Nicolette Merino

Ms. Nicolette Merino, MPH, is the Chair of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) – the voice of assisted living for the American Health Care Association (AHCA) – representing more than 2,700 assisted living providers nationwide.

Actively involved with the assisted living profession since 1995, Ms. Merino has served in numerous capacities. Prior to joining Avamere Senior Care in 2008 as its Regional Director of Operations, Ms. Merino was the Vice President of Operations for LifeStyles Senior Housing in Vancouver, Washington. Merino is focused on integrating quality care and customer satisfaction while maintaining a strong, dedicated workforce. Her philosophy is to empower employees through coaching and encouragement to grow and develop both personally and professionally.

Ms. Merino concurrently serves as the Assisted Living Chair of the Oregon Health Care Association (OHCA) and as a member of Washington Health Care Association’s (WHCA’s) Quality Committee. A member of the NCAL board since 2004, Ms. Merino also has held the position of NCAL Vice Chair and Treasurer. Ms. Merino is a frequently requested speaker and published co-author for assisted living training manuals. She also has been featured in Provider magazine and Assisted Living Today.

Ms. Merino holds a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) School of Public Health in partnership with Rutgers State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion from Brigham Young University.