To whom it may concern: I first began working with Darrin Leonardson in 2007 prior to opening The Bellettini Retirement Community in Bellevue, Washington. This is considered one of the premier senior housing communities in the Northwest. Darrin was the Executive Chef and did a great job in both pre and post-opening of the kitchen. The concept was to have both a bistro/café and full-service restaurant that were open to the public. This was not the norm in the senior housing industry but Darrin embraced this idea, developed a plan and executed it very well to rave reviews in local media outlets. Shortly thereafter Darrin came to the home office to head up Leisure Care’s national food and beverage department. I worked closely with Darrin during this time as we partnered to improve our senior housing operations, worked on philanthropic efforts in Seattle and implemented new company initiatives. Darrin is a collaborative leader who always has the company's best interests in mind. I have always appreciated Darrin’s great attitude, energy, enthusiasm and passion for whatever he is doing. Darrin is a great person and leader. He has the ability to get people excited who will follow his lead. He will jump in with both feet, determine what needs to happen and work tirelessly to get the desired results. He will make a great addition to any team that he is on.