About Us
Proud to be Locally Owned and Operated
Village at Belmar is the premier, award-winning integrated senior living campus situated in western metropolitan Denver, in the heart of the Belmar Shopping Center and amidst an incredible healthcare services corridor in Lakewood. Our community provides a chance for residents to socialize, feel safe at home, and maintain their independence with dignity and security. We are passionate about what we call “Meaningful Connections". We have created and nurtured deep relationships with the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Center and Wellness Institute, and CU Denver campus, Colorado Christian University, and Metropolitan State University.
About Us Quick Links
Who We are
Ascent Living Communities is a Colorado based senior living owner and operator. Our focus is to provide a first class experience for our residents and their families, and to hire and retain the best associates in the business. We are a hands-on owner, and very involved in the operations of our communities. You will regularly find us at our communities working with our teams to create a more meaningful senior living experience than we believe you will find anywhere else. Our founders’ many years of combined professional backgrounds provide the backbone of our operation. We have celebrated many successes with our residents, their families and our associates, and also worked through many challenges that we continuously learn from. All of this provides a steady foundation for us to build on and improve every day.
LEADERSHIP
At Village at Belmar, our leadership team is comprised of highly talented, empathetic, and knowledgeable individuals who are passionate about caring for the aging population. Our team’s resume spans four decades, with years of combined experience in working with seniors and families during their exploration of senior living communities. We are educators. We are inspired by the need to encourage seniors and their families to make informed choices and decisions that precipitate the very important move from home to a senior living community, yet we know this can be a difficult change. That’s where we come in.
Diego Barrantes
Executive Director - DBarrantes@villageatbelmar.com
Diego Barrantes was born in Costa Rica but has lived most of his life in Dallas, Texas and California. About six years ago, Diego decided to move to Colorado for a change. His fascination with the outdoors and mountains helped him make this decision. Diego tells us, “I made a career change 12 years ago and never looked back. I worked for a lot of my life in the hospitality industry and felt I needed a change. Senior living gave me a new purpose in life." Diego started his career in senior living about 12 years ago as a Food and Beverage Director. During the 12 years, Diego has been an Executive and Regional Director and he said he had the pleasure of working with some fantastic people. Diego holds a bachelor's degree in business with a minor in marketing from South Methodist University. Diego has three kids, and they are “his world.” “They teach me so much. I am a huge believer that to be able to gain success, compassion and determination are great tools that every leader must have.”
Tori Barber
Health Services Director - tbarber@villageatbelmar.com
With a rich career spanning pediatrics and geriatrics, particularly in dementia care, Tori brings a wealth of experience and dedication to her role as the Health Services Director at The Village of Belmar. She has had the privilege of working across various facets of healthcare, seamlessly integrating this diverse expertise to enhance the lives of residents in their current setting.
Tori is deeply passionate about advocating for residents and ensuring they receive quality, individualized care. Her commitment to marrying insights from pediatric and geriatric care allows them to provide comprehensive support tailored to the unique needs of each resident.
She is driven by a profound dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a nurturing environment for all residents. Outside of professional duties, she enjoys tending to her many plants, exploring the vibrant city of Denver, and embracing new experiences.
Carrie Peters
Assisted Living Director- cpeters@villageatbelmar.com
Carrie was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, in 2009 she and her husband moved their family to Colorado for new opportunities and cooler weather. She absolutely enjoys the cooler Colorado summers and long colorful walks in the fall. Carrie looks forward to her time with her two sons and husband, playing games, taking walks in the park, having the occasional adventure, and volunteering at the Molly Brown House in Downtown Denver. Carrie has 13 years of experience in the Assisted Living setting where she has worked in many roles including receptionist, caregiver, QMAP, Activities Director, and House Manager. Carrie has received her master’s in healthcare management and has her Assisted Living Administrator Certification. Carrie looks forward to supporting residents and their families as they navigate the process of aging. Her main goal is to be an advocate for residents and a support to staff to build upon the family atmosphere here at Village at Belmar!
Brittany Hoza
Marketing Director - bhoza@villageatbelmar.com
Brittany is a 5th generation Colorado Native born and raised in Minturn, CO. She grew up enjoying the many seasons of outdoor adventures such as skiing, hiking, camping and is proud to say she has built an Igloo in the mountains of Leadville and slept in it overnight. Brittany has been in healthcare since 2013 after receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Health Management where she began her healthcare career in home health, hospice, and retirement communities. Brittany lived in Fort Collins for over 17 years where she established roots in her community and proudly served on the committee for a Sharing the Care and as Vice Chair for the local non-profit organization Elder Care Network of Northern Colorado, which hosts Senior Law Day at Colorado state university. Brittany is an avid animal lover and has volunteered her time rescuing and fostering dogs for Colorado Pug rescue and Out Paws animal rescue. Brittany spends her free time her time with her friends, but most enjoys being with her family, husband and their Pitbull "Boots" and Pug "Leilani" at their family cabin by the Royal Gorge.
Mando Moralez
Culinary Director - mmoralez@villageatbelmar.com
Mando was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He got into senior living about 6 years ago as a cook. I enjoy cooking for the residents because of the joy they get from tasting my food and always having an “unfiltered” audience to give me all the feedback I can take. I have always been into culinary arts but didn’t decide to take it seriously until after my first child. I want to show them that you can do whatever you love to do and for me that is being a chef. Outside of work I love the outdoors I love sports and spending time with growing family with 2 kids and 1 on the way; to me that is the most important thing in life. I Graduated from Denver North High School in 2006 and went on to go to college for business management before realizing very quickly that I was more of a chef than an office manager. A quote I live by is “Do what you love and love what you do”.
