TerraBella Senior Living Leadership

Our Leadership

With full corporate support from Discovery Senior Living, TerraBella Senior Living has assembled a cohesive and highly experienced executive leadership team with nearly 100 years of collective experience in the senior housing industry. Each brings poise, passion and intensity, and together, they will nurture and uphold a culture of innovation, accountability and performance.

Our flat senior management structure is specially designed to prioritize connectivity with the communities and is a foundational aspect of TerraBella Senior Living and the larger Discovery organization.

Our company and community leaders maintain open-door policies and promote autonomy and the continued pursuit of excellence and innovation. Perhaps most of all, though, they diligently uphold the values that built this company and confidently see us forward in support of our residents and vision for the future.

Kellee Agee

President

Beth Mize

Regional Director of Operations

Beth started her career in Sales in 1993 and ultimately found her true calling in 2005 when she accepted a sales director position at a senior living community.  Within a few months, Beth was elevated to Area Director and was promoted to a regional position in 2007 overseeing 17 communities.  Beth quickly found that her passion extended well beyond sales, often running in a dual capacity of sales/ops and ultimately being promoted to Regional Director of Operations with complete responsibility for driving and supporting sales. Beth is highly skilled and knowledgeable in all aspects of community operations.

An NC native, Beth and her husband of 40 years share two grown children, Christopher, and Jessica and have 5 beautiful grandchildren.

Amanda Gilliam

Regional Director of Operations

Amanda Gilliam brings over 16 years professional senior living experience to her role as Regional Director of Operations for TerraBella Senior Living. Prior to joining TerraBella, Amanda developed, owned and operated a successful senior living community in Tennessee for 14 years. Upon selling her company she then served as a Regional Director of Operations heavily focused on acquisitions and transitions for a growing regional senior living provider. As an Regional Director of Operations Amanda will ensure high quality care is being delivered to residents and that all regulatory compliance and safety standards are being met. She will develop community leaders thus driving and maximizing fiscal performance to support the continued growth and success for the organization. Amanda began her professional career as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army leading teams during a 18 month war time deployment in Iraq.

Amanda holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. In her free time, she is an avid world traveler with a deep appreciation for other cultures and spends much of her time scuba diving.

Ashton Arnold

Regional Director of Operations

Ashton Arnold, Regional Director of Operations, joined TerraBella Senior Living as Area Manager and Executive Director at Blue Ridge Assisted Living & Memory Care in 2023 prior to being promoted to Regional Director of Operations. Ashton specializes in building and developing strong community teams and fostering community growth.

Prior to joining TerraBella, Ashton served in senior living communities for over 13 years. Beginning her career as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Ashton transitioned into Assisted Living as an Executive Director in 2016. Ashton is passionate about senior care and looks forward to serving both the community teams and residents at TerraBella.

Carolyn Freeman

Divisional Sales Director

Carolyn Freeman brings over 25 years of professional senior living experience in her role with TerraBella Senior Living as our Divisional Sales Director. Prior to joining the TerraBella Team in 2022, Carolyn led independent living, assisted living and memory care communities with Eden Care, Manorhouse, LifeTrust, Southern Assisted Living and Brookdale. She built excellent regional and district teams in both operational and sales disciplines across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

As the Divisional Sales Director, Carolyn partners with our community teams bringing feet on the ground defining leadership competency, regulatory compliance, financial stability, and legislative advocacy in markets while never loosing culture of caring. Essential to her role is the prioritization and partnering with each community team and embracing clear objectives while driving occupancy.

Carolyn proudly served 12 years on NC Assisted Living Association Board of Directors and co-facilitated the NCALA Administrator in Training Classroom. She is still an active NCALA Certified Preceptor for new AIT students of our industry. Carolyn is also a member of NC Women’s Leadership Foundation and volunteer membership of Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts and Piedmont Craftsmen Association. She earned Bachelor of Science and Masters in Business Administration from Appalachian State University.

Meagan Peppers

Divisional Sales Director

Meagan has been in the senior living industry since 2009 where she started her career as a sales manager for an assisted living/memory care community. In 2018, Meagan was promoted to a Regional Sales Manager position at Harmony Senior Services and has served communities in NC, SC, Virginia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky in this capacity ever since. Meagan loves serving as a resource to communities in the sales arena and partnering with the teams to drive occupancy and develop professional partnerships in the marketplace. She lives in Spartanburg, SC with her husband Michael. Together they have 4 grown children, and she has 2 adorable grandchildren (and smart too): Johan and Kynleigh. She loves to spend time working in the yard, doing household projects and spending time with her dog Ripp.

Ashley Eckenrod

Divisional Sales Director

Ashley Eckenrod, began her career in senior living in 2012 as a concierge soon thereafter promoted to Business Office Manager, then began her current role here in 2016. Ashley’s favorite part of her position is that she gets to help seniors live a better quality of life and be a resource to families through their next journey in life. She loves sitting down with families and their loved ones and listening to what is important to them while sharing the wonderful benefits about TerraBella Little Avenue. Tara is thrilled to help transition families loved one(s) and ensure they are happy with their choice in Little Avenue. She has heard many times when a resident moves in that they feel at home and the team members are so caring. She believes the best part of her job is continuing to be part of residents’ lives and build friendships. Outside of work, Tara enjoys spending time with her two children while watching her son play soccer and daughter ride horses. She also enjoys being on the lake, traveling, and hiking.

