Lisa Meinecke
Executive Director
Lisa Meinecke joined Solstice in October of 2019 and is passionate about creating a community that is vibrant and engaging for the residents. She is a licensed administrator with over 25 years working in senior living. She has a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Trinity University in Deerfield, Illinois. She has dedicated her career to seniors, first as a social worker, then as a community relations specialist and finally obtaining her administrator license in 2015.
Lisa is a native of Washington and lives in the Tacoma area with her husband, Joe, of 33 years and her two children, Michael and Katie. She is an avid hiker and long distance runner, and has been bitten by the travel bug. She recently took her children on a European vacation, where they enjoyed the sights and cultures of France, Germany and England. .
Emilee Brown
Senior Director of Sales and Marketing
Emilee Brown is the sales and marketing director for Solstice at Point Defiance. She has worked with seniors since she was in college. Emilee started as a concierge and activity director before graduating from the University of Washington. After graduating, she moved into the sales side of senior living. She started at Solstice in April of 2018 and has loved every minute of it.
Her favorite part of the job is changing the lives of seniors for the better. She loves Solstice at Point Defiance because of how active the residents are and how much they participate in the community. It is truly one big, happy family.
Denise Haugen
Business Office Director
Denise Haugen joined Solstice at Point Defiance as the Business Office director in October 2019. She has worked in accounting for over 30 years. This is her first job in the senior living industry, and she loves it. All the residents are sharing their stories with her, and she enjoys listening to them and watching their faces light up. In her spare time, she likes playing with her seven grandchildren and her little Yorkie, Mocha.
Jen Zach
Culinary Services Director
A native of University Place, Wash., Jen Zach graduated from Curtis High School and Tacoma Community College. Jen has worked at Solstice at Point Defiance since 2012, first as a dishwasher and prep cook, before moving up the ladder to now hold the position of Culinary Services director.
She is excited by the opportunity to lead the team she has worked with for many years and to continue to provide the residents with quality food and service. Besides her love of cooking, Jen enjoys making costumes and adding to her collection of food-themed earrings.
Joelle Nyman
Vibrant Life® Director
Joelle Nyman has worked as an activity director for the past 11 years and is a nationally certified member of Washington State Association of Activity Professionals. She loves to work with seniors – her favorite part of her job is getting to know each resident. Everyone is unique and different, and has their own story. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to hear those stories and try to provide activities that reflect their interests. She values seniors and their contribution to society.
She recently moved to Tacoma after living near the small town of Elbe in the beautiful foothills of Mt. Rainier for the past 30 years. She has found Tacoma to be equally beautiful and is enjoying the gorgeous views of the Puget Sound area. She likes to go on long walks and spend time with her family. She has 10 grandchildren ranging from 1 to 18.
Kenneth Canonica
Building Services Director
Kenneth Canonica brings over 20 years of experience in building services for senior living communities in the Puget Sound area.
Over the years, he has acquired a vast array of experiences and knowledge required to be an effective Building Services director. He lives by the motto “Try to always present solutions to the challenges that come your way.”
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