About Willamette roots

C. Mark Hansen

Partner

C. Mark Hansen is a co-founder and Partner of Willamette Roots (formerly Santé Development), a company established with the vision of transforming the senior housing and healthcare industry through innovative communities and services that prioritize dignity, connection, and quality of life for seniors.

Mark has specialized in senior housing and healthcare since 1995 and has played a central role in the strategic growth and development of the organization since its founding in 2008. He was instrumental in assembling the leadership team, business plan, and financial backing that launched Willamette Roots and helped establish its long-term foundation and vision.

Prior to co-founding the organization, Mark spent more than 15 years providing strategic consulting and development services for senior housing and healthcare properties throughout the United States. His work included Medicare and Medicaid strategic financial analyses, feasibility studies, market analyses, strategic facility planning, valuations, and development programming. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with senior housing and healthcare operators nationwide on development and operational initiatives focused on long-term sustainability and quality care.

As Partner, Mark continues to help guide the strategic direction and overall vision of Willamette Roots, supporting innovation, operational growth, and the development of communities that serve residents with compassion and excellence. His leadership remains centered on building organizations and environments that enhance the lives of seniors while fostering a strong culture of service and integrity.

Mark earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Oregon.

Jacob Schaefer

Partner

Jacob Schaefer has been a foundational leader at Willamette Roots (formerly Santé Development) since the company’s inception in 2008, serving as its first employee and helping guide its growth into a trusted leader in senior housing and healthcare development throughout the western United States. As Partner, Jacob plays a key role in shaping the organization’s long-term strategic vision, financial leadership, and growth initiatives.

With nearly two decades of experience in healthcare finance, real estate development, and senior living operations, Jacob has overseen the capitalization and financial structuring of more than $150 million in new construction projects, $110 million in acquisitions, and $75 million in refinances across multiple senior living and healthcare brands. His expertise includes real estate financial analysis, discounted cash flow modeling, market analysis, HUD financing, and strategic growth planning.

Jacob began his career in the construction industry before transitioning into real estate valuation and development finance. His combination of financial expertise, operational insight, and strategic leadership has been instrumental in the continued growth and success of Willamette Roots.

Driven by a commitment to creating high-quality communities that support dignity, wellness, and connection, Jacob continues to help advance Willamette Roots’ mission of developing and managing communities that provide exceptional care and long-term value for residents and their families.

Scott Ness

Partner and Manager

Scott brings four decades of experience in construction and real estate development. He began working in the construction industry as a teenager in the 1980s, spending summers insulating houses and gaining additional hands-on experience in roofing, framing, concrete work, cabinetry installation, modular construction, and stick-built residential construction. Those early experiences shaped his work ethic and gave him a deep appreciation for teamwork and the building process. 

Over the course of his career, Scott has worked in the trades, spent 20 years in the electrical industry, served 3 years as a general contractor, and dedicated the past 17 years to real estate development leadership. Altogether, he estimates he has contributed to more than $500 million in construction and development projects. 

As the leader of the real estate development team at Willamette Roots Development, formerly Sante Development, Scott oversees a team responsible for market selection, capital coordination, estimating, scheduling, design management, and construction delivery. His broad background in both field operations and development leadership gives him a practical, disciplined approach to managing complex projects from concept through completion. 

Scott attended Western Oregon University before shifting his focus to construction and enrolling at Linn-Benton Community College, where he completed the Basic Electrical Theory program and began his LEA apprenticeship. He also holds certificates in Project Management, Project Scheduling, Effective Supervision, and Systems Programming for multiple LEA system manufacturers. 

Brad Hankins

Director of Development & Senior Project Manager

Brad has 23 years of experience designing, developing, entitling, and constructing senior living and health care facilities. He oversees new development projects from initial concept through the start-up of operations. This includes the management of third-party consultants, architects & engineers, general contractors, design review, overall project and construction timelines, site inspections, pay applications, organizing and leading project meetings, obtaining permits and licenses for projects, and providing continuous oversight of project budgets.

Brad began his career in the construction industry in 1999 with KDA Construction which was a leader in senior living construction and the primary builder for a large senior living group that covered most of the US. Brad was rapidly promoted from contract management to estimating & bidding, to Assistant Superintendent, and eventually to Project Manager. He was instrumental in the construction and management of several large senior living projects as well as over 40 senior living remodel and addition projects across the US in his time at KDA. As Project Manager, Brad was responsible for an average of $30 million dollars of construction per year.

Since joining Willamette Roots in 2009, Brad has increased his knowledge and experience in senior living and health care development and has earned the title of Director of Development. He is well versed in working through the complex HUD 232, 223(f) and 241(a) financing structures as well as conventional bank financing. With his extensive field experience, high level problem-solving skills, exceptional communication skills, and tenacity, Brad is a highly effective Project Manager. Brad built an outstanding reputation in the construction industry and has only furthered that reputation with Willamette Roots by meeting and exceeding schedules and budgets while maintaining the highest construction quality standards.

