Maplewood Senior Living President and CEO Greg Smith died suddenly on March 31, according to an announcement from the senior living provider and Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE: OHI).
Smith founded Maplewood Senior Living and its upscale luxury brand Inspir. He came to the industry with a background in real estate development and hospitality, and opened the company’s first community, Maplewood at Danbury, in 2006. Today, Westport, Connecticut-based Maplewood Senior Living has 16 senior living communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio.
Smith was remembered by his friends and colleagues as an industry innovator and a passionate senior living leader.
Maplewood Chief Investment Officer Tom Gaston said he was “a true inspiration to all of us.”
“We are all very grateful to him for his fearless leadership, vision and steadfast commitment to helping to change the promise and potential of our later years,” Gaston said.
Omega CEO Taylor Pickett noted that “Greg’s impact on the industry and his team was extraordinary.”
“He had bold ideas and a collaborative spirit, which helped him attract a winning team and made us proud to partner with Maplewood,” Pickett said. “We are all grateful for the many contributions he made to establish Maplewood Senior Living as an industry leading company. We have every confidence that his team will continue his legacy and are looking forward to our continued strong relationship.”
Maplewood COO Shane Herlet said Smith had an “infectious” passion that “drove all of us to push the boundaries of what was possible.”
“We are proud to carry on his legacy and continue our work to deliver best-in-class senior living options,” Herlet said. “On behalf of our leadership team, employees and investment partners, we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”
Others in the industry echoed those sentiments. Justin Hutchens, executive vice president of senior housing and chief investment officer at Ventas (NYSE: VTR) said Smith was “an extraordinary entrepreneur with the highest standards as he approached senior living with quality of life and lifestyle being his top priority.”
“I had a tremendously close rapport with Greg as I had the utmost appreciation for his passion for the senior housing business,” Hutchens told Senior Housing News. “He passed at far too young of an age and he will be missed and remembered professionally as an inspirational leader in senior housing.”
Smith was a native of the state of Massachusetts, and studied marketing and finance at Bentley University. He chaired the board of directors for Ability Beyond and was a longtime member on the board of directors of the Alzheimer’s Association’s New York City Chapter. He also supported projects and campaigns at Nuvance Health, including the Andrew Cruz Endowed Chair in Palliative Care, which was established in memory of his cousin.
The post ‘Extraordinary Entrepreneur’: Maplewood Senior Living Announces Unexpected Death of CEO Greg Smith appeared first on Senior Housing News.
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