At The Forefront Podcast Welcomes Panel of Senior Living Experts Check out our two-part episode of “At The Forefront” featuring an advisory panel of senior living experts to discuss multiple facets of the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) industry. Tim Mallad and the panel guests including Steve Ailey, George Linial and Pam Altizer, provide a comprehensive overview of the history and current state of senior living. This trio offers tips when researching a CCRC provider, discuss entry fees and financing and offer personal insight into selecting the best senior living community based on an individual’s needs and preferences. Join us for this special two-part episode designed to help you and your loved ones navigate the path to living well through senior living. ABOUT THE PANEL: Steve Ailey is the CFO for Forefront Living and has 20 years of experience in financial and operations management. His professional background includes working with non-profit healthcare organizations and financial firms. George Linial is the CEO and President of LeadingAge Texas and has more than 20 years of experience in working with senior issues. LeadingAge provides leadership, advocacy and education for not-for-profit retirement housing and nursing home communities. Pam Altizer is a retired business professional with a finance background. Pam and her husband Goose are both active residents at Presbyterian Village North. Pam’s mother Betty also resides at Presbyterian Village North. Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/ATFYouTubeE10-1 | https://tinyurl.com/ATFYouTubeE10-2 Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ATFSpotifyE10-1 | https://tinyurl.com/ATFSpotifyE10-2 Apple https://tinyurl.com/ATFAppleE10-1 | https://tinyurl.com/ATFAppleE10-2 Keep Reading
Introducing Ke’o Velasquez – Corporate Director of Operations and Hospitality It is with great pleasure that Forefront Living announces Ke’o Velasquez as its Corporate Director of Operations and Hospitality. Ke’o brings more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality and senior living industries with him as he joins our team! In his role as Corporate Director of Operations and Hospitality, Ke’o will support each of our entities with a focus on teammate engagement and retention, resident satisfaction and continually improving the quality of services provided to our residents and patients. Ke’o Velasquez Prior to joining Forefront Living, he served as the Executive Director of The Preston of Park Cities, a luxury senior living community offering Assisted Living and Memory Care in Dallas, Texas. In his role at The Preston, he oversaw and directed all facets of the day-to-day operations while developing and executing long and short-term goals and initiatives. His effective communication and leadership skills were key factors in leading his team through the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring a positive experience for team members, residents and their families. Before he transitioned to senior living, Ke’o worked as the Executive Sous Chef for The Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, Texas. In that position, he oversaw all aspects of the extensive culinary program. During the span of his career in hospitality and culinary arts, Ke’o received multiple awards from national and international organizations including The American Culinary Federation and Chaine de Rotiseurs. He is passionate about multi-ethnic cuisine, nutritional therapy, restaurant design and management with the highest expectations of hospitality standards and was also featured on Food Network’s Best Young Chefs of America program. “I am very excited to join the Forefront family and start the next chapter in my journey with senior living. I am looking forward to immersing myself in the culture and sharing my passion for the industry and hospitality,” Velasquez said. When not serving seniors, Velasquez enjoys traveling to his native Hawaii, camping with his son, working on projects around the house and cooking. Please join us in welcoming Ke’o Velasquez to the Forefront Living family! Keep Reading
Forefront Living Shares Story at Annual Conference Forefront Living’s consulting partner, Greystone, holds a conference each year entitled “The Greystone Event”. This conference is designed to educate attendees on various aspects of senior living. This year, Forefront Living CEO, Tim Mallad, joined Rockwood’s President and CEO, Alan Curryer as well as Greystone Senior Vice President, Stuart Jackson to discuss Provider Journeys Part I: Path to Growth, Change and Expanding the Mission. During their 45-minute session this group discussed the journey of how they identified opportunities, established direction, maintained alignment and achieved success in a dynamic market. Following the Forefront Living conference session, a group of 15 attendees toured The Outlook at Windhaven’s Information Center and the Presbyterian Village North (PVN) campus, including the refreshed Corrigan building and Hawthorne expansion. The tour concluded with a happy hour in the Sky Lounge, located on the top floor of The Hawthorne. Keep Reading
Michael Clinton Inspires Attendees to Roar Forefront Living welcomed a diverse group of community leaders to the Marnie and Kern Wildenthal Education Center last week to hear from the dynamic speaker and author of the inspirational book ROAR Into the Second Half of Your Life, Michael Clinton. This educational luncheon, the first in a quarterly series, was planned in response to the desire to continue to grow our knowledge and share it with those in our community as we foster new relationships. In addition to a gourmet lunch created by PVN Executive Chef, Kevin Neff and Faith Presbyterian Hospice Chef, Manny Herrera, those in attendance received an update on the Forefront Living organization from CEO, Tim Mallad. Click here to learn how to become involved with our organization. Keep Reading
