Meet the Cantex leadership team

Peter Longo is responsible for the company’s vision and mission as well as its ongoing performance and development of innovative programs and services.

With extensive experience in health-system management, he has served in a variety of leadership positions at Cantex and in industry organizations. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Cantex from 1993 to 2001. Since then, he has co-led the company’s strategic growth, including the development of new in-patient facilities and related continuing care service businesses. He also spearheaded the Cantex evolution from a multi-facility skilled nursing provider to a full-service continuing care network, including the development of strategic health care alliances.

Mr. Longo has served on and chaired the Board of Directors of the Texas Health Association and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Health Care Association. He is a member of both the Texas and New York State Bars.

Joseph Bell is responsible for overseeing the long-term strategy and direction of Cantex as well as its continued innovation and reputation for excellence.

Mr. Bell has many years of experience in health system management. While serving as General Counsel of Cantex from 1993 to 2001, he led the development of the company’s organizational structure, capitalization and risk management, and managed the company’s balance sheet. Since then, he has co-led the company’s strategic growth, including development of new inpatient facilities and related continuing care service businesses. He has spearheaded the Cantex evolution from a multi-facility skilled nursing provider to a full-service continuing care network and has developed strategic health care alliances.

Mr. Bell is a member of both the Texas and the New York State Bars.

As Cantex CEO since 2001, Robin F. Underhill manages the growth of the company’s multiple business lines, including transitional care, chronic care, home and community-based services, pharmacy, rehabilitation, and an institutional special needs plan (I-SNP). She is the driving force behind the Cantex commitment to excellence, evidenced by the company’s consistent ability to exceed state and national quality metrics.

Ms. Underhill brings significant long-term care experience to Cantex. She began her career in 1991 with Sun Healthcare Corporation, advancing to Divisional Vice President of Operations responsible for 45 skill nursing facilities. In 1999, she became Chief Operating Officer for Ballantrae Healthcare in Albuquerque, New Mexico, responsible for 35 long-term care properties.

Since arriving at Cantex, Ms. Underhill has been appointed to the Governor’s nine-member Nursing Facility Quality Assurance Team in Texas.

Greg Sanchez oversees all financial aspects of Cantex including its skilled nursing, home health, hospice, pharmacy, provider, and health plan divisions.

Mr. Sanchez began his career at Arthur Andersen focusing on healthcare and construction clients. Subsequently, he was named CFO of Bradbury Stamm Construction, a regional general contractor, and later CFO of Laurel Healthcare, a regional skilled nursing home company, both in Albuquerque, NM. Prior to joining Cantex, Mr. Sanchez spent almost 15 years at Sun/Genesis Healthcare. His most recent position was Vice President of Operational Finance where he coordinated the financial operations of several divisions with revenues of $1.2 billion covering 13 states and over 140 skilled nursing centers.

His many years of financial and operational experience in the skilled nursing sector provide him with a skillset that integrates seamlessly into the Cantex family of businesses. Mr. Sanchez is currently a licensed CPA in Texas and New Mexico.

Jack Oliver joined Cantex in 2022 and has served as General Counsel since April of 2024.  As General Counsel, Jack oversees all legal affairs relating to Cantex and provides legal consultation and guidance to the Cantex senior management team and all of its operating units. 

Prior to joining Cantex, Jack was a partner at Quintairos, Prieto, Wood and Boyer in Dallas, Texas where he focused on long term care litigation and strategic guidance for senior living clients.  Jack received his law degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas and his undergraduate degree in Finance from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. 

Armando Guzman contributes to the company mission through operational leadership of ProCare Advantage, the Cantex Institutional Special Needs Plan (I-SNP), which is a health plan and nurse practitioner company.

Mr. Guzman began his career as a Grievance and Appeals Coordinator at CarePlus Health Plans, where he filled a succession of key roles. He has filled network and provider services leadership roles at both Vista Health Plans and UnitedHealthcare. While at UnitedHealthcare, he led the successful implementation of I-SNP plans in Florida, Texas, and Minnesota.

