Our Leaders

Darryl Fisher

President

For three generations, the Fisher family dedicated their personal and professional lives to providing care and service for seniors. As early as 1965, Darryl Fisher can recall dinner conversations with his family about the retirement communities they owned and operated. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and began what would become a lifelong career dedicated to improving the lives of seniors.

For more than 25 years, Darryl served in a number of administrative roles and leadership positions at various senior living organizations. As a chief operating officer at Sunwest Management, Inc., he was responsible for more than 12,000 employees and more than 18,000 residents.

Darryl is one of the founders of Mission Senior Living and one of the architects of the organization’s MVPs (mission, values, and principles), which drive every aspect of operations, team development, and resident care. He considers it a privilege to work with Mission Senior Living’s dedicated team members in the development, construction, and management of Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Independent Living communities. His life’s work is to lead a mission-driven, people-centered organization that delivers on the MSL promise of Caring People, Serving People, Improving Lives!

Mike Deines

Vice President of Financial / Business Development

Mike Deines is an MVP leader, a longtime senior living professional, and a formally trained civil engineer who joined the senior living industry in 2001. He is passionate about improving the lives of seniors and building a team of compassionate and dedicated individuals who can fulfill the mission of caring people, serving people, and improving lives.

In 2001, Mike focused on construction and acquisitions for Canyon Creek Development and provided analysis and counsel for selecting and purchasing senior housing communities nationwide. He joined Darryl at Sunwest Management, Inc. in 2008, and during the difficult restructuring and subsequent sale of Sunwest in 2010, Mike used his experience in financial analysis, budgeting, and capital asset management to improve the living environment for the seniors living there.

Sarah Green-Russell

Vice President of Operations

Sarah Green has dedicated 25-plus years of her career to caring for seniors and their families, mentoring senior living professionals, building caring and effective teams, and making senior living communities a great place to live and work. For Sarah, elder care is a calling, not a job, and every interaction with a senior or family member is an opportunity to make their lives better. Her energy, passion, and “lead by example” style creates a culture where team members are equipped with the tools and support they need to fulfill our mission of Caring People, Serving People, Improving Lives. Through Sarah’s leadership and example, team members embrace the MVPs that make Mission Senior Living a great place to live and work. Sarah’s journey to Mission Senior Living began more than two decades ago at an assisted living community in Tacoma, Wash. She quickly grew out of her role as an administrative assistant and rose through the ranks. As vice president of operations, she was responsible for 52 communities.

Dawn Slagle

Director of Sales and Marketing

Dawn Slagle serves as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Mission Senior Living, bringing a strong background in senior living sales strategy, team development, and census growth. She is passionate about helping communities create meaningful first impressions, build trusted relationships with families, and connect prospective residents to the right level of support and care.

With a focus on accountability, thoughtful follow-up, and Mission’s values-driven approach, Dawn works closely with community teams to strengthen sales culture, improve marketing strategy, and support sustainable occupancy growth. She believes senior living sales is about more than numbers — it is about listening well, serving families with compassion, and helping each community tell the story of who they are and the lives they impact every day.

Mary Robeson

Director of Operations

Mary Ingham is proud to work for an organization she believes in and whose MVPs align with her own values. She uses her knowledge, passion for seniors, and a deep foundation of 10 years of hospice experience to fulfill Mission Senior Living’s mission of Caring People, Serving People, Improving Lives, and she credits residents for her continued learning. “I learn so much from residents and love hearing their stories and words of wisdom!”

As director of wellness development, Mary is responsible for training Mission Senior Living’s new wellness directors. “I’m here to support the wellness directors so they can perform their duties with confidence and develop as leaders,” she explained. Mary oversees state compliance, infection control, and wellness plans for Mission Senior Living communities.

Previously, Mary worked for two years as director of wellness at Mission Senior Living’s Yuma, Arizona community. Before returning to Mission Senior Living in this new role, she worked as a nurse at Yuma Regional Medical Center. For Mary, providing exceptional care and service to residents always comes first.

