Our Kind-hearted Staff

President and CEO

Teressa Reich, our President and CEO, oversees all day-to-day operations to make sure The Manor delivers on its promise to provide a worry-free lifestyle that enhances the quality of life of every resident.  Teressa holds dual license as Community Residential Care Administrator and Nursing Home Administrator.  She has more than 35 years of professional experience in marketing, sales, operations, and development in the health care and retirement community industry, and she leverages her knowledge and passion to uphold the superior standard of care that our residents and staff have come to expect.

Teressa has overall strategic and operational responsibility for The Manor’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission.  She maintains all Regulatory Compliance for State and Federal Authority ensuring Licensure.  She oversees quality measures and ensures compliance internally with all applicable laws and government regulations, as well as our own policies and procedures.

She also has responsibility for The Manor’s financial health.  She leads business development efforts, establishes and adheres to budgetary guidelines.

Finally, Teressa coordinates all marketing and communications activities and serves as the primary liaison with the community, strengthening relationships with providers, business leaders, and other stakeholders.

VP of Sales and Admissions

Michelle Bailey, our VP of Sales and Admissions, is often the first person our future residents and families meet, and that first impression is what conveys our vision, mission, and the vibrancy of our organization to both them and the surrounding community. With a passion for serving the geriatric population and many years of experience in sales and marketing, Michelle educates our communities about the services and value of The Manor and builds relationships with seniors and their families looking to make a move into independent living, assisted living, or memory care.

When seniors decide to make The Manor their home, Michelle also works with them during the entry process as our admissions coordinator. She evaluates applications and conducts interviews, coordinates health screenings, reviews admission and financial forms, resolves resident and family issues, recommends support services, and more, to make the admissions process as seamless as possible.

Prior to joining The Manor in 2013, Michelle worked in the sales industry, doing marketing, advertising, and retail. Caring for others has always been a lifelong commitment for Michelle. She studied physical therapy while attending DeAnza College in Cupertino, CA, and spent five years as a rehab aide while finishing her studies. Originally from Sunnyvale, California, Michelle relocated to Florence with her husband in 1998 and has been deeply involved in the community ever since.

Current Volunteer Leadership

• Chair, Keep Florence Beautiful

Previous Volunteer Activities

• Vice Chair and Media Chair, Keep Florence Beautiful
• Member, McLeod GEM Committee
• Board Member, Florence Literacy Council
• Relay for Life Co-Chair and Marketing/PR Chair, American Cancer Society
• Graduate, Treasurer, Steering Committee Member, Leadership Florence
• Graduate, Nonprofit Leadership Institute
• Board of Directors, Florence Chamber of Commerce
• Committee Member, McLeod Children’s Foundation

VP of Resident Services

Lorre Baird is one of the most familiar faces around The Manor, as she plays a big part in every aspect of the resident experience. Since 2002, Lorre has dedicated her time to ensuring all residents feel at home and all potential residents feel welcomed. As our VP of Resident Services, Lorre plans our exciting and colorful calendar of events, but that’s not all — her extensive experience and knack for working with people make her a vital participant in every functional area of our organization, including sales, tours, health, housing, dining, safety, family relations, and more. We take pride in maintaining the highest standards of service and care, and Lorre makes that possible through her commitment to making every stay at The Manor positive, pleasant, and full of opportunities to enjoy retirement.

Lorre is extremely involved and certified many times over with a wide variety of activity associations on a local, state, and national level, which constantly broaden her ideas for new, meaningful activities and events for the residents of The Manor. As a professional serving the senior population, Lorre has taken a special interest in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease education, treatment, and therapy. Lorre worked in education for 18 years prior to joining The Manor, where she honed her ability to guide others, and she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Francis Marion University.

VP of Physical Plant

As VP of Physical Plant, Chris Johnson makes sure every resident at The Manor feels at home by keeping our campus and apartments clean, safe, and secure. A South Carolina-licensed builder and building inspector since 2004, Chris leverages his strong construction background in residential and commercial renovations, inspections, and repairs to keep our buildings up to code and comfortable for our residents.

Our well-maintained estate also stands as evidence of Chris’s passion for landscaping—he and his team care for all aspects of our grounds, including trimming trees, mowing, mulching, cleaning gutters, and planting vibrant flower beds. They handle all maintenance, big or small, from repairing roofing and drywall to changing light bulbs, so our residents can live worry-free. With values deeply rooted in hospitality, Chris treats each apartment within The Manor like his own home, every acre as an asset, and every resident like family.

