The Iris Senior Living
Our Team

Kathy joined The Iris Senior Living in 2020 as a member of the leadership team. Prior to that she was the Senior Store Manager for General Nutrition Centers (GNC) for all of the store fronts in Montana for over 10 years. She had tremendous success in growing relationships with customers and team members. Kathy’s experience leading others, inspiring and empowering teams, managing staffing, working with budgets, and providing extraordinary customer care has prepared her well for her role as Executive Director at The Iris Senior Living. Kathy says, “I’ve fallen in love with this work, and I bring that passion to our everyday operations leading us forward in a compassionate and caring direction.”

Kathy is a warm, levelheaded, integral leader, who thrives in an accountability led culture. She has been warmly welcomed by the residents, families, team members, and the Great Falls Community. She is truly a True North Leader.

Kathy is a proud mother of two daughters. One majoring in Psychology at MSU Bozeman, and the other studying engineering at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.   When not working, Kathy loves socializing with her friends, and she also enjoys cooking and spending time in the beautiful outdoors.

Erin Doran began working at The Iris in 2024. Erin has been working in senior living since 2010 and working with seniors is her passion. She enjoys learning about each and every resident for their story and being able to make a difference in their lives. Erin has worked in all aspects of senior living- Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living and Independent Living.

Erin has a degree in psychology from the University of Montana. While not at work, she enjoys spending time with her two children, rescue dog, and cat and spending time in the mountains, rivers and lakes of the great state of Montana.

Ashley joined our team in January 2025. She comes to us with 20 years of restaurant experience, spending five years (2020–2024) as a General Manager. Her journey in hospitality has taken her from her hometown of Spokane, WA, to NYC, Las Vegas, North Idaho, and now finally Great Falls, MT. She has always had a passion for fresh and local ingredients and looks forward to sharing that passion here at The Iris.

You can find her in our kitchen cracking jokes, listening to music, and keeping spirits high! When not at work, she enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her English Setter, Kenai, or knitting while catching up on TV.

Heather Nichols is the heart and soul behind Iris Senior Living's vibrant event calendar. Her entrepreneurial spirit, honed over 18 years of nurturing her own small business, lends itself perfectly to her role as a life enrichment director, where creativity is key. With a unique talent for thinking outside the box, Heather crafts an array of entertaining, interesting, and inclusive activities tailored to engage every member of the senior community. The strong bonds she forms with each senior reflect her genuine affection for the community she serves—Heather doesn’t just do her job, she cherishes it.

In her off-time Heather loves spending time with her two daughters, who are the joy of life. She also loves to spend as much time as she can outside, enjoying all that Montana has to offer, camping, hiking, traveling, etc.

Bill was raised in Caldwell, NJ. After graduation, he enlisted in the US Navy, where he worked as an engineer running the boilers for 10 years. Upon returning to New Jersey, he joined the Operating Engineers Union and became a Journeyman. In 2024, Bill and his wife moved to Great Falls, where she is a professor at Providence University. He has been working in the maintenance field at The Iris as the Maintenance Director since being hired in June 2024.