Erin Busby
Independent Living Life Enrichment Director - ebusby@villageatbelmar.com
Erin is a Colorado native, born and raised in Wheat Ridge. One of Erin’s favorite treasures is her 2-year-old puppy Zeus that she and her boyfriend raise. Erin has been in Senior Living for over 5 years and has been with the Village at Belmar for the past two years. We have had the ability to watch Erin grow and over this past month she has really stepped up to the plate and shown that she has a great desire and vision for how to engage our independent living residents. In speaking with Erin she explained, “I couldn’t be happier to have grown within such a great company and getting to know and work with such amazing people. I appreciate this opportunity and will do my best work to enrich your lives in this community.”
Alexis Bartlett
Assisted Living Life Enrichment Director - abartlett@villageatbelmar.com
I was born and raised in upstate New York on the border of Canada with my mother and brother, but recently decided to move to Colorado in November of 2023 with my boyfriend and my cat Baker! I graduated from the University of New York at Oneonta in August of 2022 with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a Minor in Criminal Justice. I am a big advocate for mental health and providing the mental health care that people deserve. In my free time I love to rock climb and hike around the Colorado Front Range with friends, as well as express my creativity with crocheting projects. I have loved exploring new parts of the state on my weekends and seeing how different the western United States really are. My goal at the Village at Belmar is to create an inviting space for the residents to enjoy and create activities for them to get engaged with each other. I have a passion for helping others and feel like this role gives me the perfect platform to do just that!
Kaylee Corthell
Monarch Life Enrichment Director - kcorthell@villageatbelmar.com
I found my love for the Elderly when I started working in senior living 5 years ago as a caregiver. Working in senior care has made me a huge advocate for seniors and their families and friends. I have been with the Village at Belmar for almost a year now and have been given many opportunities to learn and grow in this industry. I am a Colorado native, born and raised in Lakewood. I love spending time with my family and friends. My love for senior care began when my great grandma had Alzheimer’s and ever since then I had a big heart and calling to be a part of memory care. I wanted to make a huge difference in people's lives and in their golden years and help advocate for them and their needs.
Danuel Smith
Environmental Service Director - dsmith@villageatbelmar.com
Hello My name is Danuel Smith, I am a native of Colorado. I come from a large family with eight brothers and four sisters. Although my parents are no longer here, they would have been married about 65 years. I have been working in the Long-term Care industry for 30 years, and love spending time in this environment. I am a Broncos fan and I enjoy home improvement and spending time at home with my wife and kids.
Kathy Murphy
Business Office Director - kmurphy@villageatbelmar.com
Kathy has worked in the accounting field for 30 years, most recently as the Office Manager for an Orthodontist in Cherry Creek, before joining Village at Belmar. As one of the only associates that has not worked in a Senior Living Community before, Kathy is enjoying the community atmosphere, along with meeting all the great residents!
Kathy is originally from Duluth, Minnesota but came out to Colorado on vacation when she was 21 and is still here! She enjoys hiking, camping, reading, sewing and spending time with her 18 year old son.
Management
Tom Finley
Founder & Principal
Tom Finley is a founding member of Ascent. Prior to Ascent, he held positions with a senior living and development company as a finance and development manager. His professional career in finance and real estate began with Arthur Andersen in their tax consulting practice. He then worked for ProLogis, a large REIT, in various capacities ultimately serving as fund manager for a $2 billion property trust which was publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Havern School, a nationally recognized school serving students with diagnosed learning disabilities since 1967. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Arkansas, and a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the University of Denver, and is a certified public accountant (inactive). Mr. Finley is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, its communities, and future growth opportunities. He oversaw over $300 million in completed senior living development and acquisitions for the company over the last several years. He has over 23 years of experience in finance, real estate, and operations.
Susie (Reimer) Finley
Founder & Principal
Susie Finley is a founding member of Ascent. Her professional career in senior living spans over 24 years. She began her career working in various capacities in day-to-day operations for local and regional senior living operators in the Midwest. Mrs. Finley then joined a large national senior living firm, where she has served as Executive Director for multiple communities in the Denver market. She joined Ascent in her current capacity in 2013. She received a Bachelor of Science in Gerontology from The Ohio State University. She is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator and an Assisted Living Administrator. Mrs. Finley serves on the Board of Trustees for Temple Emanuel & serves on the Assisted Living Advisory Committee for the Colorado Department of Health. Mrs. Finley previously served as a Board Member and the Assisted Living Chair of the Colorado Healthcare Association from 2011 to 2018. She is responsible for the evolution of Ascent’s operating model, strategic planning, functional programming, project design, and optimizing ongoing operational performance.
Phil Shapiro, M.H.A., M.S.P.H
Founder
Mr. Shapiro is a founding member of Ascent whose professional career spans 33 years in senior living (28 Years) and hospital administration (5 Years). He has successfully participated in the development, marketing, management and/or consulting of over 2,500 units of senior living communities in the Southeastern, New England, and Western U.S. In his career, he has developed over $250 Million in senior living through various privately owned structures. He has served on the Development Task Force of the California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. Mr. Shapiro recently completed two terms as a Commissioner on the Nevada Governor’s Commission on Aging. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Psychology from the University of Florida and a Masters in Hospital Administration and Public Health from the University of Missouri, and has completed post‐graduate work at Harvard University.
Mr. Shapiro’s focus is on the Village at Belmar. He actively participates in the critical selections of key management team members that support marketing and management operations for that community. Mr. Shapiro is a board member of the Alameda Gateway Community Association.
