NEWTON, Mass–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Katie Potter, president and chief executive officer of Five Star Senior Living Inc. (Nasdaq: FVE), was inducted into the McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor on Tuesday, July 28, during a virtual, online awards ceremony. The program, overseen by independent trade publications McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Senior Living, recognizes executive-level women who have made significant contributions to the senior living or skilled nursing professions or who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the fields.
Nominations were judged by an external panel of industry experts who chose just 22 honorees from the hundreds of nominations submitted. This is the award’s second year.
“I believe that all of us choosing to work in this industry do so because we care deeply and passionately about this demographic,” says Potter. “I honestly feel that what we do for our residents and clients transcends giving care. I see us as agents of transformation.”
Potter was appointed president and CEO of Five Star Senior Living in January 2019 after serving as executive vice president and general counsel. She joined the company in 2012. In her first year as CEO, Five Star moved up five spots to third place in the 2019 edition of the J.D. Power U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, which measures resident and family satisfaction among the nation’s largest providers of residential communities for seniors. By year-end 2019, a total of 32 Five Star communities in seven states had earned the coveted J.D. Power Senior Living Community Certification. In 2020, Five Star incorporated J.D. Power best practices into its own operational-excellence framework.
“When I became CEO, the Five Star leadership team came together to craft a new mission statement that resonated with all of us and that I use as a guiding principle. I truly believe that we are here ‘to honor and enrich the journey of life, one experience at a time.’”
Potter’s commitment to transforming the experience of Five Star residents is informed by strategic partnerships with Aging2.0, the National Senior Games and the MIT AgeLab Home Logistics Consortium. She also champions the AgeLab’s OMEGA initiative, through which Five Star has co-piloted intergenerational programming and fostered multigenerational connections between high school students and older adults with the ultimate goal of introducing young people to careers in senior living.
“There is no limit to how women and men of all skillsets can grow professionally and help advance this field,” Potter says. “Our industry needs visionary, entrepreneurial individuals from every aspect of business, including those with skills in professions such as data analytics, digital marketing, AI, technology, customer experience and more. My advice to individuals of all ages looking for fulfilling work is to not prejudge this industry and miss out on an opportunity to reinvent it.”
About Five Star Senior Living Inc.
Headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts, Five Star Senior Living Inc. (Nasdaq: FVE) ranks fourth on the 2019 American Seniors Housing Association’s (ASHA) list of largest U.S. senior housing operators. With nearly 26,000 team members, the company operates 265 senior living communities in 32 states offering a platform of services, including independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s/memory care and continuing care retirement communities. Ageility Physical Therapy Solutions, a Five Star division, provides rehabilitation and wellness services to Five Star residents and external clients in 244 clinics nationwide. Learn more at www.fivestarseniorliving.com.