Amanda Bullock

Director of Human Resources

Amanda Bullock brings more than 20 years of corporate human resources experience to her role at TerraBella Senior Living, having served prominent organizations including Home Depot, CBS Radio and The GEO Group. As Director of Human Resources for TerraBella Senior Living, Amanda will lead company-wide efforts in key, functional areas including team member recruitment and retention, benefits administration and career development programming. She will also partner closely with parent company Discovery Senior Living to develop new talent outreach programs and respond effectively to meet crucial, current and future workforce demands in the senior living and care industry.

A graduate of Thiel College (Greenville, PA), Amanda earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology, accompanied by a special concentration in Gerontology. She resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband, William, and is a devoted mother to four adult children, including Michael and Kaitlyn, and “children in love,” Madison and Josh. In her free time, she loves traveling, Pilates, attending sporting events with her husband, watching crime TV shows and spending time with family and friends.

Jody McLeod

Divisional Culinary Director

Sitting on the kitchen counter covered in towels and helping his dad hand-crush tomatoes while constantly asking “why are you doing that?” is one of the first memories of fifth-generation chef and now Divisional Culinary Director, Jody McLeod.

Jody began his professional career with a classical culinary apprenticeship in Canada working in various restaurants and hotels culminating in his certification as Executive Chef.  Canada’s diverse culinary tapestry encouraged his interest in travel and when an opportunity arose to work on Holland America Cruise Line, he jumped at the opportunity ultimately sailing for seven years and to all seven continents, 96 countries and 380 cities.

When Vancouver won the bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Jody was asked to accept the position of Executive Chef and oversee all culinary operations of the Olympics and work closely with the International Olympic Committee and the Vancouver Winter Olympic Committee overseeing every detail from food venue design and recipe creation through on-site execution.  Following the closing ceremonies, Jody decided to set down new roots in the United States, where he oversaw all SeaWorld parks and venues before relocating to North Carolina where he found his love for senior care which ultimately led him to TerraBella Senior Living.  Jody is excited to be able to give back to both the culinary and senior communities in his role within the senior leadership team.

Jody lives in Holly Springs, North Carolina with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Buddy.

Julie Jarvis

Divisional Director of Resident Services

Julie Jarvis leads TerraBella Senior Living’s Clinical Division. As an experienced professional nurse, her primary focus over the past 15 years has been directed towards serving our senior population in the Assisted Living environment. Her experience has spanned across the US, UK, and Canada providing her with further opportunity to observe and implement best practices.

Julie currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and 2 Golden Doodles Lola and Harley. Describing herself as a “beach bum” Julie hopes to relocate to the NC shore area in the future.

Bonnie Moore

Regional Director of Resident Care

Chandler Burckbuchler

Divisional Marketing Manager

Chandler Burckbuchler is the Divisional Marketing Manager for TerraBella Senior Living and joins the team as an experienced leader specializing in developing and implementing marketing strategy. With experience in several industries, she is skilled in using market research to craft a comprehensive marketing strategy designed to maximize ROI.

A proud graduate of the University of Georgia, Chandler studied in the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and gained invaluable experience with media strategy, campaign management, and brand planning working alongside agencies and industry leaders.

Outside of working hours, Chandler enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and reading. She resides in Belmont, NC with her husband and two rescue dogs.

Reatha Connelly

Regional Director of Resident Care

Reatha Connelly, has more than 20 years of experience in the senior living industry. Reatha earned her Administrators License in 2000 and has experience as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN), and worked at the hospital in Oncology, Medical-Surgical, and Emergency Room (ER) while earning her degree as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). She is originally from Florence, South Carolina. Reatha loves to help and care for others, and she feels blessed to have found a career path that allows her to provide those gifts to her residents on a daily basis.

Frank Campbell

Divisional Director of Facility Operations

With more than ten years working in senior living facility operations, and another twenty years in the construction business, Frank has had a wealth of experience in maintaining an upscale apartment-style senior living complex. Originally from New York, Frank has been in the Lake Norman area for fifteen years. He and his five children enjoy spending their free time together boating and camping.

Rachel Tackett

Divisional Operations Specialist

Rachel Tackett has more than 20 years of experience in the senior living industry. Rachel has worked as an executive director and regional director of operations for several assisted living communities. For about 16 years, she supported the operations and oversight of more than 50 assisted living communities in 15 states across the country. From the moment that she began her career in assisted living, Rachel knew that it was her calling. She ensures that the residents in her community receive the highest level of care and excels at holding her team to these standards. Rachel has a beautiful daughter and son-in-law as well as a grandson who brings a lot of fun and laughter.

Ashley Aamodt

Divisional Administration Specialist

Ashley Aamodt joins TerraBella Senior Living as the Divisional Administration Specialist. After studying at Western Carolina University, Ashley got her start in Senior Living working directly with residents as a care manager. Prior to joining TerraBella Senior Living, Ashley was an experienced Business Office Manager and newly certified Assisted Living Administrator at Navion Senior Solutions. As Divisional Administration Specialist, Ashley works collaboratively with leadership at all levels to enhance the TerraBella brand and build strong communities through analyzing, tracking, and driving key business office and community administrative operations as she prides herself on adding efficiency and strategic vision to the community activities.

Ashley resides in Hendersonville, NC with her husband, Kevin, and two beloved fur-babies. In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with family, trying new restaurants, traveling, and hiking.