Executive Leaders

As The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan president and CEO, Randy Bury is responsible for the successful planning and implementation of operational, strategic and financial goals for Sanford Health’s senior care services division. Bury, who is a member of Sanford Health’s corporate leadership team, also works with the Society’s board of directors and manages all Society senior-level executive leaders.

Bury became president of the Society in 2019 after logging 37 years of executive leadership experience with Sanford Health. At the corporate level, he most recently served as the organization’s chief administrative officer and previously held the role of senior vice president of health services administration. While at Sanford USD Medical Center, Bury was chief operating officer, chief administrative officer, executive vice president and vice president of patient services.

A graduate of Augustana University with a degree in health care administration, Bury also holds a Master of Business Administration in health care administration from California Pacific University.

In 2020, Bury was elected to the board of governors for the American Health Care Association, the nation’s largest association of long-term and post-acute care providers. He is a past president of the South Dakota chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a past board member of the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations. He has served on several local boards, most recently the Sioux Empire United Way Board of Directors and the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Bury and his wife, Sonia, have two sons.

Eric joined the Good Samaritan in early 2019 to help guide the finance and accounting systems through the affiliation with Sanford Health. He came from Sanford Health, where he served as their vice president of finance.

A CPA and graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting, Eric’s career began in Des Moines as an auditor for Ernst and Young, a big four public accounting firm. He came to Sioux Falls in 2011 to work for Eide Bailly, a top 25 accounting firm. Eric joined Sanford Health in 2012 as the director of finance for the Sioux Falls Clinics, eventually serving as director of finance for the greater Sioux Falls region, senior director of finance for the Sanford enterprise, and finally as the executive director of orthopedics and neurosciences until his appointment as vice president in July 2018.

Eric has also served as an educator in his field, teaching as an adjunct professor for the University of Sioux Falls’ MBA program for the past several years.

Gregory Johnson, Chief Medical Officer for the Good Samaritan, oversees the clinical quality of all Society service lines and locations.

Born in central Illinois, Dr. Johnson completed his undergraduate education at the University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana in physiology and French. He went on to complete medical school through the University of Illinois-Chicago and pursued his residency in family medicine at Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency through the University of South Dakota.

During his residency, he developed a passion for geriatrics and long-term care that led him to complete a fellowship in geriatrics at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He started a geriatrics program at a health system in central Illinois where his group of 15 providers delivered care at over 25 senior living sites.

Dr. Johnson has served in multiple roles related to quality, value-based care, population health and accountable care over the course of his career. Having begun with the Society as the medical director for Great Plains Medicare Advantage in 2019, he assumed his current role in March 2020.

He and his wife, Kristin, have five children. They live in Sioux Falls with their two youngest daughters.

Nate Schema, vice president of operations for the Good Samaritan, manages growth and development of all Society service lines and locations.

Nate’s tenure with the Society dates back to 2006 when he started as an administrator in training in Mountain Lake, Minnesota. He spent six years as an administrator at a trio of Society locations in New Mexico before becoming associate director of operations for the organization in 2012. Schema was promoted to regional vice president of operations two years later and assumed his current role in 2019.

A native of Faribault, Minnesota, Schema holds a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from Concordia College (Minnesota) and an MBA from Bellevue University.

Schema lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Alex, and their two sons.

Rochelle Rindels, vice president of nursing and clinical services, is a Sioux Falls native with deep ties to the Good Samaritan and Sanford Health. Starting her nursing career as a CNA and LPN in a long-term care center, she advanced through progressive nursing degrees that gave her experience in inpatient, ambulatory, procedural, academic and quality.

Rochelle joined the Society in 2017 working in nursing and quality improvement. In 2019, she spent 12 weeks as an interim director of nursing services for a large Society location before moving into the role of director, professional practice and care management. In this director role, Rochelle worked on care management and shared governance structures in conjunction with the Sanford integration.

Rochelle lives in Dell Rapids, South Dakota, with her husband and two children. She enjoys reading and outdoor activities.

Michael Rogers serves as the Society’s executive director in the Legal department. His career in long-term care and post-acute care law began at EmpRes Healthcare where he served as the company’s associate general counsel for nine years. Prior to joining EmpRes, Michael worked at the University of Oregon for four years in the role of transactions counsel in the university’s business office.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, a juris doctor from Albany Law School, and an MBA from Union Graduate College of Union University. 

Will McKnight joined the Good Samaritan in 2019 with firsthand experience and a great understanding of the important role the organization plays in communities across the country. As the human resources strategic partner for the Society, he leads the centralized human resource model to deliver efficient, strategic and innovative HR solutions consistently across all Society operations.

Will spent the first seven years of his career as a director of human resources for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, responsible for opening new upscale resorts across the country. In 2013, Will and his family relocated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as he took on a new operational role with Starwood as the director of franchise asset elevation.

After 11 years with Starwood Hotels, Will joined Sanford Health in 2016 as the HR strategic partner for development and research.

Will was born and raised in Prescott, Arizona, and received his bachelors’ degree in recreation management from Arizona State University and his MBA from the University of Sioux Falls.

He enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Tom Syverson became the government and external affairs director on Aug. 1, 2019. He previously served as executive vice president/chief operating officer – a role he began in February 2014. Prior to that, he served as vice president, Operations Systems – Northern Territory from July 2010 to February 2014.

Tom graduated from Augustana College in 1987 and began his career with the Society as an Administrator-in-Training. After completing his internship at Good Samaritan – Sioux Falls Center, he served as administrator of the Good Samaritan center in Syracuse, Nebraska, from 1988 to 1996. He then transferred to Windom, Minnesota, and served as administrator from 1996 to 2001. During that time, he earned a master’s degree in applied gerontology from the University of North Texas. In 2001, Tom began serving as an associate regional director, and from 2002 until 2010, he served as the regional director for Southern Minnesota.

Tom has served on a number of committees and task forces during his career and served as the chairman of the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards. Tom participated in the Global Leadership Development Program in May 2006 visiting the ZORG Group in The Netherlands for two weeks.

Tom grew up in rural southwest Minnesota and, throughout his 30+ year career with Society, has always had at least one of his family members being served. This has given him a very personal experience and commitment to our mission. Tom enjoys spending time with his family, music, theater, and sports.

Brandon May joined the Good Samaritan in 2020 as the Information Technology Business Partner. Brandon spent the last eight years with Sanford Health focusing on implementing EMRs, establishing projection management and focusing on Sanford’s digital strategies. As the IT Business Partner for the Society, Brandon focuses on supporting the strategic growth of the Society through innovation and technology.

A native of Park Rapids, Minnesota, Brandon received his bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Minnesota State University Moorhead and his MBA from the University of Mary, Bismarck.

Brandon lives in the Sioux Falls area with his wife, Ally, and their daughter and son. He enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid outdoorsman.

As the Director of Marketing and Sales for the Good Samaritan, Melissa O’Hara leads a team of regional sales professionals focused on engaging community leadership in developing successful marketing and sales practices. She provides insight regarding industry trends and marketing techniques as well as providing oversight of the Society’s brand positioning and marketing and sales strategies. Additionally, she oversees the Connection Center, a team of specialists who manage inquiries for all Society service lines.

Melissa has seen the marketing and sales role from all sides. She has spent time as a life enrichment director, opened new senior living communities and has been a regional sales manager. She credits her time working in communities for her understanding of the needs of the customer and a desire to help locations thrive in their local markets.

She has a degree in economics from South Dakota State University. In addition to 15 years of experience in the senior care and services industry, Melissa has worked in tourism, mall management and pharmaceutical sales. She currently sits on the Sioux Empire United Way Board of Directors.