Jordan Winters

Director of Development/Finance Strategist

For the last 17 years, Mr. Winters has emersed himself in the world of construction. Starting in 2004, he was employed by JLS Custom Homes where he worked all the way from a Warranty Technician to Project Manager. During his tenure there until 2009, he was either directly in charge of or oversaw construction of nearly 400 speculative and custom homes, with an aggregate construction completion value of nearly $130 million dollars. He has built most everywhere in the Portland/Metro market as well as Salem/Keizer, Eugene, Vancouver, Kennewick and Spokane. Most recently, Mr. Winters has completed construction of two custom homes (2019 and 2020) in Salem, Oregon with an aggregate value of $2 million dollars.

Since leaving JLS in 2009, Mr. Winters has been employed by Willamette Roots, a senior housing developer out of Salem, Oregon, where he presently is awarded the title of Senior Project Manager/Finance Strategist. Since his employment at Willamette Roots, Mr. Winters has overseen the construction of nearly $135 million in ground up construction and remodels, ranging from post-acute care skilled nursing facilities as well as memory care, assisted living and independent living models. In his current job title, his duties include land acquisition and negotiations, overseeing design, securing entitlements and permits, assembling the design, engineering, and construction team, overseeing financing (including construction draws), managing the construction team through construction completion and limited equity/capital raise duties. In addition to his previously completed projects, he also has roughly an additional $210 million in future development deals at various stages of entitlements.

Gregory Ficek

Controller

Greg Ficek joined Willamette Roots (formerly Santé Development) in 2011 and serves as Controller, bringing more than two decades of experience in accounting, financial management, and operational oversight. As a key member of the leadership team, Greg plays an integral role in the financial strategy and day-to-day fiscal operations of the organization.

Throughout his tenure, Greg has overseen all major financial functions within the Willamette Roots portfolio, including cash management, budgeting, financial statement preparation, audit coordination, regulatory compliance, and financial reporting. His leadership has helped support the continued growth and financial stability of the organization while ensuring strong internal controls and operational efficiency across multiple senior housing and healthcare communities.

In addition to his financial oversight responsibilities, Greg has led the implementation of several integrated systems and operational platforms, including accounting software, payroll systems, and other technology-based business applications designed to improve organizational effectiveness and reporting capabilities.

Before joining Willamette Roots, Greg spent eight years in public accounting at a Salem, Oregon-based CPA firm, where he specialized in financial statement audits for both commercial and governmental entities, including healthcare and long-term care organizations. His experience in audit management, compliance testing, and internal control systems provided the foundation for his strong attention to detail and commitment to financial stewardship.

Greg earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business with a focus in Accounting and a minor in Spanish from Western Oregon University and is a licensed CPA in the State of Oregon.

Brad Lyon

Director of Acquisitions and Investments

Brad currently serves as Director of Acquisitions and Investment for Willamette Roots. Brad is responsible for the origination of acquisition and new development opportunities, sourcing and collaborating with equity partners and lenders, and underwriting investments.

Brad entered the senior housing and healthcare real estate industry in 2003 with Tellatin, Short and Hansen, Inc., a prominent firm focused on providing market studies, financial feasibility studies and valuations for senior housing and healthcare real estate throughout the United States. Brad served as the Director of West Coast Operations for Tellatin, Short and Hansen, Inc. from 2011 to 2016. In his time as the Director of West Coast Operations, Brad completed more than 300 market studies, feasibility studies and valuations. A majority of these analyses involved assisting senior housing and healthcare real estate owners, developers and operators with strategic planning, such as market identification for proposed senior housing and healthcare real estate, detailed supply and demand analyses and financial feasibility analyses.

Serving as the Director of Acquisitions and Investment for Inspired Healthcare Capital, LLC from May 2016 through April 2020, Brad assisted Inspired Healthcare Capital to launch its first fund. Brad originated, underwrote, arranged financing, and aided in closing on nine senior housing properties within this fund.

Brad graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science from Washington State University in 2003.

Joe Atkinson

Senior Director of Facility Management

Joe is an experienced facility and asset management leader with a background rooted in automotive work, construction, and hands-on facility operations. His career began with work on cars and garage construction, where he developed a strong technical foundation and a practical, solution-oriented approach to complex operational challenges. 

From 2013 to 2019, Joe served as a Facilities Leader in a skilled nursing facility in Arizona, where he expanded his expertise in building systems, compliance, and asset management. Under his leadership, the facility achieved zero deficiencies on state surveys and received the AHCA Emergency Preparedness Award, underscoring his commitment to safety, preparedness, and operational discipline. 

Since 2019, Joe has served as Operations Facility Asset Director overseeing a regional portfolio of facilities in Arizona, Washington, and Oregon. In this role, he provides leadership across facility operations and asset performance, helping ensure that each property operates efficiently, safely, and in alignment with their organizational standards. 

Joe is known for his hands-on leadership style, technical expertise, and dedication to supporting a strong, collaborative team environment. He takes pride in contributing to the long-term success of the organization through practical leadership and continuous improvement.