The Outlook at Windhaven Breaks Ground Forefront Living broke ground today on its newest senior living community, The Outlook at Windhaven. The Plano community is located on the former site of Haggard Farms, an 18.2-acre creekside location at West Spring Creek Parkway and Windhaven Parkway, near Windhaven Meadows Park. “The Outlook at Windhaven continues to enjoy great interest from Plano, and surrounding area seniors, and is already more than 70 percent pre-sold,” said Tim Mallad, CEO of Forefront Living. “We look forward to 2024 when construction will be complete and The Outlook at Windhaven will be home to a thriving community of people.” The Outlook at Windhaven will be a gated community offering 153 independent living apartment homes, 30 independent living cottage homes, 32 assisted living apartment homes and 24 memory support suites. The independent living apartments will feature 14 unique floor plans ranging from 900-1,950 square feet. The independent living cottages will feature two distinct floor plan options ranging from 1,800-2,000 square feet and will include front porches, private courtyards and attached garages. Additionally, the campus will showcase a state-of-the-art clubhouse with dining, fitness, entertainment and other lifestyle amenities. A groundbreaking celebration will be held in early fall 2022. “We engaged a stellar group of seasoned and experienced partners to help design and build a senior living community that blends casual elegance with the richness of nature,” continued Mallad. “Our team represents the best and the brightest in the senior living industry, and we are proud to bring this community as well as more than 120 new jobs to Plano.” The Outlook at Windhaven project team includes Greystone Communities, senior living development consultants; Three Living Architecture; Andres Construction; TBG Partners, landscape architect; Bridget Bohacz & Associates, interior design; Kimley-Horn, civil engineer; B.C. Ziegler and Company, financing; and CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, auditor. For more information, please call 972-996-3887 or visit TheOutlookatWindhaven.org. View media coverage: Dallas Morning News | Candy’s Dirt | Community Impact | Plano Magazine | Biznow.com | SeniorHousingBusiness.com | Plano Star Courier Steven Ailey, CFO | Barbara Matamoros, Director of Sales and Marketing | Neil Foote, Board Chair | Tim Mallad, CEO | Phil Wentworth, Board Member | Kim Harden, Executive Director | Scott Polzin, Corporate Director of Operations Keep Reading
If You Build It – They Will Come! The famous quote “If you build it, they will come” from the 1989 baseball movie, Field of Dreams, has a special meaning to The Outlook at Windhaven (OAW). This week construction began at the site of the future community AND a group of those planning to move in once it is built enjoyed an outing at the Frisco RoughRiders ballpark! Forty-eight VIPs and the entire OAW sales team attended the Frisco RoughRiders vs. Midland RockHounds game on the afternoon of June 14. While the temperature soared around the 100 degree mark, the OAW crew kept cool in a private, shaded section as they sipped cold beverages, and ate hamburgers and hot dogs. OAW VIP, Don Bishop, even caught a home run ball! As the game progressed in Frisco, construction equipment was delivered and excavation began at the site in Plano. The OAW team continues to hold events like this ‘afternoon at the ballpark’ to help build the community of residents as the physical community is being constructed; giving a new meaning to the quote “If you build it, they will come”! Follow us on Facebook, connect with us on LinkedIn and visit our website often to stay up-to-date on construction progress and future events! Keep Reading
Eagle Scout Earns His Wings by Creating Cart to Comfort Hospice Patients Brooks Loukas, member of Boy Scout Troop 82 of Dallas, built a “Comfort Cart” for the T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center (TBPHC) as his Eagle Scout Service Project. Also part of his project was organizing a drive to collect items to stock the cart. The cart he constructed is designed to be part of the hospice center’s concierge program and is stocked with snacks, mints, gum, tissue, books, Bibles, phone chargers, playing cards and other comfort items. Volunteers will wheel the Comfort Cart from room to room to provide entertainment, comfort and enjoyment to patients and their families. The Comfort Cart project was planned, refined, built and delivered in the period of eight months. The project involved around 15 volunteers, including fellow Boy Scouts, adults and other youth volunteers who worked a combined 151 hours on the planning and execution of the project. Brooks raised more than $1,100 from 23 donors and also collected items to stock the cart valued at several hundred dollars. Brooks and the scout volunteers delivered the cart to the TBPHC in late February and it is expected to be in service this summer. Brooks completed his Eagle Scout Board of Review on March 31 and was formally inducted as an Eagle Scout in the Troop 82 Court of Honor held on May 9. More about Eagle Scout Service Projects: Eagle Scout Service Projects are designed for Eagle Scout Candidates to contribute to their community while learning valuable planning and leadership skills. The goal of these projects is to qualify the candidate to become an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank of the Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts of America). Because it takes years of hard work, service and determination to become an Eagle Scout, this prestigious milestone is recognized across the country and the world. Learn more Eagle Scout requirements, here. Keep Reading
At The Forefront Podcast Featuring Chef Kevin Neff IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Tim Mallad welcomes Kevin Neff, Executive Chef at Presbyterian Village North (PVN), to demonstrate that healthy cooking is easy and tasty! In this twenty-minute podcast, Tim and Chef Neff share recipes from Brain Health Kitchen, and partner to prepare these delicious dishes supporting brain health. Join us for this very special culinary episode and learn how consuming specific foods can slow down cognitive decline, benefiting individuals of all ages. ABOUT CHEF KEVIN NEFF: Executive Chef, Kevin Neff, brings more than 20 years of professional culinary experience to PVN’s kitchen. He is passionate about creating meals that are not only delicious, but also fresh, exciting and beautiful. Kevin leads a kitchen staff of 70 teammates who prepare more than 900 carefully planned and scrumptious meals, daily. Watch on YouTube | Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts Keep Reading
Reshaping the End-of-Life Conversation with Faithful Friends The Faithful Friends affinity group gathered in person, after two years of virtual meetings due to the pandemic, for a program discussing the importance of hospice. Faith Presbyterian Hospice (FPH) teammates, Morgan Gillis, Rhonda Taylor-Blair and Elise Power, shared ways to approach the often difficult end-of-life conversation with loved ones. The presentation was supported by a ‘Conversation Guide’ handout that can be used to facilitate these discussions. In addition to the program, attendees had an opportunity to socialize with each other and learn more about our organization by talking to team members and enjoyed a delicious spread of hors d’oeuvres and refreshing cocktails. Faithful Friends exists to provide support to FPH in large and small ways. This affinity group is offered special invitations to inspiring and informative presentations, receptions and volunteer opportunities as they strive to establish ways to help those experiencing the end-of-life make each moment matter. Contact Christina Raville at craville@forefrontliving.org or 214-355-3923 to learn more. Keep Reading
