Q: Describe your role as Managing Partner / Director of Development at LifeCare Properties. What are your primary responsibilities and day-to-day activities?
A: My role as the Director of Development at LifeCare Properties is multifaceted and fairly dynamic. I oversee the planning, design, and execution of our senior living projects from concept to completion. This involves collaborating with various teams, including architects, contractors, and consultants, to ensure that our projects are successful.
Q: LifeCare Properties is known for its commitment to creating exceptional senior living environments. Can you elaborate on the company’s mission and values, particularly in the context of development?
A: LifeCare Properties is committed to creating exceptional senior living environments that promote wellness, comfort, and a high quality of life for our residents. Our mission revolves around providing seniors with a supportive and enriching lifestyle. We value compassion, respect, and dignity. In the context of development, we strive to incorporate these values into every aspect of our projects, ensuring that our communities are not only architecturally and functionally exceptional but also emotionally and socially enriching for our residents.
Q: Dealing with regulatory compliance is often complex in the senior living industry. How do you ensure that LifeCare Properties’ developments adhere to local zoning regulations and licensing requirements?
A: It would be impossible to be an expert on local and state regulations across the country so it’s always my preference to seek out the best consultants and experts that specialize in this. It makes the process more efficient and helps mitigate risks and challenges that arise.
Q: How does LifeCare Properties stay at the forefront of senior living trends and continuously adapt to the changing needs and expectations of senior residents?
A: We stay in constant contact with our Operations, Interior Design, Architecture, and other partners as to what they are seeing and designing into their projects. We also are continually researching and trying to learn what others are doing and are always striving to improve our projects.
Q: Finally, what advice would you offer to other professionals looking to pursue a career in development, based on your experience in this field?
A: There are many paths to getting into development but in my opinion, starting with a strong educational foundation and then doing whatever it takes to get a job directly into the development field to accelerate your experience is the path to take. I would either try and work with a larger firm to see a high volume of projects to grow your skillset with volume and contacts or get on with a smaller boutique firm to be able to advance more quickly and handle every facet of development with hands on experience. I’ve tended to enjoy working at smaller firms but see pros and cons for each path.
Q: One more thing, what fact about your life would most impress your five-year-old self?
A: Probably that grown-up me currently has two children and that one is his same age. He is into the same things that I was growing up, so I’d like to think they would’ve been great friends.