Royalton Place Independent Living

Management Team

Mike and Candice Watson, Executive Directors

Mike and Candice started as co-managers of The Regent and took over for the previous managers when they retired in the spring of 2008. They are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the community and for providing vision, direction and accountability for all departments and functions. Having worked in apartment management since 1995, they know and understand how to make residents happy. Since they truly love and care for the residents, they take very special care to provide an atmosphere that is warm, friendly and safe. One of their favorite activities is heading west to the coast. In good weather, Mike and Candice enjoy camping, and when the weather is a bit colder they enjoy watching football, reading and taking drives. Since their son became a student at OSU, they have developed a new passion for all OSU related activities.

Paul Gates, Assistant Manager

Paul Gates is the Assistant Manager of The Regenta position typically staffed by a married couple due to the long and demanding duty hours. He focuses on payroll records, accounts payable, staff supervision and day-to-day needs and concerns of our residents. Paul manages with an easy-going disposition and a get-it-done/do-it-right work ethic. Residents appreciate his dependability, empathy and sense of humor. He joined The Regent staff in 2008 as a supper chef after operating his own restaurant in Philomath for 22 years. He was promoted to Assistant Manager in 2009.
Paul has four grown kids, six grandchildren, one great grandchild and now brags fondly of the seventy “grandparents, moms and dads” he has acquired in his work at The Regent. He is an avid sports fan (Blazers, Mariners and Beavers), enjoys reading, collects neck times and believes in Santa Claus. He loves music. Friends are always astounded by the size and breadth of his recorded music collection.

Melissa Steenhoek, Community Relations Director

Melissa is the Director of Community Relations and Marketing for The Regent. She has good relationships with various industries in town and presents on behalf of The Regent at multiple venues throughout the week. She also places ads and takes prospective residents on tours of the community. She graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Marketing in 2004. She then moved to Chicago with her husband while he finished school and managed a coffee shop until they transferred to Corvallis, OR so he could be a youth pastor.
Melissa’s favorite hobbies include knitting/crocheting, reading, playing board games with friends and listening to bands at local venues. Since her husband played football through college and now coaches, she is heavily involved with football season when it arrivesalways rooting for the great University of Michigan!

Karen Colvin, Activities Director

As The Regent’s Activities Director, Karen leads daily exercise classes, plans outings, arranges the entertainment schedule, and serves the residents at various p arties and functions. She is excited about planning a new raised-bed vegetable garden for this Spring and starting art classes. So far, her favorite part of her job is exercising every day with the residents.
Karen grew up in the outskirts of Canby, OR in a red house with an assortment of pets and relations to keep her company. She is licensed to teach middle and high school science, though she currently lacks a classroom. Karen has had a lifetime of experience growing vegetables with her family in their annual gardenwhich happens to be bigger than their house. Her hobbies are reading, arts and crafts, cooking, and watching science fiction shows. Currently, Karen is using her spare time to write and illustrate a comic book for her little sister. Her favorite food is chocolate and she dislikes canning pears intensely. She is also not too fond of her mother’s chickens.

Heather Docken, Activities Director

As the Director of Activities at The Regent since 2002. Heather leads daily exercise classes, plans weekly excursions, presents musical entertainers, invites local speakers, facilitates games and more. She works hard to keep residents active, happy and fully engaged, not only with activities but also with Regent staff, with friends and with family. In her spare time Heather enjoys cooking, bicycling, reading and travel.

Tim Borgen, Executive Chef

Tim brings 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry to his job of Executive Chef at The Regent. As a result, he understands that meals should be not only be flavorful and healthful, but also attractively presented. Tim meets monthly with residents to help understand how he and his staff can better meet their preferences and deliver the highest level of customer service and satisfaction. As a self-described "Star Wars" expert, Tim enjoys reading science fiction and going to the movies.

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