Meet the SeniorBridge Great Neck Team

Mark Naghsh, LMSW
Vice President of Regional Operations

In his previous careers, Mark Naghsh has been a Clinical Social Worker at Village Center for Care in Brooklyn, providing family-centered therapy, and was a therapist in private practice with Laurence Florek Associates. He has also served as Clinical Manager and Director of Creative Art Therapies for Housing Works in Brooklyn, where among other roles, he designed and implemented therapeutic recreational programs for the elderly. Mr. Naghsh has been a consultant in music therapy for Global Communication Services, Lake Success, New York, and a music therapist at Parkshore Nursing Home in Brooklyn. He has a Master's degree in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work and a BS in Music Therapy from the State University at New Paltz, New York.

Jennifer Persad, MSN, GNP/ANP
Director of Client Services

Jennifer comes to SeniorBridge with more than 10 years of experience in her diverse nursing career. She has implemented her skill set on the Medical Surgical and Oncology Unit of Mercy Medical Center, as a Registered Nurse for Sun Harbor Nursing Home and with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York in Manhattan as a Nurse Consultant providing geriatric care management. Prior to joining the SeniorBridge family, Jennifer practiced as a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner for Liberty Medical Arts Center and served as Clinical Nurse Manager for Beth Abrams Family of Health in their home care division. Earlier in her career, Jennifer taught at Line Path Secondary School and worked for the Ministry of Education in Guyana. At CUNY colleges in New York, she has taught community health nursing courses to undergraduate students. Jennifer earned her Master's Degree in Nursing from Hunter College and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice from The George Washington University School of Medicine. She is certified in New York as both a Gerontological and Adult Nurse Practitioner and holds membership with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American Gerontological Association.

Adam Zeidler
Regional Director of Professional Relations

Adam brings more than 9 years of marketing and customer service experience throughout the New York area. Prior to joining SeniorBridge, Adam held multiple positions at Sunrise Senior Living, and most recently served as Area Sales Manager and Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, responsible for all aspects of the hiring and training process. He also served as Executive Director responsible for overall leadership, management and community success as well as Director of Community Relations where he developed strong community relationships and educated residents and families on programs. Adam attended the University of Miami in Florida and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Motion Picture Production and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing.

James C. Schmidt RN, CMC, BSN, MPA
Senior Care Manager

James Schmidt has over 25 years of experience in geriatric, home health and hospital care, as well as assisted living. Most recently he was the Administrator and Director of Patient Services for Extended Care Services, a home care agency on Long Island, NY. Prior to that he ran a consulting firm doing home health assessments, was Executive Director of Senior Care Assisted Living, and Director of Patient Services for several home care agencies. He has also worked in Emergency, Coronary and Intensive Care units in hospital settings. James has a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Adelphi University, a Masters Degree (MPA) in Health Care Administration from Long Island University. In addition, he has a degree in Surgical Technology, a Professional Nursing License (RN), and is a certified Family Caregiver Instructor.

Athena Heyenoort, LMSW
Care Manager

Athena received her Master of Social Work degree from the Columbia University School of Social Work. While earning her degree, she was an intern at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, affiliated with the North Shore-LIJ Health System. There she was responsible for diagnostic assessments, discharge planning and individual psychotherapy as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team. Athena also interned at the Carnegie East House in Manhattan, offering individual and family counseling and support services to the senior community. She was trained in therapeutic crisis intervention while working at the Children's Home of Wyoming Conference in Binghamton, as a Family Life Specialist. Athena served as a Human Development Intern at the SOS Shelter, Inc., a domestic violence shelter in Broome County, NY, and as a Counseling Unit Intern at Safe Horizon in New York City. Athena's interest in crisis counseling began while earning her BS in Human Development (magna cum laude) at SUNY Binghamton, when she worked as a counselor for the campus crisis hotline and was responsible for training new counselors.