MITCHELLVILLE, Md. — Kendal Corp. has announced that Ann Gillespie was named CEO of Collington, a 125-acre, Kendal-affiliated continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Mitchellville, approximately 13 miles east of Washington, D.C.
Collington’s Board of Directors selected Gillespie, an aging-services professional with more than 30 years of experience. She succeeds Marvell Adams Jr., who became Kendal’s COO.
Gillespie started her career with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, where she worked on initiatives in federal seniors housing and employment legislation. After four years on Capitol Hill, leaders in the continuing care field recruited Gillespie to serve as the founding executive of the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CCAC).
After 15 years leading CCAC, Gillespie was appointed senior vice president for shared learning and leadership of The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA, now known as LeadingAge). Notably in that role, Gillespie established the association’s Leadership Academy and served as trusted adviser to its CEO.
In 2007, Gillespie joined Booz Allen Hamilton to launch, grow and lead the firm’s new business to serve large nonprofit clients and to establish the firm’s cross-sector collaboration service offering: Megacommunities. She also guided government clients in work around climate change and helping consumers gain increased access to broadband technology through a national grants program.
Gillespie joined Asbury Communities as its chief strategy officer in 2012, where she was responsible for the development and oversight of the organization’s strategy, positioning the system for the healthcare reform environment, and the expansion of new business lines that included home and community-based services.
Before accepting the Collington role, Gillespie served as a strategic consultant and adviser for clients in the government, private and nonprofit sectors in the Washington, D.C. region.
Gillespie is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio and the recipient of that university’s Scripps Gerontology Center’s Cottrell Distinguished Award for Scholarship, Leadership and Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Aging.