Dancing With Their Stars 2022

Tim & Lydia

Timothy and Lydia Diassi of Monmouth Beach and Far Hills, NJ. Lydia has been of lifetime resident of the shore, growing up in West Deal. Tim is President of Hydra HCM, and Lydia is a realtor with O’Brien Realty. They have 2 children Gabrielle Diassi–Shah, and Nicholas. They enjoy an active lifestyle that includes traveling, biking, tennis, golf, and most of the time you can find them at the beach. They spend a great deal of their time with their large families. They are involved with several local charities and philanthropic projects, which lead them to join this year’s Dancing With Their Stars to support Caregiver Volunteers.

Denise & Billy

Denise VanTassell was born in Brooklyn NY, moving to Staten Island as a baby. She is the founding owner of Alcoeur Gardens Memory Care Communities, in Monmouth and Ocean County.  She is a registered nurse, Nursing Home Administrator and president of Varis Health Education.  Her love for seniors prompted her to create the unique atmosphere of small intimate Alzheimer’s communities. Both her daughters are nurses and assist her in running the communities. They are excited to open a new community in Matawan this spring.

Bill VanTassell was born in Brooklyn NY.   He moved to Staten island as a teenager, where he met the love of his life -Denise. Bill is a master carpenter, artist, avid car buff and animal lover. He enjoys  riding around in his cars, going to car shows with his grandchildren, playing with his lizards and playing his guitar. His workmanship can be seen throughout the Alcoeur communities.  Together Bill and Denise and their family passionately operate Alcoeur Gardens.

Bill and Denise met over 40 years ago in their hometown of Staten Island New York. They are blessed with 3 children and 6 grandchildren. In their spare time(lol) they enjoy boating, bowling and bocce.

Their love for dancing takes them to many restaurants and clubs in Naples Florida.

But the best time for them is spending time with their grandchildren!

Michael & Kimberly

Michael and Kim met on a ski trip in Vermont 5 years ago, and recently tied the knot last May on a beautiful day in Sea Isle City, NJ. Both being born and raised in New Jersey, they share their love for the shore. A little over a year ago they moved into their first house together in Brick, NJ.

Kim works in Manhattan as the Fashion Merchandising Director for clothing company BlankNYC, and Michael is the Director of Business Development for The Villas, luxury senior living in Holmdel and Manalapan. When they aren’t working, they enjoy going out on the boat with their dog, Charlie, or trying new restaurants in the area. They are thrilled to be part of Caregiver Volunteers’ Dancing With Their Stars fundraiser in May!

Gianna & Bill

Bill and Gianna met at church many years ago, and became a couple 5 years ago, after their mutual love of Country music and the song “Outskirts of Heaven” sparked some conversation.

He proposed to Gianna this past July at the NJ Festival of Ballooning.  They are planning a September 2023 wedding.  They have 4 kids between us.   Bill works for the State of NJ as a Probation Officer of Monmouth County and Gianna is the Activity Director in Harrogate’s Health Center (Long term care). They are both passionate about their professions and advocating for those they serve.   They are looking forward to making their dancing debut at CVCJ’s Dancing With Their Stars!

Amanda & Harsh

Amanda Pero is the founder and owner of Limitless Training. She has a B.S. in Exercise Science from Montclair University and holds a Level 1 Certification in Precision Nutrition. She had seven years personal training experience before starting Limitless Training.

Dr. Harsh Prajapati, PT, DPT established Pure Physio Mobile Physical Therapy in August 2020 in order to provide personalized orthopedic physical therapy services at clients’ homes.  Dr. Harsh’s passion for orthopedic and sports care stems from his management of his own injuries as an athlete as well.

Their passion to help others brought them together to collaborate with their program Next Level Recovery. Together they provide safety and trust to help each individual, what a great way to help people continue to work towards their goals in a safe manner while recovering from an injury. They both travel to patients’/clients’ homes in Middlesex and Monmouth County to provide their services.

When they aren’t working they are both focusing on their personal fitness goals as well as going to the beach and playing volleyball.  They can’t wait to show off their moves on the dance floor in support of Caregiver Volunteers’ mission!

Nneka & Casey

Nneka works tirelessly to provide the best possible care for the Elderly population in conjunction with underserved communities at Blessing Bag Brigade. In her spare time, you can catch her running after her pup, Ralph-Oliver, or trying out her comedic talents at various improv/comedy clubs.

Casey is a healthcare advocate who has spent the last decade supporting New Jersey families affected by a variety of diseases. He is passionate about ensuring equal access to healthcare for everyone. As the Director of Development for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater NJ Chapter, Casey is committed to a world without Alzheimer’s and all other forms of dementia. Casey is grateful for the commitment of volunteers who make the world a better place for those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. In his spare time Casey can be found hiking with his Rottweiler Eleanor or traveling in pursuit of exotic cuisine.

Casey and Nneka met at a Pups and Prosecco event in Manasquan New Jersey. With their combined love for philanthropy it’s no wonder how these two became fast friends and are excited to hit the dance floor in support of CVCJ’s 2022 Dancing With Their Stars.

