Management Team

Elie Pollak

CEO/President

Elie joined the Handmaker team in 2019 as Chief Executive Officer. Since his start, he has successfully streamlined various business processes and effectively led the growth, expansion, and innovation for Handmaker.

Elie was born and raised in New York City and is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in both the state of Arizona and New York. Elie has a passion for Long Term Care and bringing quality care to the Geriatric population. He has successfully overseen many different Skilled Nursing Facilities in a wide range of acute and clinical settings. Elie has four boys; Joshua, Dovi, Benny, and Joseph; and one daughter, Shari, with his wife Talia.

Theresa Linnane

Administrator

Theresa has been involved in Post Acute & Senior healthcare for 30+ years. She has been a licensed Nursing Home Administrator in five states in her career, and is currently licensed as a Nursing Home Administrator and Assisted Living Manager in Arizona.

Born in Los Angeles, Theresa has lived in Tucson most of her life. She has a BA from the University of Arizona, a Master’s in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and Certification in Public Management from Arizona State University.

When not at work, Theresa loves exploring the desert and its wildlife on nature trails, traveling and experiencing new cultures with her husband, and teaching group exercise classes at the YMCA.

Cydney Turner

Assistant Administrator

Cydney is passionate about the senior living industry, with extensive personal and professional senior care experience, including over 20 years at Handmaker. She continues to offer compassionate guidance to seniors and their families, as she did in her role as the Marketing and Admissions Coordinator. Combine that with the vast knowledge and understanding of the operations of this facility, and Handmaker has a very capable and well-respected leader in Cydney.

Born and raised in Tucson, Cydney knows the community well and utilizes all her resources to make sure that each resident receives the care and personal assistance they need.

Travis Wissinger

Chief Financial Officer

Travis joined Handmaker in February 2020. He is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with over 15 years of healthcare industry experience. Travis is responsible for financial matters at Handmaker, including budgeting, internal and external reporting, and assisting the CEO with business development. Before joining Handmaker, Travis was the Controller at Copper Queen Community Hospital in Bisbee, Arizona.

Travis earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona, and Master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. In his spare time, Travis enjoys spending time with his wife and children, hiking, watching sporting events, and the outdoors.

Robin Wanamaker

Director of Nursing

Robin has been involved in Skilled Nursing for over 15 years and has been a Director of Nursing for 14 years. In her over 20 years of experience in nursing she has worked in ICU cardiac, case management, served as a flight nurse, and even had a short stent as a medic in the Army.

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, she was an Iowan for 50 years before moving to Arizona. She received a Master’s Degree in Nursing and in Health Care Administration from the University of Phoenix, as well as a degree in Architectural Engineering.

When not at work, Robin enjoys outdoor life including camping, riding quads and side-by-sides. She also has a jeep that she likes to cruise around to visit different sites in Arizona. Robin also loves to travel around the world with her husband Michael.

Jena Vass

Assistant Director of Nursing

Jena is a passionate and dedicated Licensed Practical Nurse with over 12 years of healthcare industry experience. Her current focus is to provide quality care in Long Term and Skilled Nursing Facilities. Before joining Handmaker in March of 2025 she worked at multiple facilities in the Tucson and Sierra Vista areas.

Jena grew up in Sierra Vista and graduated from Cochise College of Nursing with her Practical Nursing License. Her next educational goal is to attain her Registered Nursing license which will allow her to grow professionally while continuing to provide compassionate and quality care to our Handmaker community.

Sheila Callahan

Marketing/Admissions Coordinator

Sheila was born in Massachusetts, moved to Tucson as a child, and has been here ever since. She has worked in the Senior Living industry for her entire career and really enjoys what she does. She has been working at Handmaker for more than 10 years. When she is not at Handmaker, she enjoys spending time with friends, hiking and exploring.

Mike Felde

Director of Food and Facility Services

Mike has been in the food service industry for nearly thirty years. During this time, Mike has worked at a wide variety of restaurants and hotels in Tucson, starting as a dishwasher, and learning new skills in order to advance his career as a Chef. Mike has been the Sous Chef at several notable fine dining and four-star restaurants, including The Lodge at Ventana Canyon and Hacienda Del Sol.

In 2006 Mike started at Handmaker as the Executive Chef, and is now the Director of Food and Facility Services. During his time at Handmaker he has learned a great deal about Kosher foods and the role it plays in the lives of Handmaker residents.

Rachel Dorf

Human Resources Director

Rachel began her career at Handmaker as a volunteer in the HR department. Her passion and dedication resulted in her hiring in 1997. After nine years, she became the Director of Human Resources in 2006. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management.