Villa Alamar is the longest-running memory care community in the county. Since it first opened in 1996, it has become the gold standard for memory care in Santa Barbara, California.
Our architectural features are uniquely suited for the care of residents living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Residents can safely make use of indoor and outdoor areas to maintain an engaging lifestyle. Our sensory-stimulating environment, open pathways, and beautiful courtyards promote a supportive memory care community.
In 2018, Villa Alamar was acquired by a group of local residents who are now responsible for its management. At the core of our care philosophy is our belief in working in close collaboration with family members and medical teams to achieve the best ongoing quality of care for each of our residents.
Our Management Team
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Our Executive Director, Mitch Leichter is an esteemed and experienced Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) Administrator, who originally obtained his license in 2000. In addition to Villa Alamar, Mitch is also the Administrator/Partner of our sister community, Alexander Gardens Assisted Living. Villa Alamar has flourished under Mitch’s leadership. With a deeply rooted philosophy in providing care with dignity and respect, our memory care residents find in him their most fervent ally. He continues to invest in their quality of care and in enriching their environment and activities. He strongly supports our staff with personnel resources and investments in their own education, encouraging them to grow professionally and enabling them to become the best care team in Santa Barbara. It is thanks to his character and commitment to excellence that our care team is consistent and reliable, with staff members who have been here for so long that we are now also employing their adult children! Mitch started his career in senior care as a Recreation Therapist in 1996, specialized in aromatherapy and holistic treatments. He is the recipient of the California Assisted Living Association (CALA) Award for his Sensory Integration Program for dementia patients, program which he brings to Villa Alamar to the delight of our residents. In his spare time Mitch enjoys beach time with friends and family. He is a firm believer in the benefits of meditation, which he practices daily. Mitch is also always looking forward to adding a new item to his extensive collection of awesome Hawaiian shirts.
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 Ingrid EstrellaAssociate Executive Director Ingrid is a Licensed RCFE administrator who has been with Villa Alamar since 2017. She describes herself as a people’s person who wants to help people. In her spare time Ingrid enjoys riding her Vespa, relaxing at the beach, and spending time with family and friends. But hey, who are we kidding? With all her jobs and a new baby, there will hardly be any spare time…
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 Yesenia Leon, LVNResident Services Director Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Yesenia joined Villa Alamar in 2017 first as a caregiver, then a medication technician. In 2020 she assumed the position of Resident Services Director, while still attending nursing school. In 2022 she completed her LVN program.With careful attention to detail and genuine dedication to the health of our residents, Yesenia is trusted by her colleagues and adored by our residents. She is an expert in detecting changes in symptoms and communicating those changes to our residents’ doctors, who deeply rely on her for accurate information. “I love when I catch a glimpse of our residents”, says Yesenia, “especially during those special moments when they really look at you and say Thank you! – you know it is really sincere and it makes my heart melt… they remind me every day of how much I love my job!” The high quality of her work indeed reflects her passion and dedication!
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 Luciana MitzkunCommunity Services Director Luciana is a Licensed RCFE Administrator and memory care specialist, with 30 years of experience in assisting families and patients affected with dementia, such as in Alzheimer’s disease. Formerly a Care Consultant for the Alzheimer’s Association, Luciana brings extensive knowledge in care-planning and working in collaboration with diverse supportive organizations and community leaders. Luciana is also the owner of Home Choices for Mom and Dad, a free senior placement referral service agency specialized in connecting seniors with care resources in Santa Barbara. Her books on memory care, Ahead of Dementia and Ahead of Memory Loss, are popular resources bringing valuable information and strategies to patients and caregivers affected with memory-related conditions. Her work is also available in Spanish, Un Paso Adelante de la Demencia, on her YouTube Channel, dedicated to memory caregivers, and on Substack. Continuously invested in educating the community about caregiving and memory care issues, Luciana is a long-standing volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Associations educational programs. She delivers presentations for caregivers every month at Sansum Clinic. When she is not writing, consulting, volunteering, or assisting residents and their families, Luciana likes to travel, swim, snorkel, and dance to country music with her husband, The Roy.
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Mirah Grace Ray Born and raised in Vallejo, California, Mirah began performing as a violinist at age 9 and teaching violin at the age of 11. “I’ve always felt a deep connection to the older generations,” says Mirah, “and it was through music that I was able to bring that connection to life as I started working in activities for seniors, begining in 2016.” Her lovely, cheerful disposition, and her enthusiasm for senior care endears her almost immediately to all those who meet her. Mirah is beyond thrilled to join our family as the new Senior Life Enrichment Director for both Alexander Gardens Assisted Living and Villa Alamar, where she combines her musical talent with her passion for senior care. Mirah seeks to prioritize community engagement by recognizing each person’s individual gifts. Mirah is also a violin and cello teacher. When she is not working on events and activity programs, she is working on her own music projects or on her students’ music journeys. When she has extra time, she loves to read, continue learning, be in nature, exercise, practice music, and spend time with family and friends.
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Michelle Lopez After a 20-year career as a preschool teacher working with underserved children, Michelle has redirected her attention to senior care. She brings to this field all the techniques she has perfected in stimulating creativity and curiosity in the younger minds, adapting them to uplift and delight our residents who have diverse levels of cognitive skills. Michelle is a master in devising unique activities to address the individual needs of each one of our residents, while promoting a healthy and joyous community experience. Michelle raised her two children in Santa Barbara (one of them our very own Ingrid Estrella!) and has served as a foster parent for at-risk teenagers for the past 9 years. She also has two dogs, occasionally bringing one of them to Villa Alamar for a most appreciated pet-therapy!
Congratulations to you as well, grandma!
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Villa Alamar also has a tradition in recognizing and rewarding talent among our staff members. Fatima is another living example of a valued staff member who has grown through the ranks to become one of our most esteemed managers. Fatima joined Villa Alamar in 2020 as a caregiver. Her leadership skills became evident during the height of the covid epidemic, when she attended to our residents and family members, motivated our staff members, and kept the morale up for all of us. As Resident Care Coordinator, she now helps facilitate our residents’ social and medical appointments and activities, as well as coordinate care internally with our med-techs. Her attention to detail and her commitment to the well-being of our residents inspires us all.
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