55places.com Team and Authors

Bill Ness

Chief Executive Officer, Founder, & Illinois Managing Broker

Bill Ness is the head of the company and oversees everything, from the largest projects to the minutest details. His real estate career began in sales for Del Webb before becoming a sales manager for Sun City Huntley. Bill then helped to organize the grand opening of the popular Edgewater community in 2005, gaining firsthand experience of the intricacies of active adult communities.

After noticing that the industry lacked a central, reliable, and unbiased resource for active adult communities, Bill left Del Webb in 2007 to start 55places.com. Starting the company with a laptop held together by duct tape, Bill meticulously built 55places.com into the nation’s leading resource for active adult communities. Having traveled to countless 55+ communities and having interviewed residents, builders, and agents around the country, Bill is considered a leading expert on the active adult lifestyle. Bill resides in Chicago with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

Ted Ellis

Chief Strategy Officer

Ted joins the team with over 20 years of experience leading engineering, product, and revenue-generating initiatives. He has a successful track record of engineering platforms, product roadmap development, and delivery. He previously led the effort to fulfill more than 10 million orders a year as the past owner of Drugstore.com, Beauty.com, Visiondirect.com & Walgreens.com Omni channel order management platforms. Ted specializes in resource recruitment, mentorship, and inspiration in the workplace. These have enabled a deep talent network to partner with on new challenges. Ted currently resides in Austin, TX with his family and enjoys gardening and photography.

Chad Walker

Chief Revenue Officer

Chad Walker joined 55places in 2022. He comes with 14+ years of experience in the Real Estate industry, ten of which have been dedicated to leading operational excellence. Chad started off in the industry as a top-producing Real Estate Agent in Seattle, WA before taking on positions to lead high-performing teams of real estate professionals to advocate for customers along their journey of home ownership. Chad specializes in the real estate tech sector and focuses on the strategy of growing sales, revenue, and teams by collaborating with other leaders on the company’s goals and initiatives. Chad has a customer-first mentality and builds his organization around that passion. Chad currently resides in Seattle with his family and enjoys traveling when not thinking about real estate.

Vikram Bakshi

Vice President of Finance

Vikram Bakshi is an analytical and approachable professional whose logical nature is well-suited to financial planning and analysis. With a focus on finance and growth, Vikram’s journey has led him to excel in various roles. As the VP of Finance at Neighborhoods.com, his strategic mindset and attention to detail contribute to the company’s success. Prior roles as Head of Growth at Boatsetter, Manager of FP&A at Blue Nile, and Financial Planning and Analysis Manager at A Place for Mom showcase his diverse expertise in financial planning, budgeting, and analysis. Vikram’s dedication to data-driven insights and collaborative spirit shine through his career and work at Neighborhoods.com. Outside of work, Vikram enjoys spending time with his family and woodworking.

Khadeejah Johnson

Associate Vice President of Brokerage & Partnerships

Khadeejah oversees operational efficiency and strategic initiatives for the brokerage, audit, and partnership divisions. With extensive experience in real estate management and brokerage operations, she ensures compliance with state and local regulations, while guiding referral agents in adherence to contract law. Khadeejah also fosters collaborative partnerships within the referral program, all while leading a high-performing team. She is known for her strong leadership, attention to detail, and dedication to fostering growth in the brokerage community.

Alex Berryman

Senior Director of Engineering

Alex Berryman is a passionate digital nomad who has been part of the 55places.com team since 2017. With a love for adventure both on the road and online, Alex enjoys driving sports cars in his downtime. Professionally, he’s deeply committed to enhancing the user experience through his work on maps for the website, constantly seeking innovative ways to optimize and improve this feature.

Britney Gaustad

Senior Director of Product

Britney Gaustad joined 55places.com & Neighborhoods.com in 2016 with a background in administration, customer service, recruiting, and marketing. In 2022 she made the move from Sales Operations to Product Management. As Director of Product, she now drives the strategy of our engineering, marketing, and content teams. Britney has lived all over California, including Orange County, San Diego, and San Jose. She now splits time between Chicago and New Orleans.

Nina Jones

Director of Call Center Operations

Nina joined Neighborhoods in 2020 and has been dedicated to the customer’s voice for over twenty years. She specializes in a holistic business approach and is skilled at building and growing omnichannel customer support teams. She believes that happy, healthy customer support teams perform better and continues to prove this hypothesis. Nina lives in Kansas with her family and can be found after work in a cozy corner with a good book.

