Every person we hire is carefully trained to provide skilled, attentive, and responsive service. Criminal background checks are conducted before hiring. All of our staff are loyal, long-term employees who are dedicated to their work and take pride in the wonderful community that they work in.
Robert Hemenway
Executive Director
Robert Hemenway joined Birch Bay Retirement Village as the Executive Director in October, 2023. He was born and raised in New Jersey. He holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Monmouth University and a Master of Social Work from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
He began his career as a social worker in a special education school. He then transitioned to the hospital setting; first was a state psychiatric hospital and then with an acute care hospital in New Jersey. In 2005, he became a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in New Jersey, where he served as an assistant administrator at two different facilities.
In 2012, he moved to Maine and took the position of Administrator for Courtland Rehabilitation and Living Center in Ellsworth. In 2015, he became administrator for Westgate Center for Rehabilitation and Alzheimer’s Care in Bangor. During his time at Westgate Center, he was also the Bangor/Brewer Area Administrator that included overseeing the administrators of Eastside Center for Health & Rehabilitation and Brewer Center for Health & Rehabilitation. From 2017 to 2020, he was the administrator of Narraguagus Bay Health Care Facility in Milbridge.
Prior to joining Birch Bay Retirement Village, he was working as a social worker at Northern Light Home Care & Hospice. It was during this time that he would visit hospice patients at Birch Bay Retirement Village. Rob could see that Birch Bay Retirement Village is a great place. The residents are well cared for by a caring and dedicated staff.
Rob brings to Birch Bay Retirement Village a strong desire to support the mission of the community by forging a relationship with residents, families, trustees and staff.
James Hoke, MBA, CDP
Director of Community Operations
James Hoke joined BBRV in 2015 and spent a decade leading Life Enrichment, Adult Day, Volunteer, and resident engagement programs, including developing services for memory care and the Straus Therapeutic Adult Day Program. In 2025, he assumed his current role as Director of Community Operations, where he oversees Dining, Facilities, Housekeeping, and Birch Bay’s Community Lifeline Program.
A Certified Dementia Practitioner, James delivers ongoing dementia education through the Alzheimer’s Association’s Habilitation Therapy Approach to Person-Centered Dementia Care Program and Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care®.
Originally from West Virginia, James is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a background in photojournalism. He holds an MBA in Organizational Leadership and a BA in English. His diverse professional experience includes managing a livestock quarantine facility and serving as an online auctioneer and marketing/IT specialist for a national equine auction company. James is also a published novelist and an avid pianist.
Stacey Conary, RN, BSN
Director of Clinical Operations
Stacey Conary, RN, BSN came to Birch Bay Retirement Village as the Director of Clinical Operations in September of 2025. With over two decades of Nursing Leadership experience and a passion for quality and Excellence.
Stacey began her healthcare experience as a bed maker, then a CNA, while working her way through Nursing School and earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Husson University. Stacey has committed most of her nursing career to geriatrics. This involved being a State Surveyor for inspections of Nursing Homes for over 20 years as the Director of Nursing for the Maine Veterans Home. Stacey has a strong leadership experience with the resident at the center of the mission.
Brandie Mobley
Dining Services Director
With over 30 years of experience in food service and hospitality leadership, Brandie brings a passion for culinary excellence and a strong commitment to resident-centered dining. Most recently, she served as Director of Restaurant Operations at LCB Senior Living in Swampscott, Massachusetts. Throughout her career, Brandie has been recognized for enhancing team performance, driving operational excellence, and creating fresh, engaging dining experiences.
At Birch Bay, Brandie is dedicated to crafting a health-forward, hospitality-driven dining program tailored to our residents’ preferences. She emphasizes scratch cooking, seasonal menus, and a warm, welcoming approach to meal service.
“Working in culinary never feels like work to me—I truly love what I do,” Brandie shares. “It brings me joy to see how food brings people together and enhances their quality of life.”
Brandie’s extensive background includes roles as Executive Chef, General Manager, and Logistics Manager. She is ServSafe certified and highly regarded for her leadership in mentoring and motivating teams to deliver exceptional service
Susanne Hopkins
Marketing Director
Susanne joined Birch Bay Retirement Village in 2012, bringing with her 15 years of experience in hospitality and small-business management. A native of Mount Desert Island, she earned her degree from the University of Maine at Augusta and has become an integral part of the BBRV leadership team.
As Director of Marketing and Admissions, Susanne oversees all marketing and outreach initiatives, including community tours, cottage sales, Inn rental agreements, social media management, event planning, and advertising. She works closely with the Health Services team to support prospective residents and their families throughout the admissions process, ensuring a smooth and welcoming transition. Susanne also manages front desk operations, helping maintain a warm, well-coordinated environment for residents, visitors, and staff.
Dedicated to helping individuals and families find a home within the Birch Bay community, Susanne values the meaningful relationships formed through her work. She lives in Bar Harbor with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys staying active, taking on home improvement projects, and supporting her children in their music and sports activities.
Melissa Violette, MT-BC, NMT
Director of Therapeutic Programming & Activities
Melissa is a Board Certified Music Therapist at Birch Bay Retirement Village. She is a native New Englander, and her parents hail from Maine. Born in Massachusetts, and raised in Connecticut, she spent her summers in Maine as a child. She received her Music Therapy degree from Anna Maria College in Paxton Massachusetts in 1992 and came to Birch Bay Village with 25 years of music therapy experience in mental health.
Melissa believes strongly in the healing power of music. Melissa states “Music is found in the same places in our brains as our language and memories. It universally connects our hearts and minds and bonds us to each other. The right song can transport us to another place and time, our loved ones, and ourselves. It is in fact, the soundtrack of our lives. When time steals words from us, it steals our lyrics last, but we can still use music to speak even when our words fail us.”
Melissa oversees the Music Therapy Internship program, activities and life enrichment programs and the Don and Beth Straus Adult Day Program. Melissa is also the facilitator of BBRV’s Caregiver Support Groups.
Phil Cotoni brings over 35 years of experience in culinary arts, customer service, and leadership to Birch Bay Retirement Village. Raised in the Boston area, he developed his passion for food and hospitality working in his family’s Italian restaurant. After serving as head chef at a prominent Italian restaurant, Phil transitioned to corporate dining, leading teams across corporate, educational, leisure, and healthcare operations in New England. Most recently, he was the General Manager of Dining Services at Maine Maritime Academy.
Joseph Kowles’s culinary adventure started in Glastonbury, Connecticut where he was born, raised, and first inspired by food. Childhood memories of summer gardening and treasured moments at the dinner table sparked a lifelong interest in the field of Culinary Arts, driving him to pursue his dream. His passion, buttressed by classic French Cooking Technique, led him to Alaska, Colorado, and finally Maine, where he has found renewed inspiration by the natural beauty and bounty of Maine’s woods and waters. Joseph is now a permanent resident of Bar Harbor and when not working, can be found with his beagle by his side, and coffee in hand. 