This Promise Makes All the Difference

Your Team

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  Tom Cana

  General Manager

  Beginning as a volunteer more than a decade ago, Tom has worked in many departments at Sunrise. Now, as General Manager, he credits his experience with giving him the unique insight he brings to Sunrise at East 56th. What drives him is championing the quality of care for residents while creating a community authentic to Manhattan, a community that residents feel at home in. He considers everyone at Sunrise at East 56th a member of his extended family, and works to ensure every team member treasures the relationships they have with the residents. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, he loves discussing the highs and lows of New York sports.
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  Dani Greene

  Executive Director

  Dani Greene has a wealth of experience in assisted living. She began her assisted living journey during graduate school. Her career quickly advanced as she worked as a Director of Case Management while simultaneously interning for Parker Jewish Hospice Care Center, where she learned the importance and significance of quality of life. Dani received the award for Administrator of the Year for New York State Center of Assisted Living (NYSCAL) for 2022. Dani earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Child and Family Studies at SUNY Oneonta. She then continued her education at Touro College in NYC to receive her Master of Social Work degree.
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  Jim Santana

  Executive Chef

  Jim brings more than 25 years of experience in the culinary industry to Sunrise at East 56th, and has spent the last 15 years specializing in creating healthful menus for seniors. Jim graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and his career highlights include serving as Pastry Chef at Café Luxembourg, catering movie premieres and prestigious functions at diverse locations (including FAO Schwarz), and being featured in The New York Times. Chef Santana’s menus will be driven by resident preferences, while taking into account the health-and-wellness needs of seniors—with his goal, ultimately, being to provide one of the most elevated dining experiences in the city, exclusively for our residents.
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  Oscar Argueta

  Resident Care Director

  Oscar is a service-oriented team member who began his career at five-star hotels experiencing what defines true service and excellence. With over 20 years of service in luxury hospitality, he completed the Waldorf Astoria Management Development Program and continued his career with Hilton and Marriott in New York City, Fisher Island in Florida, and The Delamar in Greenwich, Connecticut. As Resident Services Director at Sunrise at East 56th, Oscar’s goal is to bring into practice what he has learned, make special connections with people, and coordinate individualized services for our residents. Oscar loves running and walking in Central Park and experiencing the diverse, exotic foods of NYC.
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  Alyssa Friedman, LCSW

  Program Director

  As Program Director, Alyssa is responsible for providing overall leadership and management of Live With Purpose™ programming at Sunrise at East 56th. Alyssa has a Masters Degree in Social Work from NYU, and brings her clinical expertise in psychotherapy and Geriatric Care Management to her position. In her private practice, she enjoyed working with seniors to provide individualized support and assistance during times of change and transition. As a fellow New York City resident, she is eager honored to be a part of the team here at East 56th St. and looks forward to developing deep, meaningful relationships with and stellar programming for residents and their families.