Leadership Team

Frances Salinas has nearly 25 years of healthcare administration experience in the senior living industry, specializing in leadership, operations, and finance. She worked for Tabor Hills Senior Living in Naperville, Illinois, for 22 years as the Director of Finance and Chief Financial Officer before becoming Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Salinas transitioned to Chief Executive Officer of Wesley Willows in 2023 to continue the mission of promoting active, secure lifestyles for seniors through ongoing personalized care.

Ms. Salinas is happily married to her husband of almost 30 years, whom she shares her three grown children with. They enjoy volunteering at their local church food pantry and the Make-A-Wish foundation. In her free time, Ms. Salinas enjoys traveling and golfing.

Ms. Salinas holds a master’s degree in finance and accounting from Roosevelt University (Robert Morris University) and two bachelor’s degrees in accounting and international business. Ms. Salinas is licensed as a Nursing Home Administrator and is fluent in Spanish.

Mr. Nelson joined Wesley Willows in 2019 and has decades of experience in accounting and finance. He was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, and attended Guilford High School. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Western Illinois University, he returned to the Rockford area to work for Amcore Bank. Mr. Nelson spent over ten years in various prestigious accounting roles at the Rockford Register Star before joining Wesley Willows in 2019 as the Controller.

On July 1, 2021, Mr. Nelson was promoted to Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Wesley Willows. He attained his Nursing Home Administrator License the same year.

Mr. Nelson serves on the Finance Committee and enjoys golfing and going out to the movies in his free time.

Melissa Wright has been an integral part of the Wesley Willows organization since 2012, when she was hired as Executive Assistant to the President/CEO. She served as the Director of Peterson Meadows after Wesley Willows purchased the independent living community in 2014 and took on the additional role of Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager in 2020. She was promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing in 2024.

As Director of Sales and Marketing, Mrs. Wright spearheads all sales and marketing initiatives within the organization. She also strategizes with the team of Senior Living Sales Coordinators on how to best serve prospective residents.

Mrs. Wright’s favorite thing about working in a senior living community is getting to meet residents and staff who inspire her every day. She also appreciates the many professional development opportunities available to Wesley Willows employees. During her time here, she has earned her Certificate in Geriatrics for Non-Physicians and her Nursing Home Administrator’s License. She has also participated in the LeadingAge Leadership Academy.

When she is not working, Mrs. Wright enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, such as gardening, fishing, and kayaking. She especially loves spending time with her husband, son, and daughter on their family farm in Belvidere, IL, where they have lived for more than 20 years.  

Jeff Reinke has over 40 years of not-for-profit experience and has served as the Vice President of Advancement at Wesley Willows since October of 2023.

Prior to assuming that role, he served as the Vice President of Advancement for Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee and was the Executive Director of the Highland Community College Foundation (Freeport, IL) for five years. He has also served as Assistant Vice President of Major Gifts for the Alexian Brothers Foundation and AMITA Health in Chicago where he oversaw the Major Gifts program for a $28 million Behavioral Health Campaign.

Before working for Alexian Brothers Foundation, Mr. Reinke served as the Fox River Valley Regional Foundation Director for Presence Health where he managed all fundraising efforts for Presence St. Joseph Hospital (Elgin) and Presence Mercy Medical Center (Aurora). He also managed fundraising efforts for the Rockford Region ministries including Presence Saint Joseph’s in Freeport.

Mr. Reinke has also worked for the YMCA of Rock River Valley for seven years where he served as both the Executive Director of the I.D. Pennock Branch and Vice President of Development. While with the YMCA, he coordinated the annual Strong Kids Campaign and the Northeast Branch Capital Campaign, which generated over $5 million to build a new facility on the northeast side of Rockford. He also organized and coordinated the first-ever Gus Macker Youth Basketball tournament, raising over $100,000 over a four-year period.

Mr. Reinke resides in Winnebago with his wife, Chris, who is a 2nd grade teacher for the Winnebago School District. They have five children and six grandchildren. His interests include his family, biking, travel, and a love for the game of basketball where he has coached, played, and watched (his children) for over 25 years.

Stephanie Cortes-Cruz leads several key initiatives for our Human Resources team, including talent acquisition, leadership development, internal compliance, employee engagement, and strategic planning. She joined the Wesley Willows organization in 2022 with over a decade of human resources experience in both for-profit and not-for-profit industries.

Ms. Cortes-Cruz thrives in her role because she is approachable and a good listener. She has great interpersonal communication skills and takes a pragmatic approach to resolving conflicts. She also excels in hiring the right people to work with our residents. The key, she says, is to look for candidates who are willing to go above and beyond to ensure the residents receive exceptional care.

Ms. Cortes-Cruz loves working with seniors because she gets to be surrounded by so much wisdom and lived experience. Rarely does she miss an opportunity to engage residents in conversation and learn valuable lessons from their stories.

Ms. Cortes-Cruz graduated from Kaplan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and is currently working on her MBA Degree in Human Resources Leadership. She has also received certification from the Society of Human Resource Management for mastery of HR proficiency standards (SHRM-CP).

Ms. Cortes-Cruz lives in Rockton, IL, with her family. She enjoys painting and going on nature hikes in her spare time.