We here share the formal media announcement of the taking to the helm at Kendal of Sean Kelly. This is particularly good news for us, since Sean has had a long relationship with Collington. It was he who in his earlier role at Kendal negotiated and managed our integration into the Kendal Network.
As the formal press release says:
While at Kendal, Kelly has been responsible for leading and managing organizational efforts aimed at fostering new opportunities for growth, while supporting planning and development initiatives for existing Kendal communities. Kelly himself is well known in the aging services field and has been a frequent speaker around the country, and beyond, on numerous topics.
Kelly joined Kendal in 2008 after 11 years with Connecticut-based Retirement Living Services — a development, finance, marketing and operations consultant to senior housing and service providers throughout the United States. In 1992, Kelly graduated from Ursinus College in Collegeville with a bachelor’s degree in international relations, and in 2014 he completed an Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
This is also an important moment to note the huge contributions that retiring CEO John Diffey has made not just to Kendal and Collington, but to the entire aging services field.
Last year sever of us were privileged to be at a system-wide meeting at which long term possibilities were aired. What struck many of us was how much the expert and influential “outsiders” at the meeting emphasized how much the whole aging world looks to Kendal for leadership. (Indeed, it is a good moment to remember what most of us do not realize, that it was Kendal that led the national movement against restraints in nursing homes, a campaign that resulted in a reduction of the use of restraints in Pennsylvania from 28.6% to 1.2% from 1996 to 2013).
We know that Sean has already demonstrated that he will make Kendal even more worthy of that respect. We welcome his new role.