ARV Assisted Living Names New Northern California Management Team.

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 1999--

ARV Assisted Living Inc. (AMEX:SRS) Friday announced that it has appointed John B. Evans to the post of vice president, operations for the Northern California region.

Evans will report to Senior Vice President of Operations Robertson K. Chandler and will oversee the company's regional operating division in Northern California including 18 assisted living communities in the area. ARV's Northern California regional office is located in Newark.

Evans brings to ARV extensive knowledge of the seniors market gained through his 13 years experience in the senior healthcare industry. He joins ARV from Mariner Post Acute Network, Hayward, Calif., where he has served as regional vice president of operations since 1999. Mariner Post-Acute Network, the result of mergers between Paragon Health Network, Mariner Health Group, Living Centers of America, and GranCare, is the second largest provider of long term/sub-acute care in the United States with approximately 450 facilities in four states.

From 1993 to 1999 he was executive director with Guardian Health Group, at a flagship facility in Marin County, Calif., which offered multiple levels of care. Evans was instrumental in filling the new Smith Ranch facility in 60 days and in developing the independent living campus on-site.

Prior to joining Guardian, Evans worked with Hillhaven Corp., Tacoma, Wash., from 1986 to 1993, first as an administrator-in-training, then assistant administrator at a California facility, and executive director for three facilities in California and Oregon. In these roles, Evans was responsible for the day-to-day financial business, operations and nursing staff at the facility.

Evans' earlier work experience included serving in the hospitality industry from 1977 to 1986, following active duty in the U.S. Army. A resident of Petaluma, Calif. he earned his bachelor of science degree in business from United States International University in San Diego.

ARV also announced the appointment of Debra Nelson to the position of regional sales and marketing director for the Northern California region. Nelson will be responsible for directing and evaluating all marketing efforts to create continuity throughout ARV's Northern California communities, and will report to Evans, the new vice president of operations.

From 1996 to 1999, Nelson was the director of marketing/sales and business development with Healthpoint/Bay Area Occupational Medical Corp., Hayward. In this role, she was responsible for increasing revenues and market share over 50 percent.

Nelson brings more than 17 years of sales and marketing experience in the healthcare field, including her positions as business development manager with NovaCare Inc. from 1995 to 1996; sales manager at Apria (formerly Total Pharmaceutical Care and Abbey Infusion) from 1993 to 1995, and at Thera-Kinetics Inc. from 1989 to 1993.

Nelson, a resident of San Ramon, Calif., earned her bachelor of science in business administration from San Jose State University.

Founded in 1980, ARV is one of the largest operators of assisted living communities in the nation, currently operating 58 communities containing nearly 6,900 units in 10 states. In addition, the company has four properties in various stages of development.