Ziegler Hires New Senior Banker

   Ziegler, a specialty investment bank with unique expertise in complex credit structures and advisory services, welcomes Rebecca Neth Townsend as its newest member of the senior living and post-acute care banking team in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ziegler is one of the nation's leading underwriters of financing for not-for-profit senior living providers. Ziegler offers creative, tailored solutions to its senior living clientele, including investment banking, financial risk management, merger and acquisition services, investment management, seed capital, FHA/HUD, capital and strategic planning as well as senior living research, education, and communication.

Rebecca joins Ziegler as a senior vice president, focusing on sponsorship structures for not-for-profit senior living and healthcare organizations, including consolidations and affiliations. She also will seek consulting and advisory opportunities in the integration of healthcare and senior living spaces, especially related to healthcare reform initiatives.

Prior to joining Ziegler, Rebecca served as senior vice president of Covenant Retirement Communities, a multi-site system comprised of twelve CCRCs in nine states. During her more than 25-year tenure, she filled a variety of roles in marketing, project and strategic development. She oversaw the concept development and feasibility stages for new locations, expanded locations, expanded services and acquisitions. This included the development of two completed green field CCRCs in Colorado and Michigan, an affordable housing project in Oregon, and the soon-to-be developed rental CCRC in Kansas. She also was founding president of Covenant Solutions, the project development entity of Covenant Retirement Communities and guided the strategic plan for Covenant Ministries of Benevolence. Prior to her Covenant tenure, Rebecca was a hospital administrator and operations director.

Mary Munoz, Managing Director, Senior Living Finance at Ziegler, stated, "We're very excited to have Rebecca join our west coast senior living team as we seek to serve clients through a broad array of advisory and banking services in this dynamic economy and evolving industry. We believe her skills will nicely complement those of the other western region banking team members."

Dan Hermann, Head of Investment Banking at Ziegler added, "We are honored to have Rebecca join our senior living team. She has gained extensive knowledge of the senior living and healthcare spaces by developing and working within CCRC systems and providers of all types. She will add tremendous value to our team and to the clients we serve."

For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at www.Ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:

The Ziegler Companies, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: ZGCO) together with its affiliates (Ziegler) is a specialty investment bank with unique expertise in complex credit structures and advisory services. Nationally, Ziegler is ranked as one of the leading investment banking firms in its specialty sectors of healthcare, senior living, religion and education finance, as well as corporate finance and FHA/HUD. Headquartered in Chicago, IL with regional and branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler creates tailored financial solutions including bond financing, advisory, private placement, seed capital, M&A, risk and asset management. Ziegler serves institutional and individual investors through its wealth management and capital markets distribution channels.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This client's experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

Christine McCarty 312 596 1617 Email Contact