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 Society in early 2019 to help guide the Society’s finance and accounting departments through the affiliation with Sanford Health and beyond. He comes came to the Society from Sanford Health, serving as their vice president of finance since 2018.

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, Iowa, as an auditor for Ernst and Young, a large four public accounting firm. He came to Sioux Falls in 2011 to start 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. He eventually also served 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 Society, oversees 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, The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society’s vice president of operations, manages growth and development of all Society service lines and locations.

Schema’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 a Master of Business Administration from Bellevue University.

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

The Good Samaritan Society’s Vice President, Nursing and Clinical Services is a Sioux Falls native with deep ties to the Good Samaritan Society and Sanford Health. Starting her nursing career as a CNA and LPN in a long-term care location, Rochelle advanced through progressive nursing degrees, allowing her inpatient, ambulatory, procedural, academic and quality experiences.

Rochelle joined the Society in 2017 working at the intersection of nursing and quality improvement. In 2019, she spent 12 weeks as an interim director of nursing services for a large Society rehab/skilled care location before moving in to the role of director, professional practice and care management. In this 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’ 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. He currently serves The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society as executive director in the legal department.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School and a master’s degree in business administration from Union Graduate College of Union University.

Ali Langseth is a rooted South Dakotan. Alongside 6 other siblings, Ali was raised in Sioux Falls by her entrepreneurial father and homemaker mother. From a young age, she was influenced by family values and a disciplined work ethic. Since leaving Sioux Falls in 1991 to pursue her college education at UND, USC, and USD, Ali earned degrees in Speech Language Pathology, Audiology and Psychology.

She then managed the sales and training teams in Sioux Falls, Vermillion, and North Sioux City, South Dakota for Gateway, a former Fortune 500 computer company. After an eleven-year tenure in “corporate America”, Ali transitioned to “the non-profit world” where she served as CEO of Camp High Hopes a non-profit organization offering year-round therapeutic recreation programs and respites in Sioux City. In her role as CEO, she provided executive management, working with a volunteer board of directors to define the strategy and vision of the grass-roots organization, and was responsible for the management of donor development and campaigns.

After 8 years of overseeing the development strategy and activities to assure funding of the ongoing operational, endowment, and capital needs of the Camp, Ali returned to her roots in Sioux Falls in 2016 to serve as the Director of Major Gifts/Development for Augustana University where she managed a portfolio of major and planned gift constituents across the Midwest for the benefit of the private liberal-arts University.

In 2020 Ali re-entered non-profit leadership to serve as the Executive Director of the Good Samaritan Foundation where her vision drives development strategies that produce philanthropic support for the Good Samaritan Society. As Executive Director, Ali works with the Board of Directors to fulfill the organizational mission, provides leadership to a total staff of 16, and ensures for the fiscal goals and accountability of the Foundation.

Born and raised in Prescott, Arizona, Will McKnight joined the Good Samaritan Society in 2019 with firsthand experience and a great understanding of the important role the company plays in communities across the country. As Executive Director, Human Resources Strategic Partner for the Society, Will 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 & 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 first joined Sanford Health in 2016 as the HR strategic partner for development and research.

Will received his bachelors’ degree in recreation management from Arizona State University and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Sioux Falls.

Will enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.

Tom assumed his current position as director, government and external affairs on Aug. 1, 2019. Previously, he served as executive vice president/chief operating officer, since February 2014 and 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 Society – Sioux Falls Center, he served as administrator of the Good Samaritan Society location 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 joined National Campus staff and began serving as an associate regional director, and from 2002 until 2010, he served as the regional director for southern Minnesota. Mr. Syverson 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 the 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.

A native of Park Rapids, Minnesota, Brandon joined the Good Samaritan Society in 2020 as Director, Technology Business Partner. He spent the previous eight years with Sanford Health focusing on implementing electronic medical records, establishing projection management and focusing on Sanford’s digital strategies. As the technology business partner for the Society, Brandon focuses on supporting the strategic growth of the Society through innovation and technology.

Brandon received his bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Minnesota State University of Moorhead and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Mary, Bismarck.

Brandon lives in 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 Society, Melissa 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 where a team of specialists manages 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. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” says O’Hara. “If you’re looking for purposeful work, this is the industry you want to be in!”

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

As lead communications specialist, Kara Nelson directs and implements strategic communications for the Good Samaritan Society, including all President’s office and board of director messaging. She focuses on engaging the Society’s 16,000 employees and connecting them to each other and the mission, values and priorities of the Good Samaritan Society.

Kara joined the Society in 2015 in the Connection Center where every day she visited with seniors and adult children looking for senior living and services. She credits this experience with helping her better understand the diverse needs of individuals served by the Society and her passion for linking people with the information they need. In 2018, Kara transitioned to a role in Communications where she supported leaders in Human Resources and Quality Services.

Kara earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations and Christian community development from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. She lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, Kyle, and their golden retriever, Ernie.

Christine Hallenbeck Ask serves the Good Samaritan Society as director of mission integration and senior pastor. She oversees the Society’s mission expressions in connection with resident care, employee culture, financial stewardship, and general strategic planning. She also participates in the leading and resourcing of the Society’s daily practices of faith.

Christy received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and music from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and her Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Prior to joining the Society, Christy served as associate pastor for Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. During her time at Spirit of Joy, Christy led the congregation to start a BeFriender Ministry lay pastoral care program, sponsor an Eritrean refugee family, and partner with an elementary school for the purpose of deepening the congregation’s relationships in the community.

Part of Christy’s heart lives in the Twin Cities; Tucson, Arizona; and Bozeman, Montana—all places where she has lived, learned, jogged and consumed countless cups of coffee.

Christy shares her home and life with her husband, their daughter, and their dog. Her proudest achievements are giving birth and walking 500 miles across Spain. Both feats have provided infinite sermon fodder.

The memory of Christy’s own grandparents—Hazel, Loren, Rosemarie, and George—inspires her servant leadership to the Good Samaritan Society.