Executive Team

WILLIAM KOWALEWSKI – Interim CEO & Vice President / Mary Wade Healthcare

William (Bill) Kowalewski, Interim CEO & Vice President of Mary Wade Healthcare, holds a Master of Public Administration Health Policy and Management from New York University and a BS in Mathematics. Most recently serving as the Woodridge Rehabilitation & Nursing Administrator and VP of Aging Services at Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) and before that as Executive Director of the Southington Care Center, he has also sat on several boards including serving as Treasurer of the national American Lung Association, President of the New York Lung Association, and board member of the Alzheimer’s Association of Connecticut.
With over 20 years experience in senior administrative roles in rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities, Bill is excited to focus his passion for fostering a supportive environment that prioritizes exceptional care for our residents.

VALERIE SANTOS – Vice President Employee Relations

Valerie joined Mary Wade in October 2022 bringing 18 years of Human Resources executive leadership experience in senior living.  She has overall responsibility for HR Operations including the administration of the wage, salary, and benefits programs to ensure compliance with all federal and state regulations pertaining to employment matters.  Valerie is a 2015 fellow of the LeadingAge Connecticut Leadership Academy and served as coach for the Connecticut Leadership Academy from 2017 to 2019. She earned a certificate in Strategic Leadership from the University of Hartford’s Center for Professional Development in 2013.  Valerie has over 27 years of Human Resources experience working at Duncaster, a Life Plan community and ING Investments. She is most proud of establishing and championing the Diversity & Inclusion and Employee Wellness programs.  She brings to Mary Wade proven strategies for talent acquisition, employee engagement and retention approaches.  She earned her B.S. in Marketing at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI along with an Associates Degree in Public Relations, Advertising and Retail Management.

Tom O’Connor – Chief Financial Officer 

H. Tom O’Connor is a strategic CFO and Private Equity executive specializing in driving growth and financial transformation for public, private, and venture-backed companies in the healthcare industry. Career began working for major institutions—including GE Capital, Prudential Securities, Citicorp and Hospital Corporation of America where he focused on navigating highly regulated SEC, CMS, and FDA environments to execute complex business turnarounds, strategic market entries, and corporate restructurings. He served as CFO and founding partner of Atlantic Medical, a transatlantic healthcare private equity fund for 13 years.   He also served as CFO of Medical Excellence which provided concierge medical services in emerging growth countries in partnership with major hospitals including Mass General, NY Hospital, Johns Hopkins and Stanford Hospitals. In addition, he was CEO of a medical textile company and a healthcare finance company. Mr. O’Connor has served on 19 boards, and directed major financial milestones, including raising $2.9 billion in capital and successfully executing 14 IPOs including two nursing home chains. He holds an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics and Political Science from Union College. 

Maria Olmo- Vice President of Residential Care Home