BOSTON–Foun industry veterans of the assisted living and senior housing industry in New Engla will speak at Boston’s 12th annual “Assisted Living and Senior Housing Conference: Demand & Opportunities in New England” on Feb. 27, 2025 at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA.
Organized and produced by the Boston Real Estate Times, the region’s integrated online, print and video real estate magazine, the conference will be held from 7:00 am to 9:30 am.
To register, please click here.
Upendra Mishra, published of the Boston Real Estate Times said that that growth in the aging population across the United States as well as in New England provides immense opportunities for investing in Assisted Living and Senior Housing facilities.
“The US assisted living facility market size was valued at USD 91.8 billion in 2022, and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5 percent from 2023 to 2030,” says a report from Grand View Research. “Major factor driving the market growth is the growing geriatric population seeking companionship, security, and assistance with daily activities, are residing in ALFs. We’re excited to have four great panelists at this year’s conference.”
The panelists are:
Wendy Nowokunski
President, Northbridge Companies
Chair, Massachusetts Assisted Living Association.
Ms. Nowokunski is the co-founder and President of the Northbridge Companies, awarded a Top Place to Work by USA Today and The Boston Globe. Over the past 30 years Ms. Nowokunski has established herself as a leader in senior living industry, having been an integral part of the start-up and growth of several companies specializing in senior living. In her career, she has overseen the development, acquisition, start-up and operations of over 80 communities including active adult, CCRCs, independent living, assisted living and memory care.
Ms. Nowokunski was awarded the 2020 Women of Distinction Award by McKnight’s which recognizes influential women leaders in the senior housing field. Since Northbridge’s inception, she has maintained a commitment to providing residents, their families and associates an engaging, healthy, fun and purposeful place to live and work. Today, Northbridge is proud to serve over 1,500 residents and their families throughout New England and to call over 1,500 associates family.
Northbridge has been recognized by The Women’s Edge as being one of the top Women-Led Businesses in 2017-2024. She is co-founder and board member of the One Angel Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a difference in underprivilege children’s lives worldwide by providing resources to stabilize housing, educational and health needs one community at a time.
Tim DuRoss
Co-CEO, LCB Senior Living
Mr. DuRoss has a deep background in senior living operations and finance and has been a key member of LCB’s leadership team for more than a decade. He is widely respected as a thought leader in the industry, holding board positions and participating with all of the major associations serving the senior housing space.
Mr. DuRossworks closely with co-CEO Danielle Breton in driving company strategy and growth initiatives, while leading the operations team to develop and operationalize business growth strategies, plan for, organize, and deploy personnel assets, maximize systems and processes, and create efficiencies across the organization. He also interfaces regularly with company investors and the investment team to track company performance and align operations with macro strategic priorities.
Prior to joining LCB, he held various roles including Senior Director of Financial Planning and Strategy at Benchmark Senior Living. He is a NIDE-certified Dementia Care Professional and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to his leadership position.
LCB Senior Living was founded in 2011, and is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts. With a focus on building and acquiring high-quality senior housing communities and portfolios, the company has expanded from its original Massachusetts communities to locations throughout the Northeast. In that time, LCB has grown to be the 2nd largest assisted living provider in New England and expanded into the mid-Atlantic.
Michael Gordon
Chief Investment Officer
EPOCH Senior Living
For many years, Mr. Gordon worked alongside Epoch founder Larry Gerber, as they identified and vetted potential sites that resulted in the successful development of 16 of EPOCH Senior Living’s properties.
As Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Gordon is responsible for focusing on driving new initiatives, improving market research, procurement, and employee recruitment and retention. He continues to lead EPOCH Senior Living as it grows through development and acquisitions into the future.
Mr. Gordon has more than 25 years of senior housing and post-acute care industry experience. Prior to joining EPOCH Senior Living, he was director of reimbursement for PRISM Medical Group, a long-term care company that specialized in providing rehabilitation, nursing home management, and home care services.
President & CEO, Massachusetts Assisted Living Association
Mr. Doherty will speak on regulatory changes in the assisted living industry since the rules governing the industry as a distinct setting were created in 1995. One of the big recent changes in industry has been the creation of an Assisted Living Residences Commission to discuss and make recommendations on regulations.
As the CEO of Massachusetts Assisted Living Association, Mr. Doherty leads the assisted living organization, known as Mass-ALA. It is a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to professionally operated assisted living residences in Massachusetts that provide housing and services for individuals with varied needs and income levels.
Mr. Doherty has served Mass-ALA since 2018. His successful leadership was recognized by the national association for senior living, Argentum, which named him a 2022 Champion of Seniors Awardee. As assisted living is a relatively new and fast-growing sector, and an innovative model of a social wellness environment, Mr. Doherty focuses on educating policy makers and the public on its beneficial role in healthy aging. This includes legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the production and promotion of consumer resources including the Assisted Living Resource Guide, which is published annually and provided free to members of the public.
Mr. Doherty has a proven record in association management, having successfully led associations in different sectors. He served as Executive Director at the Massachusetts Psychological Association and, prior to that, as CEO of the Northeast Association of REALTORS®. In a volunteer capacity, he currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the New England Society of Association Executives, where he has served on the Board since 2018.
You will learn the following at the conference:
- What is driving the assisted living facility market in New England?
- What are some of the latest trend in design such facilities?
- Difference between Assisted Living and Senior Housing facilities?
- Changing local regulations and care models.
- Public funding options for such facilities?
- How to identify opportunities to capitalize on growing demand for assisted living and senior housing?
This conference is produced annually by the Boston Real Estate Times.
To buy a ticket, please click here.
To sponsor the event, please email: events@MishraGroup.com with the subject line “Senior Housing Sponsorship”.
Time: 7:00 am-9:30 am
Venue: Burlington Marriott Hotel, Burlington, MA.