He brings to Cantex his in-depth experience and passion for working in the unique I-SNP space. He is also a proud member of the People Engagement Council.

Dr. J. Paul Padilla serves as the Chief Nursing Officer for Cantex Continuing Care Network, overseeing all clinical operations with visionary leadership that resonates throughout our organization. With degrees from Arizona State University and over three decades of experience in Healthcare: Long-term Care, Acute Care, and Home Healthcare, Paul is a distinguished healthcare leader known for driving integrated clinical and financial operations achieving exceptional outcomes.

Since 1994, Paul has demonstrated strong leadership by mentoring teams to deliver high-quality patient care outcomes while ensuring regulatory compliance. His deep insights into healthcare delivery and commitment to evidence-based practices have significantly improved the delivery of care quality.

Paul's expertise in data analysis, system design, and implementation has resulted in the successful performance of comprehensive metric systems. These efforts have enhanced patient care pathways, ensuring organizational sustainability and success.

As Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, Tony oversees and leads the IT operations, application support, business intelligence, and security operations teams at Cantex. He has developed a secure, agile IT/IS organization that supports all business line initiatives.

Tony is a thought leader focused on security and results-oriented information technology that supports business goals and growth. He has more than 25 years of experience developing strategies that engage people, refine processes, protect information, and modernize technology to make infrastructure agile enough to support business growth.

He has developed technology departments in the real estate, financial, healthcare, retail, and utility construction industries and has led technology transformative initiatives at Texas Health Resources, Golds Gym, and Future Infrastructure, enabling these companies to manage technology spending and successfully grow.

As Vice President of Pharmacy Operations for Cantex, LaKeesha Zuniga is responsible for the operation, management, and performance improvement activities related to medication management and patient safety. She works with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure systems operate effectively and meet patient needs.

Under her guidance, the pharmacy division has expanded service within the state of Texas and beyond. Holding excellent customer service as a priority, she focuses resources on emergency preparedness and stabilization of inventory.

Dr. Zuniga also serves as Co-Chair of the People Engagement Council. In this role, she works to expand cultural awareness, communication, and education to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.

Melinda Williams is responsible for the comprehensive evolution, administration, and augmentation of the Cantex hospice and home health divisions. She spearheads the development, management, and enhancement of Cantex's hospice and home health divisions. Her leadership propels Cantex's progress, steering realization of strategic corporate objectives encompassing growth, outstanding service quality, programmatic recognition, and preservation of our indispensable personnel.

Melinda comes to Cantex with 21 years of diverse experience in multi-state management of home health and hospice programs. She has held roles from Neurosurgical Staff Nurse, Marketing Representative, Executive Director, Regional Administrator, Chief Operating Officer, Director of Strategy and most recently Vice President of Home Health and Hospice Operations before coming to Cantex. Melinda is a Registered Nurse and has a Bachelor of Science in Management and a minor in Communications.

Antonio Johnson is the Vice President of Rehab at Cantex. Certified as both a diversity professional and diversity executive, Dr. Johnson is responsible for leading operational oversight of DEI initiatives and strategies for all company business lines. He provides valuable insight for visionaries, leaders, and stakeholders on engaging with and best supporting each employee as an individual.

Dr. Johnson joined Cantex in 2010 after receiving his master's and doctorate degrees in physical therapy. Prior to his current role, Dr. Johnson served as a Regional Director of Rehabilitation with operational oversight of 19 rehab departments in Houston, San Antonio, Southeast Texas, and Monroe, Louisiana. He is a dedicated health professional and servant leader with extensive experience in healthcare administration, operations, and provider services.

While responsible for marketing, census development, and maintaining strong provider relationships across the company portfolio, Edward Proa's passion is helping families and providers ease a patient's transition into long-term care.

Mr. Proa began his healthcare career as an admissions coordinator in south Texas but quickly transitioned to the marketing position after discovering his aptitude for sales. He soon moved to the Dallas area for the challenge of a larger and more competitive market, including a stint as Business Development Specialist for The Madison on Marsh. Achieving success at the facility level, he began assuming oversight of larger geographical areas.