Prior to working full-time in the building industry, Chris invested in real estate and worked in manufacturing roles ranging from machine operator to production supervisor, where he learned the necessary skills to manage and work with a diverse team.

VP of Food Services

Our renowned chef, LeVance McIver, has been serving mouthwatering meals to The Manor residents since 2001. Winner of a first-place prize from the celebrated Institution Food House Show at Florence Civic Center in 2012, LeVance leads a team of food service professionals whose top priority is making sure our residents are well-fed, happy, and healthy. That’s why our cooked-to-order meals can be modified to meet all dietary needs and restrictions. LeVance and his team also cater The Manor events and use award-winning recipes to create delicious and diverse hors d’oeuvres and buffets. The whole dining team pride themselves on providing a unique dining experience, whether it’s simple scrambled eggs for one or a cocktail hour for 100 guests.

Florence natives may recognize LeVance as the executive chef of Florence Country Club prior to joining The Manor. LeVance earned his degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University,  a nationally recognized culinary institute in Charleston, South Carolina, and has achieved certification in dietary management and as a food service protection professional. He also proudly served as a member of the South Carolina National Guard and United States Army Reserves.

VP of Financial Services

Sharon Poole oversees the many facets of Financial Services at the Manor. Originally from Mocksville, NC, Sharon moved to Florence when she was 14 years old.  She has 35 years of financial experience including retail cash offices, banks, income tax processing, sole accounting and bookkeeping for a large land developing company in NC, tax and financial services business, and accounting services for non-profits.  Sharon spent the last 14 years as Director of Cash Management at HopeHealth, a large federally qualified healthcare center covering five counties with multiple sites and almost 700 employees across the Palmetto State.  She has received many accolades and awards for her dedication, leadership, attention to detail, and customer service, both internal and external.

At The Manor, Sharon is responsible for overseeing or closely involved with all aspects of financial services including, but not limited to, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, accounting, and budgeting.  Sharon endeavors to provide a great working environment for our staff and to provide excellent customer service to our residents.  Sharon has dedicated her entire life to the same vision, heart, and ideals of The Manor.  She has never met a stranger and specializes in diffusing difficult situations.

Sharon has been married to her high school sweetheart of 39 years and has had to overcome the challenges of relocating her family and starting over as she followed him during his military and Law Enforcement career.  She has two daughters, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren.  Her hobbies include singing, church, and anything to do with family.  She has been very involved in charity and civic work including volunteering at local nursing homes and Crisis Pregnancy Centers.  She feels very blessed for this fresh opportunity to serve at The Manor.

VP of Sales and Marketing

A Florence native, Sarah Benton takes pride in showing the Florence and Pee Dee community the wonderful retirement lifestyle The Manor offers, right in their own backyard. As VP of Sales and Marketing, she leverages her vast experience in marketing as a writer, editor, and event manager to conduct market research, generate strategic marketing plans and communications, create advertisements and promotions, and ultimately showcase The Manor as the high-quality continuing care community she knows and loves. The local community holds a special place in Sarah’s heart, and she drives business development by building genuine relationships and speaking to the benefits of our worry-free retirement lifestyle.

Previously, Sarah used her talents to help the greater good as development manager for the March of Dimes Foundation, which raises funds to improve health for mothers and babies. The two annual events that she managed and marketed grew rapidly, nearly doubling in combined revenue over four years, due in part to her donor recruitment and development, event planning, sponsorship and individual solicitation, and marketing throughout the community. Sarah graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in Spanish. 

Resident Care Director

Jessica Stricklin is a Florence native and is a graduate of Coker College with a B.S. in Psychology.  Jessica developed her passion and sense of service for the senior community as she cared for her elderly grandmother throughout high school, so when she was presented the opportunity to join Manor Family, she eagerly accepted!  As Resident Care Director, Jessica’s role is as a liaison between the residents, their families, and any external care providers a resident may use.  If a resident should need to go to the hospital, Jessica works with hospital staff to stay up to date on the resident’s progress.  As residents of The Manor need to transfer from Independent Living to Assisted Living or Memory Care, Jessica works collectively with the nursing staff to make the transition as smooth and effortless as possible.  Jessica takes pride in ensuring our residents are receiving the best level of care according to each resident’s individual needs.  Jessica says the best part of her job is making sure the residents and their families feel comfortable and secure, and the best part of her day is simply interacting and building meaningful relationships with the residents.  Prior to joining The Manor, Jessica spent most of her time at home caring for her husband and three daughters.