. He was born and raised in the Tacoma area and has spent most of his life in the PNW. After serving five years in the Navy onboard the USS Kittyhawk in Yokosuka, Japan, he completed his degree in Social Welfare at the University of Washington -Tacoma. Brian has worked in social services for the past eight years, with five of those being served at eliseo.
In his free time, Brian enjoys playing golf and basketball, supporting local sports teams (go Seahawks and Mariners!), fishing, and spending quality time with his wife, four boys, and three dogs.
Chaplain/Pastor Anna Bonaro served as the Associate Pastor for eliseo prior to serving as the Chaplain. Anna earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Sociology and Communication from Luther College, Decorah, IA; a Master of Divinity from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA, and completed a year hospital chaplain residency at UCSF in San Francisco, CA. Before coming to eliseo, Anna served in both church and hospital settings. She and her husband Adrian (also a Lutheran Pastor) have two very active, baseball loving, boys. Their family is rounded out by their, always happy, English cream golden retriever, Penny.
Tiffinie Isreal is the Director of Nursing at eliseo. She is an Atlanta, Georgia native that completed 21 years of service with the United States Navy before retiring in June 2023. She has a Doctorate of Science in Nursing with a focus of leadership from Jacksonville University, FL. She completed an ANCC Nurse Executive (NE-BC) certification in 2021 and plans to pursue an applied law degree in the future.
Tiffinie enjoys crafting, refurbishing and repurposing furniture, and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She has traveled to Spain, Germany, Iceland, and Italy with the Navy, but plans to add many more locations to her list in the upcoming years.
Nicole Helmer is the Sales Director at eliseo. She graduated from Curtis High School and went on to earn her business degree from Central Washington University. She brings over 20 years of leadership and management experience to the Sales team. She has worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit senior living communities, but her heart is firmly in the not-for-profit world. Her residents aren’t just clients, they’re family. She is committed to supporting each person as they transition into their forever home with care and dignity.
Nicole was born and raised in Tacoma, where she now raises her very active 8-year-old daughter. Outside of work, she enjoys crafting and design. She is also a certified scuba diver and has had the chance to explore underwater life in some incredible places around the world. In addition to diving, she also loves spending time outdoors, whether it’s hiking, being near the water, or simply getting fresh air.
Konrad serves as the Social Services Director at eliseo, leveraging his dual degrees in Public Health (MPH) and Business Administration (MBA). Residing in Olympia, WA, with his spouse Nate and their three cats (Leo, Sebastian, & Athena), Konrad is deeply committed to community well-being. Apart from his professional endeavors, he owns Stellar Juices, an organic, plant-based restaurant in Olympia, demonstrating his dedication to healthy living. An enthusiast of hiking, camping, world travel, and studies, Konrad brings a diverse and passionate approach to his work and personal life.
Tyler Appleby graduated from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. He had worked at eliseo during college as the summer help in Maintenance and was offered a full-time position after graduation. Since 2019, he has worked in Maintenance, Central Supply, and now IT. His favorite part about working in IT is bringing joy to the residents and staff members he assists.
Tyler has written seventeen books of various lengths and genres, has written and directed several plays, has composed an original soundtrack for a classmate’s capstone theatre production, and has earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout and twelve consecutive Eagle Palms. In his spare time, he pursues a variety of hobbies, including playing several musical instruments, writing fiction and poetry, learning multicultural cooking styles, and assisting his wife in corralling their two young boys.
Mary received her Bachelor of Art Degree from Seattle University in Political Science. She has held roles in non-profits, trade associations, along with the public and private sector throughout her storied career. Mary is excited to be part of such a vibrant senior community and to be able to support its residents through the foundation’s philanthropy efforts. While away from work she is an avid reader, beach lover, and spends time with cherished friends and family.
John Powers is the Facilities Director for eliseo, joining the team in 2023. John was born in Seattle and lived in Port Orchard until he was 18. He then moved to Eugene, Oregon and worked at a sawmill for Weyerhaeuser for 29 years, moving up through the ranks. After Weyerhaeuser sold the sawmill, John returned to Port Orchard, working as a Facilities Director in various Retirement Communities for the past 12 years.
Hobbies and part time activities include gardening, collecting tools and exploring the Puget Sound on hisboat. John lives on the water and loves taking his 2 dogs, a Border Collie and Australian Shepard to the beach. John has shared he loves working at eliseo and has found the residents and staff to be a pleasure to work with.
Karrie Lewandowski has served as the Human Resource Coordinator for eliseo since 2014. She enjoys assisting eliseo employees with payroll and benefits concerns, redirecting new employees when they get lost on the large campus and serving as a sympathetic ear when employees need to talk. She is proud of the fact she knows each and every employee!
Karrie is a native Washingtonian and has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for 36 years.Together they have two beautiful daughters and 7 grandchildren. When Karrie is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, gardening and traveling.
Steve Appleby is the Controller at eliseo. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Computer Science from Whitworth College in Spokane, WA. He has worked at eliseo since 2006 and enjoys spending time with and getting to know the wonderful residents who live here. Steve and his wife were foster parents for 13 years and saw 30 kids come through their home. He also spent many years as a Boy Scout leader for his three boys who are all Eagle Scouts. Now he is learning all about chickens, as his daughter is in 4H and has begun to show one of their chickens (they have twelve hens and a rooster).
In his free time, Steve enjoys spending time working in his yard, watching movies, and spending time with his wife, four children, and grandchildren.