Since returning to Cantex in 2016, he has held a number of successively responsible positions including Area Director, Regional Director of Business Development, and Director of Centralized Admissions where he helped develop the structure, systems, and workflow for Cantex CareLink.

Elizabeth George contributes to the company mission through recruitment, retention, employee relations, on-boarding, training and benefits procurement. She is responsible for all areas of people management, including company culture, standards of behavior, hiring, onboarding, continuing education, employee relations, compensation modeling, labor management, and benefits procurement and administration.

She began her career as a Banking Center Manager with Compass Bank and held a similar position with Bank One before becoming the Human Resource Manager for The Gentry Group. Later, she joined Cardiovascular Consultants of North Texas, LLP, as Human Resource Manager and served in that capacity until moving to Golden Acres Campus. In 2007, she joined Cantex to oversee its growing workforce and was instrumental in crafting the Cantex Standards of Behavior.

Ms. George is an employee advocate with a passion for creating memorable, positive patient experiences through outstanding service delivery.

Kevin Flury joined the Cantex team in 2006 and implements all aspects of our Commitment to Excellence in our transitional care and long-term care facilities. While overseeing the field operations of facilities in Houston and southeast Texas, he provides leadership across the Cantex network.

His role as Senior Regional Vice President involves leading strategic projects aimed at maintaining Cantex’s industry leadership. This includes opening new facilities and growth into new markets, as well as rolling out processes and programs to the field.

Over his 25-year career in long-term care, Kevin’s passion for operational excellence and developing strong teams has earned him respect at Cantex and with previous organizations, including Stonegate, Integrated Health Services, and PeopleCare. He has served on advisory committees for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of Aging and Disability Services.

Traniecia Ballard serves as the Regional Vice President of Operations for Cantex, overseeing Central Texas and Louisiana. Since her commencement with Cantex in 2009, she has ascended from the role of Assistant Executive Director, consistently demonstrating a comprehensive expertise in census management, star ratings, regulatory compliance, and overall operational excellence across multiple facilities.

In her current executive capacity, Traniecia orchestrates initiatives aimed at driving robust financial performance while ensuring superior clinical outcomes. With over 15 years of experience in the skilled nursing sector, she has cultivated a profound dedication to quality patient care and an unwavering commitment to achieving outstanding financial results.

Traniecia is an alumna of Texas State University, where she earned her degree in Health Administration.

As Vice President of Nutrition Services and Vendor Relations, Carolyn Harris oversees clinical nutrition for all in-patients and food service operations in our skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, providing 10,000 meals each day. She works with senior leadership to manage vendors and provide quality products and services to our patients while controlling costs by aligning with group purchasing organizations. She also assists with renovations, acquisitions, and specialty projects.

With experience in long-term care and hospitals, Carolyn began her career with Cantex in July 1996. She and her team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists precept interns and students from Texas Women’s University, Tarrant County College, and Dallas ISD School of Health Professionals. She has served as the Chair of the Dietetics Advisory Committee at Tarrant County College for several years, where she remains a member.

Art joined the Cantex team in 2013 and brought a wealth of experience and expertise to Cantex, particularly in the critical areas of Life Safety and Building codes within the Senior Care and Plant Operations sectors. His journey from Maintenance Director to Vice President of Plant Operations reflects his dedication and capability in overseeing diverse facilities.

During his 25 years in the industry, Art has demonstrated adept leadership, ensuring not only compliance with regulations but also driving forward capital improvement projects. His role in managing the construction transition for multiple buildings and spearheading renovation initiatives underscores his proactive approach to maintaining and enhancing facility standards.

With oversight spanning multiple states, Art has showcased his ability to manage complex operational landscapes effectively. His responsibilities, including fiscal oversight of the Physical Environment and Capital Improvements, highlight his strategic vision and commitment to maintaining high standards across Cantex properties.

Additionally, his involvement in managing lease spaces for various divisions within the company showcases his versatility and capacity to handle diverse responsibilities. Overall, Art's extensive experience and hands-on approach make him an invaluable asset to Cantex, ensuring the safety and quality of care across its facilities.