Our Compassionate Team of Senior Living Professionals
Meet professionals who lead with heart.
Here, everything we do starts with you. From our leadership team to housekeeping to nursing staff taking care of a loved one, each person you meet truly cares about your happiness and well-being. We’re proud of the compassionate, dynamic associates who are dedicated to enriching the lives and supporting the needs of all who call Walnut Place home.
If you’d like to talk to someone on our leadership team, reach out to us at 214-361-8923 or use the contact form on this page.
Mapu Lemanua
Executive Director
Mapu has over twenty years experience in senior living operations. She began her career in admissions and marketing in senior living and found that her compassion for seniors enticed her interest in pursuing her administrator’s license. Mapu earned a Bachelor of Science from Emporia State University and majored in Finance. Beyond her formal education, Mapu volunteered for the Kiwanis Club where she served for a few years, and for Meals on Wheels. She is active in her church and volunteering there as well.
Watch Mapu’s video bio.
Yolanda Messick
Director of Nursing
Yolanda is passionate about serving the elderly community and providing quality care to residents. She began working at Walnut Place as an LVN in 2007. She’s worked in the long-term care field for more than 15 years. Yolanda is a graduate of North Texas Career Institute and Lamar State University.
Mia Fite
Assistant Director of Nursing
Mia has been with Walnut Place for over 18 years. She’s a certified dementia professional, fiercely loyal to our community and our residents. She actively advocates for residents in our short-term rehabilitation care to ensure they’re consistently receiving the high-quality care Walnut Place is known for.
Julie Gaitin
Life Enrichment Director
Julie has served as a certified activity director since 2005. She began her career in the healthcare field as a CNA. Her passion has always been to provide top notch customer service to her patients. She takes pride in creatively planning monthly activity calendars full of engaging events, games, friendly competitions, and social and community gatherings that entertain residents.
JJ O’Boyle
Life Enrichment Coordinator Assisted Living
After completing his post-graduate degree in Hospitality Management JJ found his passion working with the seniors. As the Life Enrichment Coordinator, he strives to empower residents to set goals, make friends and have fun. Seeing residents smile and laugh fuels JJ’s passion working with seniors.
Katrece Lee
Admissions Director
Katrece’s passion for helping others and delivering a high quality of life to those she serves has led her to work in both the for-profit and nonprofit industries throughout her career. She is dedicated to helping families make a smooth transition when finding short-term rehab or longterm skilled nursing to care for your loved ones’ needs.
Maria Martinez
Healthcare Liaison
The journey to find the right fit for your loved one can be difficult. Maria takes pride in being a resource to help families find quality skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation care. With over 10 years of experience in the healthcare field, her main goal is to help residents find happiness, comfort and joy at Walnut Place.
Watch Maria’s video bio.
Svetlana Santic
Director of Community Relations
As the Director of Community Relations, Svetlana is committed to supporting families searching for assisted living or memory care for their loved ones.
Check out Svetlana’s video bio.
Etosha Bernard
Dining Services Director
Etosha is driven by her passion for providing quality, delicious meals for the residents. She prides herself and her team on preparing meals based on the residents’ feedback and requests, so they are served meals that taste like the home cooked meals they enjoy. She has a culinary arts degree from Sowela Technical Community College and a management degree from Louisiana State University at Eunice. She has more than ten years’ experience in the food & beverage industry.
Charles Sinclair
Plant Operations
Charles moved to the United States from Jamaica in 2012. He has over 20 years’ experience in plant operations, working at a college in Jamaica for 23 years, and then at a warehouse his first year in the U.S. He enjoys repairing items for residents to ensure they have a comfortable environment to live in.