Case Studies
Representative senior living leadership searches and the challenges behind them.
CASE STUDY
Executive Director Search for a Luxury Senior Living Community
Kisco Senior Living engaged LM Hurley & Associates to conduct an Executive Director search for an award-winning luxury senior living community serving residents across independent living, assisted living, and memory care.
The ChallengeKisco Senior Living needed an Executive Director for a high-revenue luxury senior living community in Orange County, California, offering 180 apartments across independent living, assisted living, and memory care.
The opening was created after the prior Executive Director was promoted into an Operations Specialist role supporting special projects, acquisitions, special assignments, and system-building initiatives. Before engaging LM Hurley & Associates, the client had searched for more than 90 days but had not found the right candidate. The organization needed more than a technically qualified Executive Director. They needed a proven leader with operational strength, strong interpersonal ability, and the presence to bring something special to a complex, high-quality community. This was not simply an Executive Director replacement. The client needed a high-caliber leader who could match the standards of a luxury senior living community and fit a culture built on integrity, kindness, creativity, and passion.The SearchLM Hurley & Associates had previously completed successful searches for Kisco Senior Living, giving the client confidence in our ability to understand their culture and deliver qualified candidates. The goal was to identify an Executive Director who had led, or was actively leading, a community with similar care levels, apartment count, and an operating budget of approximately $18 million. The search focused on candidates with senior living leadership experience, financial and operational performance strength, customer and associate engagement ability, and California licensure in long-term care or assisted living. Because the client was open to relocation, LMH launched a statewide search to identify a top-tier Executive Director. The ResultLM Hurley & Associates contacted and screened 133 prospects and interviewed 11 candidates. After evaluation, we narrowed the field to the three strongest candidates and presented them to the organization. The client selected all three candidates to interview and ultimately chose a candidate who exceeded expectations, closely matched the search specifications, and made a strong cultural connection with the executive team. An offer was extended and accepted within 84 days of engagement. The selected Executive Director relocated to Rancho Santa Margarita and joined the organization with more than 20 years of senior living and hospitality service management experience. He also brought a bachelor’s degree in Executive Management and had led his prior senior living community to earn the Malcolm Baldrige Bronze Award. |
SEARCH SNAPSHOT CLIENT Kisco Senior Living Search Model Exclusive Engagement Search ROLE Executive Director TIMELINE Offer accepted within 84 days of engagement SEARCH ACTIVITY 133 prospects contacted and screened; 11 candidates interviewed FINALISTS Three finalists presented; all three interviewed by the client 
What Made It Challenging
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Why This Search Mattered
This search helped Kisco Senior Living fill a critical Executive Director role after an extended internal search had not produced the right candidate.
By identifying a leader with the right combination of senior living experience, hospitality orientation, operational ability, and cultural fit, LM Hurley helped the organization secure leadership for a distinctive luxury community with high resident, staff, and organizational expectations.
By identifying a leader with the right combination of senior living experience, hospitality orientation, operational ability, and cultural fit, LM Hurley helped the organization secure leadership for a distinctive luxury community with high resident, staff, and organizational expectations.