Sammy Dahlstrom

Director of Operations

A proud Chicago-based Midwesterner, Sammy has been with Neighborhoods.com since 2013 – basically her whole career. She keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes as Director of Operations and considers herself the Swiss Army Knife of the team. When she’s not working on contracts, audits, or special projects, you can find her at her sewing machine making quilts and watching bad movies.

Deana Becker

Deana Becker is the Senior Content Strategist at 55places.com. With an extensive editorial background, she has been writing, editing, and researching real estate topics since 2018. Her work has brought her in contact with many subject matter experts in the real estate industry, and she enjoys continually improving her SEO and content marketing skills. As a Chicago native, she’s also well-versed in the Midwestern housing market (as well as the best places for deep-dish pizza).

Maddy Crozier

Maddy Crozier (she/her) is an experienced freelance writer and editor who has worked with 55places since 2018. Now a fifth-year PhD Candidate in English at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, she has a BA and MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse from DePaul University. She specializes in researching real estate trends across the country with a focus on the Midwest and Southeast regions, including the housing markets of Chicago, Indianapolis, and East Tennessee. Dedicated to helping homebuyers make evidence-based decisions, she brings six years of experience in real estate writing and research.

Elliot Crumpley

Elliot Crumpley is a seasoned content strategist and writer with a strong background in real estate, lifestyle, and digital publishing. During his tenure at Neighborhoods.com and 55places.com from 2014 to 2018, he held various editorial roles. In these positions, Elliot produced and oversaw a wide range of content focused on active adult communities, retirement planning, and lifestyle topics. Currently, he serves as a Content Designer III at Expedia Group.

Monica Dubé

Monica Dubé is a seasoned writer and content strategist with over five years of experience spanning UX writing, copywriting, and digital publishing. Her diverse portfolio includes UX writing projects for major financial institutions like Wells Fargo and Thomson Reuters, as well as crafting content for health care, legal, and SaaS industries.

Kristina Gaddy

Kristina R. Gaddy is a Baltimore-based writer and historian with a passion for uncovering overlooked stories in American history. She has contributed extensively to publications such as The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Washington City Paper, Baltimore magazine, Narratively, Proximity, Atlas Obscura, and OZY, among others. She resides in the Waverly neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, in a 1920s daylight-style rowhouse, which she considers exemplary of the city’s housing stock.

Mike Gerrard

Mike Gerrard has been writing about Arizona property for 55places since 2019. Born in England, he and his American wife bought their home in Green Valley, south of Tucson, in 2004. As travel writers, they love exploring and writing about the USA, and Arizona in particular, which they write about on their website: Arizona-Travel-Guide.com. Mike also writes about drinks, and is the author of Cask Strength, a history of the barrel, and Behind Bars, about the connections between drink and crime.

Tony Gondolfi

Tony Gondolfi is a dedicated content writer with a focus on real estate and community living. At 55places.com, he contributed articles that provided valuable insights into 55+ living. His writing is characterized by clarity, engagement, and a deep understanding of the factors that influence homebuyers’ choices. Tony’s work continues to assist individuals in navigating the complexities of real estate and finding communities that align with their lifestyles.

Elizabeth Kang

Elizabeth Kang is a seasoned writer and content specialist with a diverse background in lifestyle, travel, and real estate journalism. Her work at Neighborhoods.com and 55places.com has focused on providing insightful articles about 55+ communities and retirement living, particularly in California. Beyond real estate, Elizabeth has contributed to publications like Active Family Magazine and Eucalyptus Magazine, covering topics from family travel to interior design.

Sean Keeley

Sean Keeley is an accomplished writer and editor with a diverse background in digital media, real estate journalism, and content strategy. During his tenure at Neighborhoods.com from 2017 to 2019, he served as News Editor and later as Content Strategist, where he produced insightful articles on urban development, housing trends, and community culture across the U.S. Beyond Neighborhoods.com, Sean has contributed to outlets like Curbed, Eater, and SB Nation, and currently serves as Managing Editor at Comeback Media.