Deena & Rich

Deena Coffee, Director of Community Relations for Artis Senior Living of Eatontown. Deena has been in the Healthcare Industry for the last 20 years. Beginning her career as a Dining Room Manager at Crestwood Manor moving to Leisure Park where she was the Independent Living Administrator for 15 years. Deena is an active member of the Monmouth / Ocean Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee. Deena was introduced to Caregiver Volunteers on a personal level last year when her Father was a recipient of their Connect Thru Music Program. For Deena, supporting all the fundraising efforts of this amazing agency is an honor. Deena grew up in Toms River. She and her husband Kevin stayed in Toms River where they raised their two children, Chelsey and Shane. Chelsey and her husband Joe live in Philadelphia; Shane works at Community Medical Center and is pursuing a career in Welding. In her spare time Deena enjoys being with her family and going to the beach.

Richard (Rich) Pacesa, Jr. is the Co-Owner of Adoro Healthcare Supplies, as we all as a financial and insurance advisor. Rich has been involved in the healthcare community for a number of years and loves to do what he can to give back in the Central Jersey area. Rich is active in his community, assisting with multiple non-profit organizations. He sits on the board of trustees of Catholic Charities in Ocean County, on the board of directors of The Catholic University Alumni Association, on Parish Council of Sacred Heart Church in Bay Head, where he is also a lector, as well as being an active member of Shore to Give which serves a variety of charities and organizations in Ocean County. When he’s free, Rich enjoys spending time with friends and family. He is a resident of Point Pleasant and avid boater who loves taking advantage of all the benefits that living at the Jersey Shore has to offer!

Alexandra & James

Alexandra Amato immigrated to the states from Portugal as a young child. Alex started her career in healthcare as a candy striper at Monmouth Medical at the age of 11. She currently is a Community Liaison for Holisticare Hospice. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband John, her two boys Chris, 18 and Nicholas, 23 as well as her niece Anabella, 18 and stepsons Anthony, 29 and Joe, 25. Alex’s passion is giving back to her community and fundraising is a vital part of her daily work. She is excited to be a part of this year’s Dancing With Their Stars and looks forward to her turn on the dance floor.

James Tavormina, Vice President of Sales for Springpoint, currently managing the sales teams in all 8 Life Plan communities, operations for our new stand-alone assisted living, and the Continuing Care at Home program. James is going on his third year back in NJ with Springpoint. Prior to Springpoint, he worked for Benchmark Senior Living out of Boston where he was the Sr. Regional Director of Sales, overseeing the sales and marketing efforts of all development projects, acquisitions, CCRC’s and 3 regions in MA including the Newton market, South Shore/Cape and Western Massachusetts. He spent 5+ years with Brookdale during the Emeritus purchase wearing many hats, starting as a Sales Director for a start up in Roseland, to an area director, to a regional sales specialist travelling all over the country running 14-17 communities. He lives in Hamilton Square, NJ and is married with 2 beautiful children 5 and under, Ryann (5) and Lucy (20 months). He has always worked in Senior Living, never anywhere else, studied and received my Bachelors from Seton Hall University in 2009.

Together, they are excited to hit the dance floor in support of Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey.

Andrew & Clare

Andrew is a Union County native and met Clare in 2012 while in Medical School at Drexel University. Since tying the knot in 2015 the couple have lived in Baltimore, Los Angeles, and as of fall 2021 they have relocated back to New Jersey.

Andrew completed Orthopaedic Surgery and Spine Surgery training and now works with Garden State Medical Center and operates out of the Manchester Surgery Center in Whiting, NJ and at Community Medical Center. Clare is originally from central Pennsylvania and completed a dual residency program and is boarded in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She recently joined RWJBH and is practicing at their new primary care hub on Route 70 between Brick and Lakewood.

The couple loves to travel together and some of their favorite adventures have been cave swimming in Belize, scuba diving in Hawaii, glacier climbing in Iceland, and hiking to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite. They just bought a home in Brick and are looking forward to their first summer together on the Jersey Shore!

Piya & Nate

Piya Paulus is the owner of Always Best Care which serves Ocean, Monmouth, Somerset & Middlesex counties.  In February 2014, Piya jumped into the Elderly Care space, a sector which is always close to her heart, this was a new challenge.  What started off as a small homecare company in 2014, grew into one of NJ’s largest with 4 counties and about 160 employees in a span of 4 years.  For Piya, she had found her calling and wanted to give our Elderly a complete continuum of care, she ventured into Adult Daycare so that our lonely Seniors can go from one to the other as their needs changed.  Piya loves to travel the world and shop at all the beautiful places she visits.  She also loves to dance….and is excited to hit the dance floor in support of CVCJ.

Nate Taylor is the executive director for the Chelsea at Brick. Nate deviated from his path to be a History teacher when he took a part time job calling bingo at a senior center. He quickly realized his calling was not to teach history, but rather serve those who lived the history he found so interesting. “The first hand stories I get to hear from residents is truly a highlight of my career, I get to serve a generation of war heroes, and depression era survivors whose stories inspire me to keep my life in perspective and be grateful for all we have today”. When Nate is not working he is spending time with his beautiful wife Claudia and their two young children, two year old Mateo and 10 month old Mark.