Franciscan Ministries taps Lindsey Lavery to outline growth strategy at LeadingAge Illinois

Franciscan Ministries said Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Lindsey Lavery will speak July 14 at the LeadingAge Illinois Annual Meeting & Expo in Lemont, Illinois. Lavery will discuss how the nonprofit is expanding communities and adapting senior living to rising demand for wellness, connection and lifestyle-driven housing.

Why it matters: - Franciscan Ministries is using a major industry event to signal how it plans to compete for a new generation of older adults. - The company is leaning on expansion, new development and repositioned communities as senior living customers demand more choice, wellness and purpose. - The discussion comes as providers across the sector are rethinking community design and the services that drive occupancy and growth.

What happened: - Franciscan Ministries said Lindsey Lavery, its chief sales and marketing officer, will be a featured panelist on July 14 at the LeadingAge Illinois Annual Meeting & Expo. - The session is titled “Are We Entering the Golden Age of Senior Living?” and will focus on the future of the industry. - Lavery will join Jay Biere, chief executive officer of Plymouth Place; Joe Hassel, vice president of strategies, planning and construction for Presbyterian Living; and moderator Tom Meyers, co-practice leader of the senior living finance practice at Ziegler. - The event brings together senior living and aging services professionals from across Illinois.

The details: - Franciscan Ministries said Lavery will discuss how shifting demographics, consumer expectations, community design and lifestyle preferences are reshaping senior living. - Lavery will highlight the company’s growth strategy and its focus on creating lifestyle destinations for older adults. - The portfolio examples include a new 38-residence Ancora Memory Care neighborhood at Marian Village in Homer Glen, Illinois. - The portfolio examples also include a new 92-residence independent living expansion at Franciscan Village in Lemont, Illinois. - Franciscan Ministries also highlighted a new 62-residence independent living expansion at University Place in West Lafayette, Indiana. - The Providence is a new 112-residence life plan community under development in New York’s Capital Region that will serve the Albany market. - Lavery has more than 20 years of senior living experience and joined Franciscan Ministries in 2023. - Since joining the organization, Lavery has helped advance strategic growth initiatives, strengthen sales performance and reposition senior living as a lifestyle choice centered on wellness, connection and joyful living. - Franciscan Ministries said Lavery is helping lead one of the organization’s most ambitious growth strategies in its 130-year history. - The company operates as a mission-driven nonprofit sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago. - Franciscan Ministries owns, develops and manages senior living communities that offer hospitality, personalized services and a full continuum of care. - Franciscan Advisory Services provides third-party management, consulting and real estate development services for senior housing communities. - The organization’s charitable programs include a domestic violence prevention center and shelter, plus a Scholars Program for students attending all-girls Catholic high schools in the Chicagoland area. - More information is available on the company’s website. - Franciscan Ministries also listed its LinkedIn page at its social media profile.

Between the lines: - The panel appearance gives Franciscan Ministries a platform to frame expansion as part of a broader shift in what older adults want from senior living. - The message positions the company around lifestyle, hospitality and mission as much as around beds and buildings. - That approach suggests Franciscan Ministries sees differentiation in community experience, not just in capacity growth.

What's next: - Lavery is set to speak during the July 14 session in Lemont. - The company’s announced expansions and development pipeline indicate continued buildout across Illinois, Indiana and New York. - The Providence project remains under development and is expected to bring mission-driven senior living to the Albany market.

The bottom line: - Franciscan Ministries is pitching growth as a response to changing consumer expectations, and Lavery’s panel role is the company’s latest public push to make that case.