Ellen Kershner

Ellen Kershner is our creative content writer from New Jersey. She has 20+ years of experience writing for local publications, websites, and real estate marketing companies. She has a knack for crafting reader-friendly, original content that educates our readers with clear information. Ellen has lived in Central NJ, Southern NJ, Washington, DC, and Owings Mills, Maryland.

Anthony Melville

Anthony Melville is a professional writer based in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2020 Anthony has been working with the Neighborhoods.com and 55places.com team—first as an intern and then as a freelance editor and writer. Although he grew up in Michigan and has lived in the Midwest his whole life, Anthony has road-tripped extensively across the U.S. These invaluable travel experiences, exploring the nooks and crannies of unfamiliar cities, have informed his research and writing for the 55places blog.

Charles Moss

Charles Moss is a freelance writer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a diverse portfolio spanning pop culture, history, and social issues. His work has appeared in prominent publications such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, VICE, and MOJO Magazine. Currently serving as an Assistant Editor at SPIN magazine, Moss continues to contribute insightful articles on various topics. His Chattanooga roots provide a unique perspective that enriches his writing across multiple genres.

Cari Oleskewicz

Cari Oleskewicz is a writer based in Gainesville, Florida. She has been writing about real estate, property management, travel, and active adult lifestyles for 10 years. She has delivered lectures on the importance of high-value website copy for small businesses, and has ghostwritten books for real estate investors. Before settling in Gainesville, she lived in Tampa, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; Los Angeles, California; and Florence, Italy.

Carrie Pallardy

Carrie Pallardy is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. She is a lifelong Chicagoan and avid traveler. Carrie has written extensively about real estate for Neighborhoods.com.

Adam Prestigiacomo

Adam Prestigiacomo is a Chicago-based writer with a strong focus on urban culture, neighborhood history, and real estate. Beyond 55places.com, Adam has written for Third Coast Review, covering topics ranging from local architecture to cultural events. His work reflects a deep appreciation for Chicago’s unique neighborhoods and their evolving narratives.

Susan Quilty

Susan Quilty is an experienced freelance writer based in Ashburn, Virginia. She has written extensively for a wide range of online publishers, with both bylined and ghostwritten articles featured on platforms such as Gaiam Life, WebMD, San Francisco Magazine, The Washington Post, Embrace Home Loans, Hannaford Fresh Magazine, and 55places.com. Susan’s work blends clarity, creativity, and a strong sense of audience, whether she’s writing lifestyle content, real estate descriptions, or engaging editorial pieces.

Mayra Rocha

Mayra Rocha is a writer and editor from Chicago with a strong background in real estate, lifestyle, and digital content. As an Editorial Manager at 55places.com, she helped lead the creation of engaging articles, community profiles, and lifestyle features focused on active adult communities and urban living. Over the years, Mayra has built a diverse editorial career with roles at well-known companies such as Groupon, Info.com, Remilon LLC, Thomas P. Gohagan & Co., Screen Magazine, The Chicago Reporter, Greenhouse Business Magazine, and Crane Works Magazine. Her writing consistently blends clarity, creativity, and reader-focused insights across a wide range of subjects.

Karl Schuster

Born in St. Louis, Karl Schuster has called the Chicagoland area home for over two decades. His background as a touring musician and his academic studies in sociology inform his nuanced perspectives on community and place. Whether writing about historic bars, architectural tours, or the intricacies of homeowners’ associations, Karl brings a blend of storytelling and research to his work. As a contributor to 55places.com, he has authored numerous articles exploring active adult communities and topics relevant to 55+ living.

Audrey Sellers

Audrey Sellers is a Southern California-based contributor to 55places, offering insights into the vibrant communities that cater to active adults. With a diverse background including writing for Coldwell Banker and residing in dynamic cities like Houston and Dallas, Audrey brings over 20 years of expertise in publishing, journalism, and marketing to her work. Her passion for storytelling and keen understanding of real estate trends make her a trusted voice in the industry, providing readers with valuable information to make informed decisions about their next chapter in life.

Amy Trainum

Amy is a freelance writer who has done it all when it comes to journalism and communications—from working in public relations for professional sports teams and creating engaging daily content as a digital producer and editor to doing contract writing for a marketing company on a project for Google. Amy has lived in Charlotte for almost a decade and her favorite neighborhood is Dilworth.