Meet Our Staff

Candise Nicholson
Candise NicholsonExecutive Director
With our opening day just a couple of weeks away, we’re very excited to start our introduction’s of The Jacob’s management team! We’re very proud to have you meet our Executive Director, who we all respect immensely and thoroughly enjoy working with….Candise Nicholson!!

“Hi everyone! It’s so nice to meet you, and I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to tell you a bit about myself. I have always had a passion for working with seniors since a young age. One of my first jobs was in a retirement home as a server. I absolutely loved the interaction I had with the residents, hearing their stories, and learning about their lives. It was not before long that I discovered working with seniors in any capacity was something I wanted to pursue as my career. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity as the Executive Director at The Jacob. I have loved being involved from the very beginning, meeting residents and their families this past year and watching our beautiful community come together.
With that said, we appreciate everyone’s patience in anticipation of our opening, the team and I are getting very excited to welcome our first residents at the end of February. Although our opening will be different from the ones before us, we are certain our residents and their families will appreciate all the efforts in place to ensure a safe and successful opening.
We have particularly enjoyed this past month getting to know all the employee applicants and carefully selecting those individuals who will be a big contribution to making The Jacob a wonderful place to live. There is no doubt the décor and ambiance are nothing short of spectacular, but it truly comes down to the people who work and live at The Jacob that will bring our community together and provide that sense of family. We cannot wait to have you for a visit, I will look forward to meeting you all soon” !

Laurie DeRoo
Laurie DeRooOffice Manager
Hi everyone! I’m incredibly proud to be a part of the team here at The Jacob and to have been involved with the development of this community since March of 2020. I came to the Jacob with over seven years of experience in the industry; first as a Dietary Aide, then an Administrative Assistant, and now as an Office Manager since 2018. It was while working as a Dietary Aide that I discovered my passion for working with Seniors and realized that I wanted to pursue a career in this field.
I consider myself so fortunate to be able to work with Seniors. I believe that we have so much to learn from their life experiences and that they deserve to enjoy this stage of their life as much as possible. Having said that, I’m excited to be a part of a Retirement Community that is focused on promoting healthy and empowering lifestyles for the Residents that choose to call The Jacob home.
The last several weeks we’ve been very focused on bringing together a great team to support the Residents here. I’m looking forward to continuing to get to know each of our new team members as we begin to welcome the Residents to their new home.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know a little bit about me, I look forward to meeting you soon!
Jacqueline Smith
Jacqueline SmithDirector of Care
Hi everyone, my name is Jacqueline Smith and I am the Director of Care at The Jacob. I have been a Registered Practical Nurse for over 30 years with experience in the Hospital, Community Visiting Nursing and Retirement Residence settings. As a member of The Jacobs Wellness Team I am here to support you with your transition to our beautiful home.
We are currently living in un-precedented, challenging times, the staff at The Jacob are here for you and your loved ones to assist you through this difficult time. You can rest easy knowing that we adhere to the strictest guidelines following the Ministry of Health (MOH), Public Health (PH), College of Nurses (CNO) and the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) regulations and standards of practice. We are committed to providing efficient and strict Infection Prevention and Control practices to aid in the management of this Pandemic.
At The Jacob our expert staff participate in ongoing training, monthly fire drills and use a technologically advanced Medication/Documentation monitoring system along with a state of the art Nurse Call emergency call bell system. Our qualified and professional staff are here for you 24/7, 365 days a year. Our goal is to provide our Residents with the highest level of care so that you can live a meaningful, healthy life with dignity and respect.
I look forward to meeting each and everyone of you.
Christina Vukovic
Christina VukovicLifestyle Manager
Hello!
My name is Christina Vukovic, and I am so happy to be the Lifestyle Manager at The Jacob. I started out my career working in a youth justice facility located in Ottawa. I devoted ten years to working with female youth, who had come in conflict with the law, but felt like it was time for a major change. I decided to move closer to family and attempted to work in office settings before I realized I needed something much more social! After searching for “fun” jobs online, I realized that I had to go back to school for a Recreation Therapy diploma!
Upon graduating from Mohawk College, and after years of being told that I should work in a retirement community, I finally decided to give it a try. I can’t believe it took me so long to get here but I am so pleased that I’ve arrived! I have been a therapeutic recreation professional for over two and a half years and still I feel so lucky every day! During this pandemic I have felt especially fortunate to be in a position to help community members stay connected with family and friends, and to help make the days a little brighter.
Engagement in recreational and leisure activities have a strong effect on our wellbeing and quality of life. In my role at The Jacob, I strive to assist you in achieving your ideal leisure lifestyle – whatever that may be! There is no one size fits all when it comes to living your best life! I hope to reduce barriers to participation and create opportunities for you to continue doing the things you love. I also hope to encourage you to try new things – discover new interests, develop new skills and discover hidden talents.
Moving to The Jacob is your next big adventure and I am happy to be a part of it. I really look forward to working with you to build a community that is welcoming, fulfilling and full of choice.
Jill Somerville
Jill SomervilleMarketing Manager
Hi everyone!
I’m Jill Somerville, and I love being the Marketing Manager at The Jacob. I’m always excited to introduce people to retirement living. I know that making a decision to move, and change one’s life isn’t easy, especially as we all get older. To get started, I’ll tell you everything I know about what life could be like at The Jacob, tailored to how someone wants to live their best life! I’m also very happy to share what I’ve experienced personally, with my own family.
If you decide that a retirement lifestyle is for you and would like to make The Jacob you’re new home, we’ll work through all the steps together! Some people have been planning a change, while others need to move with some urgency. In any situation, it’s my goal to make moving easy, positive and seamless. No stress! Our team wants people to feel comfort, and excitement about moving, never fear or regret?
Coming to The Jacob everyday, is an absolute pleasure, it’s our second home! I get up every morning looking forward to seeing the great people I work with, and am ready to educate anyone who wants to know more about us.
I also really enjoy relaying our evolving vibe through our social media, and so I hope you all enjoy taking a look through our window. Thanks so much for all your likes, shares and thoughtful comments!
Larry Bone
Larry BoneExecutive Chef
“One of my earliest memories is of the smell of bread baking in my Grandmother’s kitchen. To this day every time I smell fresh bread it takes me back to that time as child. My Name is Larry Bone, Executive Chef at the Jacob. I am so excited to meet with you all to learn about your favorite food memories and what meals were your favorite were growing up. After 30 years working as a Chef and 10 years working in the Retirement Industry, hearing the stories is still my favorite part of my job. Food is so important to us in many different ways, and it has made me appreciate the opportunity I have to make an impact in other people’s lives, through food. So welcome to the Jacob, I cannot wait to hear how I can help make your time with us, delicious and nutritious.”
Dan Putzman
Dan PutzmanMaintenance Manager
My name is Dan Putzman, and I am responsible for the maintenance and housekeeping departments here at The Jacob. I have been in the retirement industry for the past nine years, after having bounced between jobs over the previous decade.
I believe that we are each, in our own way, “called to serve”, and I am grateful that I have found a rewarding environment in which to use my gifts to help the most important members of our society find joy and comfort in their later years. My team and I understand that the decision to leave a home is not made lightly, or without some trepidation. For this reason, we are fully committed to providing the highest quality service to those who have chosen to live here at The Jacob. We want you to feel as comfortable here, as you did over many years in your family home, and you can rest easy, knowing that we are eager to provide that comfort by maintaining a standard that exceeds your expectations.
We look forward to meeting you, and growing with you over the coming years.