Amy Wees Announces Retirement After 26 Years of Leadership; Melanie Presley Named Vice President of Nutritional Services
Creative Solutions in Healthcare is honored to announce that Amy Wees, Vice President of Nutritional Services, will retire at the end of this year after 26 years of extraordinary service and leadership. Following her retirement, Melanie Presley will assume the role of Vice President of Nutritional Services, continuing the strong foundation Amy has built.
“When you look at the strength of our Nutritional Services program today, you are really looking at Amy’s life’s work,” shared Gary Blake, President & CEO of Creative Solutions in Healthcare. “For more than 26 years, she has poured her expertise, her integrity, and her heart into building systems that protect our residents, developing leaders who take pride in their work, and setting standards that have elevated care across every one of our facilities. Her impact goes far beyond policies and procedures, she has shaped the culture of this department in a way that will endure long after her retirement.”
Gary continued saying, “One of the things I admire most about Amy is that she has always invested in the next generation of leadership. Melanie is a reflection of that.
Melanie represents the kind of leader we value at Creative Solutions. She brings strong clinical expertise, operational experience, and a steady leadership style that has earned the respect of our teams across the company. I have full confidence in her ability to lead Nutritional Services forward, building on a strong foundation while continuing to strengthen the program for our residents and our facilities.”
About Amy
For more than two decades, Amy has shaped and elevated Nutritional Services across our organization. From our very first building, Granbury Care Center, she helped establish the standards, systems, and culture that define our dietary programs today. What started in a single facility has now grown to support the 182 buildings we operate today across Texas under her guidance.
Amy’s academic background laid the groundwork for her success. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Texas Christian University and later completed her MBA at University of Texas at Arlington. Her rare combination of clinical knowledge and business acumen allowed her to build a department that is both highly compliant and deeply resident-centered.
Throughout her tenure, Amy has overseen every aspect of Nutritional Services — from regulatory compliance and quality assurance to policy development, budget management, and survey readiness More importantly, she has always kept the people she serves and works with at the heart of everything she does. She has mentored and developed Dietary Managers and Certified Dietary Managers across the company, instilling professionalism, accountability, and pride in the meaningful role they serve. Under her leadership, meals have never been viewed as a task alone, but as a daily opportunity to bring comfort and dignity to the residents we serve.
Reflecting on her career, Amy shared: “I met Gary Blake and when he started Creative Solutions in Healthcare, I joined him. I am proud of the dietary managers and CDMs that we have mentored over the years to be the best they can be, so they in turn can serve the greatest generation with great meals that brighten their day.”
“Amy’s commitment to our residents and our teams has been evident in everything she’s done. She has built strong systems, strong leaders, and strong relationships across the company. We are incredibly thankful for her years of service and the foundation she leaves behind.”
About Melanie
Melanie Presley brings a dynamic blend of clinical expertise and food service leadership to her new role. A Registered Dietitian since 1999, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Sciences from Texas Woman’s University.
Melanie’s career began in large-scale food service operations within Texas school districts, including leadership roles with Tomball Independent School District and Houston Independent School District. In these roles, she oversaw operations, developed district-wide menus, supervised campuses, and ensured students received nutritious, well-managed meal programs. These early experiences sharpened her operational leadership and strengthened her ability to manage complex systems while maintaining quality standards.
She later served as Director of Nutrition of Culinary Services for Luby’s, Inc., where she collaborated closely with chefs to develop therapeutic diet recipes, strengthened vendor partnerships, and ensured regulatory compliance without compromising quality. This role expanded her scope, blending culinary innovation with clinical standards and operational excellence.
In 2016, Melanie transitioned into long-term care as a Regional Dietitian, where her combined clinical and food service background proved invaluable. She joined Creative Solutions in December 2020 during the Daybreak acquisitions and has since supported facilities across the company in regulatory compliance, clinical documentation, sanitation audits, mock surveys, and full-book state survey preparation. She has worked closely with Administrators, Directors of Nursing, and dietary managers to ensure both clinical accuracy and operational excellence in dining services.
Most recently serving as Assistant to the Vice President of Nutritional Services, Melanie is working side-by-side with Amy throughout this transition. Her deep respect for Amy’s leadership and her commitment to carrying that legacy forward are evident in her approach.
Throughout her career, Melanie has shown exceptional growth, adaptability, and a genuine passion for serving others. She values her relationships with frontline managers and credits much of her success to the collaborative partnerships she has built across disciplines. Her ability to bridge clinical standards with kitchen operations uniquely positions her to lead Nutritional Services into its next chapter.
When asked how she felt about the promotion, Melanie shared: “I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to grow in my career. When Gary offered me the position, he said that he felt this was the ‘culmination of my entire career’ and this is exactly how I feel. Without even knowing it or thinking about it, I have been preparing for this my entire career. And I have the best mentor to assist with the transition. I know how important food is to the residents we serve and how much they look forward to their meals and I am excited to help continue to grow this department and develop our meals and menus into the best in the industry.”
Amy’s retirement marks the end of an extraordinary era, and her legacy will continue to shape our organization for years to come. As we celebrate her remarkable career and look ahead, we are confident that Nutritional Services will thrive under Melanie’s capable and dedicated leadership.
Please join us in expressing gratitude to Amy for her 26 years of service and join us in congratulating Melanie as she steps into this new role.
Acerca de las soluciones creativas en el cuidado de la salud
Founded in 2000 by Gary and Malisa Blake, Creative Solutions in Healthcare is a family-owned company headquartered in Fort Worth, TX. It started with the first acquisition of Granbury Care Center and has grown to operate 182 long–term care communities throughout the state of Texas. Each location still runs on the founding principle, ‘a life lived for others is a life worthwhile’. Its mission is to provide the highest quality of care to aging adults, by investing in cutting-edge technology and embodying core values of Compassionate Clinical Care, Nutritious Meals, Enriching Lives, Valued Employees, and Unparalleled Cleanliness.
Contacts
Leila Jones
817.734.4840
Leila_Jones@csnhc.com
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