Meet Our Team | The Clare | Chicago, IL

Hagop Hagopian

Executive Chef Hagop Hagopian has more than 20 years of culinary experience and many accomplishments. Notably, Hagop has received a 3-star rating from the Chicago Tribune and AAA Four Diamond status. He also participates in American Culinary Federation competitions and has performed kitchen stages in Michelin star-rated restaurants.

Hagop enjoys all aspects of culinary art including savory, gard manger, ice carving and pastry and confectionary arts. Hagop enjoys working with the residents, gathering their input and executing their ideas.

Chef Hagop enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and two dogs when not at The Clare.

Dr. Lee Lindquist

Dr. Lee Lindquist has been the Medical Director of The Terraces at The Clare for over a decade. Her skill and experience are rooted deeply in geriatric care. She is the Chief of the Division of Geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine. Additionally. Dr. Lindquist is a Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she teaches and conducts innovative, patient-centered geriatric research. The Geriatric Division that Dr. Lindquist oversees is ranked #1 in Illinois and #8 in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Dr. Lindquist’s Northwestern alignment affords The Terraces at The Clare access to the medical center’s labs and EHRs, which deliver real-time information sharing with Northwestern physicians.

Dr. Lindquist’s geriatric expertise aside, she has a true passion for seniors and feels like they are a part of her family. Her highest priority in caring for seniors is to help keep them healthier longer and to remain as independent as possible.

Recognized nationally as a geriatric expert, Dr. Lindquist has been published in multiple medical journals and has been the geriatric voice for the New York Times, Harper’s, Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal. Appearing on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR, Dr. Lindquist has been tapped by multiple news sources to cover current geriatric patient care and medical issues.

Monica Rusboldt

Monica Rusboldt became Executive Director of The Clare in September 2022 and most recently held the position of Associate Executive Director. She completed her bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish and business at Indiana University. She completed her Master of Science degree in occupational therapy at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Monica began her career at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she worked as an occupational therapist and was promoted to senior therapist. She joined The Clare in 2012, working as an occupational therapist, rehab director and eventually area director, managing multiple sites. She joined Life Care Services as the administrator in December 2019.

Monica is from Michigan City, IN and enjoys going back home to visit her family and friends. She lives in the Gold Coast and enjoys trying new restaurants, baking and traveling. She also enjoys yoga and reading.

Liza Steinfeld

Liza joined The Clare in October 2022 as Administrator for The Terraces. Liza is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA) and Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a broad spectrum of work experience. She has held medical social worker positions in various Chicago hospitals and worked in Cambodia, Ecuador and the UK. Liza graduated from Cornell University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration and earned her Master of Social Work at New York University.

Liza is a curious, lifelong learner, recently earning the designations of QAPI Certified Professional (QCP) and Dementia Care Specialist. She also has a bit of an adventurous streak and has enjoyed traveling to Guatemala and Gabon (Central Africa) in the last five years. When Liza is not planning her next trip, she enjoys doing crossword puzzles and abstract art. Liza is passionate about assisting at-risk populations, particularly older adults, and is excited to be part of a team dedicated to high-quality care.

Lynne Lukas

As Director of Sales and Marketing, Lynne Lukas is responsible for planning, developing and directing all aspects of selling and marketing The Clare’s independent living, assisted living and memory care residences. She oversees sales, lead generation, referral development, advertising, strategic market planning and events as well as managing her department’s team. Before beginning her career in senior housing, Lynne was employed with a luxury hotel group in Chicago. She feels her hospitality background serves her well in her chosen profession.

Lynne resides on the north side of Chicago with her husband, David, and their 20 year-old feline friend, Patch.

Dan Rogers

Dan Rogers has been with The Clare since 2011. He oversees the accounting team in the day-to-day operations of payroll, billing and accounts payable. He also prepares the monthly financials, works with management on developing annual budgets, projects future operating performance and coordinates necessary financial audits. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Dan has been married since 2009 and has four kids. He is also a sports fan who especially enjoys college sports (Go Illini!), and is probably one of the very few people who roots for both the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs. Outside of sports, Dan is an avid music fan.

Michael Plowman

As Director of Human Resources, Michael Plowman is responsible for implementing human resource management strategies to recruit, train and retain a high-performing and motivated workforce. He is responsible for developing and executing on-boarding, training and development, performance management, employee retention, benefits management and employee relations policies and strategies. The Clare has earned many awards over the years, including Choice Community Award for employee engagement and Holleran’s Highest Honors, which recognizes The Clare for exceeding expectations in employee engagement and satisfaction.

Before joining The Clare, Michael worked in the luxury sector of the hotel industry for more than 15 years, formerly with the Four Seasons Chicago and most recently at Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts as the Director of Training and Development.

Outside of the office, you can find Michael hanging out with his miniature Schnauzer, Rocco and his miniature Wirehaired Dachshund, Frankie. He also enjoys trying new restaurants and traveling.

Francesco Tardio

As Director of Dining Services at The Clare, Francesco Tardio is responsible for overseeing the community’s food and beverage operations.

