VANCOUVER, Wash. — JEA Senior Living has hired Christopher Belford as CEO, effective Nov. 1.
Belford has nearly 30 years of executive operations experience in the seniors housing industry, working for multiple leading operators across the continuum of care. He most recently served as executive vice president at American Healthcare Investors (AHI) where he managed 140 communities within the company’s portfolio of seniors housing, skilled nursing and hospital assets throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.
Before joining AHI, Belford was president of Brookdale Senior Living’s Western division, managing senior living and retirement communities. At Brookdale, he managed 269 senior living and retirement communities, representing 24,400 units in 11 states in the western half of the U.S. and overseeing more than 14,000 employees.
Belford also served 14 years in executive leadership roles at senior care provider Emeritus Senior Living, including senior vice president of operations, responsible for more than 500 communities in 18 states. Emeritus merged with Brookdale in 2014.
Belford takes over the CEO role from W. Cody Erwin, the grandson of the JEA’s founder.
JEA, based in Vancouver, develops, owns and currently manages 57 senior communities throughout the U.S. As part of JEA’s effort to expand ownership and management of senior housing, it formed a strategic partnership in late 2019 with investment firm Access Industries.
Belford earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washington State University, completed post-graduate studies at Seattle University and received an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix.