Meet The Bongiovanni Family

THE EARLY YEARS IN GILBERT

I've been a long-time resident of Gilbert since 1989. When I moved to Gilbert, the courthouse was a tiny building located at the end of the Heritage District, and the world of paved roads ended on Warner Road. A lot has changed over the years to make the Town of Gilbert as great as it is now.  

I'm not ashamed to say I came here as a college drop-out without a compass. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, the youngest of five children with a proud Italian-American heritage, I came to Gilbert looking for direction and purpose and everything this town had to offer.  

THE COLLEGE YEARS

I finished my bachelor's degree in Psychology and my Master's degree in Social Work with a concentration in Planning, Administration, and Community Practice at Arizona State University. I later completed my MBA in Marketing.

During my first Master's program, I was married, which provided me with my son, Dustin. Unfortunately, we divorced when he was an infant, and I was awarded full custody of him. Without family support in the state, Dustin and I forged a life visiting Gilbert parks and other events. As a single parent, I remember the days of searching my couches for quarters to pay for diapers.

In those early years of just my son and myself, I encountered bankruptcy and a home foreclosure after the height of the housing market crash. I'm not ashamed of these events, they made me who I am today.  

After completing my Master's Degree, I worked as a Medical Social Worker for a St. Luke's Hospital-based Medicare Home Health Agency. My job entailed visiting seniors in their homes after being discharged from the hospital.  Many of these seniors were living in assisted living homes and communities.  I saw many of them not thriving in their new homes because they weren't a "good-fit" there.

THE ACCIDENTIAL ENTREPRENEUR

Shortly after that, with the support of Gilbert's and the East Valley's senior living communities, I founded a small Gilbert-based company which helped families find senior care for their elderly loved ones.  

Fifteen years later, hard work started paying off. Newly married and working side-by-side with my wife, Becky, that small company eventually grew to became CarePatrol Franchise Systems, the nation's largest Senior Placement franchise system with 155 offices in 37 states. We were acquired by a large private equity firm in 2018, and my wife remains the Brand President today.   

In the middle of the pandemic, I left CarePatrol to start another entrepreneurial venture focusing on franchising senior assisted living homes and communities. Majestic Residences is now a growing international franchise system with locations in the Dominican Republic and nine states in America, including Arizona. 

WHY I'M QUALIFIED 

Giving back to Gilbert is extremely important to me since this town helped me succeed in business and in my overall personal life.  

I serve on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Assisted Living  Home Association, the founding president of the National Placement and Referral Alliance, and the Traditions Health and Hospice Board.  I have served on many other non-profit Boards over the years.

I believe I am uniquely qualified to be a Gilbert City Council member due to the plethora of life experiences I've had here. I have seen all aspects of life starting from my first day in Gilbert. I wasn't always successful, but I never stopped learning, growing and kicking adversity in the teeth. 

Running national and international companies have made uniquely qualified to do my part in forging ahead with the growth of this great town. 

I believe leaders must lead with input from the people they serve.  Which is exactly that. The Town Council serves the citizens of Gilbert.

It all comes down to accountability, hard work, and being humble to listen to those around you, no matter who they are and what they believe.  

I want to be a Town Council Member because I believe I will serve the citizens of Gilbert with honor, integrity and transparency.  I appreciate your support.