Bill Bryan

Managing Partner, MSL Capital Holdings

MSL Capital Holdings is the real estate development, acquisition, and financing affiliate of Mission Senior Living. Bill is primarily responsible for raising the capital needed to ensure that every MSL community is “best in class” and the MSL team has all the resources necessary to deliver excellent care and service to seniors in beautiful and comfortable surroundings.

Bill Bryan has worked in senior living for 15-plus years, but he doesn’t consider himself an expert in senior care. “I consider myself an expert in people, and especially in leaders. Darryl Fisher and Mike Deines are two of the finest (leaders) I have ever known, and it is a great honor to be able to support them and their great teams.”

Bill was a major investor in Sunwest Management Inc. and was appointed chairman of the Sunwest Management Committee in 2009. Bill, Darryl, and Mike worked closely together (and with others) to maintain excellent resident care throughout the restructuring, recapitalization, and sales process. In 2011, Bill was elected Chairman of SRM LLC, a joint venture partner in a new entity formed from 144 of the properties developed and/or acquired and managed by Sunwest under Darryl and Mike’s leadership. By the end of 2013, investors in SRM had received – in cash – more than 15 times the value of their interests at the time when Bill was first appointed as Chairman.

Prior to Bill’s involvement in finance, he had a long and successful career as a film and television writer/producer. Among his best-known credits are the long-running comedy series Night Court and Coach.

Desiree Maguadog

Administrative Assistant

With nearly five years of dedicated service at Mission Senior Living, Desiree provides vital operational and administrative support to both the home office and communities across the organization. By mastering the behind-the-scenes details and streamlining workflows, she equips leaders with the resources needed to focus entirely on residents and families.

This passion for creating meaningful experiences was shaped by previous customer service roles at Wyndham Timeshares and Disneyland, where Desiree learned that even the smallest moments can create lasting memories. Ultimately, she believes in the power of a collaborative team, finding true fulfillment in the professional growth of her peers and the joy of the residents.

Laura Higman

Director of Team Development and Operations Compliance

Laura Higman is a dedicated senior living leader bringing a passion for serving seniors, supporting teams, and creating positive community culture. With a background that includes culinary arts and over 12 years of senior living hands-on leadership experience, Laura values teamwork, compassion, and continuous improvement in everything she does.

Outside of work, Laura enjoys spending time with her husband, Geno, and their two boys, Brenn and Ryan. As a family, they love being outdoors, and enjoying new adventures together. Laura also enjoys running and competing in triathlons, bringing the same determination and energy to her personal life that she brings to her work.

Steve Brigance

Outside General Counsel

Steve started his legal career with an independent federal agency 40-plus years ago. While with an independent federal agency, he won a precedent-setting $1 billion case against a major transportation company. He went on to private practice in Washington D.C. with a large premier D.C. law firm. From there, he went to Texas to serve as general counsel of litigation for a large RR company. Steve then established his own law firm and became, among other things, outside general counsel for a large midwestern utility company.

In 2000, Steve joined a large long-term care company as their general counsel of litigation. There, he set up an unprecedented regional counsel structure and partnered with the company’s board of directors, CEO, and business heads, along with risk managers, claims handlers, and insurance providers, to establish an unparalleled defense system, which became a benchmark for long-term care insurance providers and their insured companies.

Since 2006, Steve has been head of his own company, Litigation Solutions Group, which advises companies nationally on large litigation resolution and business redesign. He also established and continues to lead 4ourelders, Inc., a company designed to assist the long-term care industry and its customers in improving care and service. He also serves as outside general counsel for a non-long-term health care company.

Kristy Drain

Director of Accounting

Kristy Drain considers herself lucky to have grown up with both sets of her grandparents, and she brings her passion and respect for seniors to her position at Mission Senior Living

Kristy worked at Sunwest Management for more than a decade, first as a general ledger accountant and later as a financial accounting manager, where she supervised the General Ledger team and oversaw the financial statement preparation and analysis for all of the facilities nationwide. She was promoted to the operational accounting controller position, and with a team of 40-plus professionals, she oversaw the organization’s daily accounting operations. In addition, Kristy worked as a finance accounting manager at Marion County, a local government agency in Salem, Oregon, for eight years.