Prior to joining The Clare, Francesco held positions as food and beverage director, director of outlets and general manager for exclusive private clubs, hotels and restaurants in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. He received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Concordia University Chicago.

Outside of work, Francesco spends most of his time with his wife and two boys. He is very passionate about playing and watching soccer and listening to alternative rock.

Emily Delaney

Emily began her career at The Clare in 2014, when she accepted a social work internship during her senior year of college. She officially joined The Clare in January 2016, starting off with a part-time social work role which quickly became full-time. In 2017, she accepted a promotion to the Assisted Living and Memory Support Manager. Emily joined the director team in March 2021 as Director of Resident Experience. Her position is focused on planning a diverse range of events, outings and community programming for Independent Living residents while managing the front desk team, drivers, concierge, fitness center and community communications. Emily’s top priority has always centered around providing the best service for the residents while building lasting and meaningful relationships.

Emily is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees there, both in social work. She lives just north of The Clare with her husband, Paul and their English bulldog, Jasper. When she is not at work, she enjoys cooking, golfing, flower arranging, and she has a love for interior design and textiles.

Emmanuelle Schott

Emmanuelle Schott is the Director of Environmental Services and has been a member of The Clare team since 2011. She leads the housekeeping services department. A native of France, Emmanuelle worked in high-end hotels in Europe, Chicago and Las Vegas before settling at The Clare. She manages a team of approximately 30 employees who are passionate about providing the highest quality service to the community’s residents.

In her downtime, Emmanuelle enjoys cooking and spending time with her daughter.

Joanne Walsh Malleta, LSW

Social worker by trade, Joanne Walsh Malleta has worked in senior living for more than 30 years and joined The Clare in 2013. As Director of Resident Health Services, Joanne acts as a liaison between residents, staff and outside parties. She also meets with residents before they move to The Clare.

Joanne grew up on a farm in Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa (the real U of I – she is a Hawkeye through and through!). She and her husband, Vijay have two children, Keaton and Nolan. Her family keeps her busy, but she also enjoys needlepoint, meditation, movies and concerts.

Sophie Tall

Sophie joined The Clare as Director of Nursing in March of 2023. Originally from Senegal, Sophie moved to The U.S. 24 years ago as a student and she graduated from Oakland Nursing School. She comes to The Clare with over ten years of experience as a Director of Nursing and has worked in various healthcare and retirement community settings. Sophie has always been inspired by her father, who was a pediatrician and his work in the community where she was raised. His passion ultimately led her to explore a career in nursing.

Sophie speaks five languages and enjoys traveling, cooking, music and walks on the beach front in the summer. She lives in Evanston and has three beautiful daughters.

Cathy Milano

As Senior Residency Counselor at The Clare, Cathy is often the first point of contact for prospective residents, bringing a wealth of experience across all levels of retirement living and senior services. With over fifteen years in the senior living industry—and a dedicated tenure at The Clare since 2014—Cathy is deeply committed to helping residents find the right fit for their needs. Prior to her work in senior living, Cathy built a successful 20-year career in the financial sector.

Residing just northwest of Chicago, Cathy enjoys life with her husband, Mark, and their dog, Scarlet. In her free time, she loves visiting with her granddaughter, golfing, and unwinding at their cabin in Northern Wisconsin.

Marco Alvarez

As The Clare’s Director of Plant Operations, Marco is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the community, ensuring the building's compliance with all city, state and federal regulations and the oversight of the Plant Operation and Security teams.

Marco joined The Clare in August of 2023 and brings many years of experience in multiple hospital systems, most recently as the Facilities Director at Jackson Park Hospital. Currently, he is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Business Administration online at Purdue University.

Marco was born and raised in Chicago and enjoys exploring all of Chicago’s neighborhoods and the city’s ever-evolving restaurant scene. He lives in Schererville, Indiana, with his wife of 27 years, Sulmari. They have three children: Ruth, Marco Jr. and Caleb. Outside work, he enjoys golfing, fishing, traveling and cheering on the Chicago Cubs!

LaJuane Johnson

As the Director of Information Technology, LaJuane’s primary focus is the oversight of all Clare I.T. Operations, namely infrastructure, systems implementations, vendor relations, as well as managing the day-to-day operations of the internal help desk, which caters to both staff and residents. LaJuane originally joined The Clare in February of 2019 as a temporary I.T. Technician. He was hired shortly thereafter as the I.T. Manager and was promoted to Director of I.T. in August of 2021.

He brings over twenty years of experience in Information Technology to The Clare and he has worked in a number of different industries including retail, legal, design & architecture, and education. LaJuane attended Bradley University and Chicago State University and studied Computer Science and later graduated from the Computer Learning Center. He continues to further his I.T. knowledge through industry certifications and training.

Born in Chicago, and raised in the South Suburb of Country Club Hills, LaJuane is an avid Chicago sports fan (Go Bears, Bulls & White Sox!) and he also enjoys music. LaJuane and his wife have three children and two grandchildren. He has a terrier mix named Daisy and a cat named Lilly.