Leadership

Bryan O’Donovan, M.S., M.P.A.
President & CEO
Bryan O’Donovan is President and CEO of Lifetime Assistance. He is responsible for leading the advancement of the Agency’s mission to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities achieve their full potential.
Prior to joining Lifetime Assistance, O’Donovan was a longtime leader for divisions across the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) networks. He started with URMC as a Senior Administrator of the Heart Failure, Artificial Heart and Transplantation program, then moved to Director of UR Medicine Strong West, and subsequently served as Director of Ambulatory Administration. O’Donovan’s leadership and commitment to quality led to his appointment as President and CEO for St. James Hospital/UR Medicine, where he led the hospital’s move into a new $85 million facility and through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Passionate about helping vulnerable members of our community, O’Donovan began his career as an Administrative Officer for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he oversaw programs that supported the welfare and rehabilitation of homeless and disabled veterans.
A graduate of St. John Fisher College, O’Donovan earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in human resource development. From there, he obtained a Master of Public Administration degree in health policy from American Public University.
In his free time, O’Donovan enjoys spending time with his wife, Shanna, and their three children, hiking at Letchworth State Park, spending time outside and enjoying all that this region has to offer. One of his favorite summer sports activities is attending Rochester Red Wings games. He and his family live in his hometown of Avon, N.Y.

Linda Anderson
Chief Financial Officer
Linda Anderson is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Lifetime Assistance. She is responsible for the Agency’s fiscal health, managing and leading all financial operations and overseeing all aspects of its financial success.
Anderson joined Lifetime Assistance in 1992 as a senior accountant. She was promoted to Controller in 1997 and in 2016 was promoted to CFO. In over 30 years with Lifetime Assistance, Anderson has expertly supported and guided the Agency and the Board through significant challenges and opportunities – continually keeping the Agency’s financial health and stability at the forefront, while focusing on financial compliance.
Anderson is a CPA and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at St. John Fisher University. She participates in coalition work throughout the intellectual and developmental disabilities industry, including the Financial Managers Association of Rehab Agencies, InterAgency Council, and Developmental Disabilities Association of Western New York.
Anderson lives in the Rochester area and enjoys spending time with her two adult children.

Debra Argus
Senior Vice President of Health Services
Debra Argus is Senior Vice President of Health Services at Lifetime Assistance. In addition to her commitment to the Agency’s mission, she is dedicated to the development of the Lifetime Assistance clinical teams that provide exceptional care to the amazing people they are privileged to support.
Following a long and successful career in pharmacy management, Argus pursued her RN degree and joined the University of Rochester Medical Center as an RN on the solid organ transplant unit.
Argus joined Lifetime Assistance in 2010 as a residential Registered Nurse (RN). She advanced through various leadership roles in the health services realm and began her current role in November 2020. During her time at Lifetime Assistance, she took a lead role in overseeing the Agency’s first nursing contract providing nursing services to a five-home agency that Lifetime Assistance has since acquired. She also led the seamless transition to an electronic medication administration records system in 2017.
Argus earned her associate degree in Monroe Community College’s RN program and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the State University of New York at Brockport. She is a member of the Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association and has completed and maintains certification as a certified developmental disabilities nurse. Argus is a member of the Developmental Disabilities Alliance of Western New York nurses’ group and the New York State ID/DD Nurses Association. She is also a recipient of the Lifetime Assistance Joanne Mills Award for Nursing Excellence.
Argus enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband, Phil, have five adult children, six grandchildren and two shih-tzus. She also enjoys gardening, making jam and canning various veggies.

Jasmine DiSalvo
Director of Foundation and Communications
Jasmine DiSalvo is Director of Foundation and Communications at Lifetime Assistance. She is responsible for developing and leading the fundraising strategy and activity for the Agency, as well as managing the brand and creating effective messaging strategies for both internal and external communication.
Prior to joining Lifetime Assistance, DiSalvo managed and led a successful 15-month capital campaign to raise more than $5 million at Mercy Flight Central in support of four new helicopters, creating a transformational opportunity for the not-for-profit air medical provider and the community it serves. Before joining Mercy Flight Central, DiSalvo spent nearly a decade at the Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE) at Rochester Institute of Technology. Starting as the assistant director of development and alumni relations, DiSalvo was promoted to director of development and ultimately became the senior director of development where she focused on major gifts in support of college-wide initiatives.
DiSalvo earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Utica College and Syracuse University. She is an active member of the Victor-Farmington Rotary Club, dedicated to “service above self” within her community.
In her free time, DiSalvo can be found coaching or on the sidelines of her children’s softball and baseball games, or out in the community with her family enjoying Rochester staples like the Seneca Park Zoo and the Strong National Museum of Play.

Ernie Haywood
Chief Operating Officer
Ernie Haywood is Chief Operating Officer for Lifetime Assistance. He has been with the Agency for more than 40 years, starting his long and distinguished career at Lifetime as a front-line direct support professional.
Over the years, in recognition of his outstanding leadership, he was promoted to numerous leadership positions. Haywood oversees Quality Assurance, Transportation, Maintenance, Self-Advocacy, Residential Services, Family Care Services, Recreational Services, Respite Services, Day Services and Pre-vocational Services.
Haywood’s passion for fostering independence, dignity, respect and full community inclusion for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities has resulted in the development of numerous services and supports. Under his leadership, Lifetime has opened 55 residential homes, 13 day-services centers, two large affordable housing complexes, and numerous support services to foster independence. He recently led the Agency’s initiative to transform three aging day services locations into state-of-the-art centers that provide technologies and environmental modifications to better support people of all abilities.
Haywood earned an associate degree in human services from Monroe Community College, a bachelor’s degree in social work from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in public administration from the State University of New York at Brockport.
Haywood currently serves as secretary of the board for the Developmental Disability Alliance of Western New York (DDAWNY). He is active in his community through his elected position as Supervisor of the Town of Bergen and is a member of the Board of Education for the Genesee Valley Board of Cooperative Education. He previously served as a board member for Genesee County Community Services, the Village of Bergen, and the Byron-Bergen Central School District.
Ernie lives with his wife, Wendy, and enjoys spending time with his family, including five grandchildren.

Keith Gilderhus
Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer
Keith Gilderhus is Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at Lifetime Assistance. He is responsible for developing and leading the data technology and security strategy for the Agency, as well as ensuring best-in-class end-user support for Lifetime’s nearly 2,000 technology users.
Prior to joining Lifetime Assistance, Gilderhus managed and led Information Security and Technology projects as a consultant to numerous clients required to meet rigorous security requirements related to the protection of Personal Health Information. Gilderhus has over a decade working with various human services agencies, helping them to improve effectiveness and compliance in the use of strategic technology leveraged for the delivery of health and human services to the most vulnerable members of local communities. He has also managed very large technology support and service operations delivering services from numerous overseas locations.
Gilderhus earned a bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics from North Dakota State University, completed the Information Assurance and Security graduate programs for senior government and military members at the National Defense University in Washington, DC and earned a Master of Science degree in Information Management and Security from Syracuse University. Gilderhus holds multiple industry certifications in Information Technology and Security and is retired from the U.S. Navy with a final rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Keith’s permanent residence is in St. Augustine, Florida where he enjoys all things outdoors and everything there is to learn and study in “America’s Oldest City.”