Wallick's Heart of Service Committee hosted its annual holiday gift drive for residents at Kenton Village & The Grove at Oakleaf Village of Columbus, thanks to your support! Each year, Heart of Service leads an associate-supported gift drive to fulfill the top items on residents' holiday wish lists. This year, we expanded our Angel Tree drive for the first time to include senior living residents by serving The Grove at Oakleaf Village of Columbus, a memory care community, alongside Kenton Village, our affordable multifamily community in Kenton, OH. Thanks to your generosity, we fulfilled wish lists for 79 residents across both communities. On Saturday, December 13, Kenton Village hosted their holiday celebration to distribute gifts and bring residents together for a day of joy and connection. Most importantly, this event reminded us of why we do what we do. Seeing residents smile, laugh, and feel celebrated during the holiday season was incredibly moving. For many, it wasn’t just about the gifts, but about feeling seen, valued, and surrounded by care. We are so thankful for Wallick associates’ continued support of this meaningful program and for allowing us the opportunity to create moments like these for our residents.
Earlier this month, Wallick associates gathered at Lower.com field (home of the Columbus Crew) for the 2025 Wallick Owners Meeting. Fittingly held during National ESOP Month, we celebrated what it means to be employee owners at Wallick: taking pride in our work, the residents we serve and our shared success. The event featured updates from our business units, inspiring words from keynote speaker Briana Scurry and a sponsor expo that showcased the partners who help us make a difference every day. For many, the highlight of the Wallick Owners Meeting is recognizing the Wallick Award winners. Peers nominated their colleagues who go above and beyond at their jobs and embrace the Company's core values. The Wallick Owners Committee also created a new category called the Community of the Year, spotlighting the incredible work entire teams have been able to achieve across our Affordable Housing and Senior Living portfolios. Affordable Housing Community of the Year: Bedford Village Union Square Apartments The Villages at Roll Hill Senior Living Community of the Year: The Grove at Oakleaf Village of Sylvania Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who joined us for this spectacular day!
We’re excited to announce that Wallick has officially closed on the tax credit financing for Walnut Ridge Apartments, a 78-unit acquisition-rehabilitation community in Indianapolis, Indiana. Walnut Ridge was awarded $1.3 million in competitive 9% LIHTC and $500,000 in soft funding from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA). This asset previously went through foreclosure in 2024 and was at risk of losing its affordability restrictions and becoming market rate. Wallick is proud that we were able to purchase this asset and take it back through the tax credit program, allowing it to remain affordable for years to come. Construction is underway, with an anticipated completion in November 2026. This closing was made possible through incredible teamwork across our Development, Closing, and Construction teams, along with strong collaboration from our external partners. Project partners include: CREA (equity investor), Security Bank and Trust (permanent loan lender), Huntington National Bank (construction loan lender), IHCDA (tax credits and soft funding) and RDL Architects (architect). A special thank-you to the Development team leads, Sara Ford, Brandon Barcena, and Brennon Davis, and Closing Manager Kim Franks for their dedication in bringing this project to the finish line. We’re look forward to continuing Wallick’s mission of Opening Doors to Homes, Opportunities and Hope.
Wallick’s Talent Acquisition Team has begun rolling out a fun and valuable training for Senior Living hiring managers called the Wallick Way Hiring Training! What is the Wallick Way Hiring Training? The Wallick Way Hiring Training trains hiring managers on best practices for interviewing candidates. It’s an interactive half-day training designed to give you real skills and hands-on practice to navigate conversations with candidates. Sessions are underway, and we’re visiting more communities this month. In total, 76 Senior Living leaders will complete the training in total, including all hiring managers, BOMs, and PCA leads. Each 3-hour training covers: Tools for making strong hiring decisions and improving candidate conversations Offer extensions and onboarding support Prepping for and leading better interviews Guided tours of SuccessFactors for each position Understanding how HR Business Partners can help you retain and support new associates We’ve had great success so far and look forward to hosting more sessions throughout all senior living communities throughout the rest of August.
Wallick and our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging Committee participated in the Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March, alongside thousands of marchers, community members and allies. This year’s theme, “United in Power,” set the tone for a day filled with color, connection and joy. We were proud to march together once again (this year, with a beautifully decorated vehicle!). Special thanks to everyone who helped organize our participation - we're already looking forward to next year!
On June 17, Wallick's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging Committee and Motivation Makers Committee hosted a Juneteenth Celebration & Discussion to commemorate Wallick's first company-wide observance of Juneteenth (June 19) as a holiday. Broadcast live from The Ashford of Mt. Washington, we listened to Ruby Shuttlesworth Bester, a Cincinnati-based speaker, civil rights advocate and historian, who shared powerful insights into the history and enduring legacy of Juneteenth. She reflected on her childhood and her family’s experiences during the Civil Rights Movement, offering perspectives on the meaning of Juneteenth and ways to honor its significance today. If you missed Ruby’s live presentation or would like to revisit her message, you can watch the recording below. At The Ashford of Mt. Washington, residents and Wallick team members came together to listen to Ruby's message and gather for our quarterly DEI+B Social Hour. Special thanks to Samantha Banks, DEI+B Committee Chair, and Ashli Ward, Executive Director of The Ashford of Mt. Washington, for coordinating this event!
Welcome Dr. Abraham Mathew, Senior Vice President of Senior Living Operations: As Senior Vice President of Senior Living Operations, Abraham will lead the strategic and operational direction of Wallick’s Senior Living division to elevate resident care, drive growth, promote operational excellence and build a high-performing, mission-aligned team across communities. Reflecting his commitment to fostering collaboration and connection across the Senior Living team, Abraham will maintain a weekly in-person presence at Wallick’s offices and communities. Abraham brings with him more than two decades of experience in healthcare management, including executive leadership roles across senior living communities and CCRCs. Most recently, he served as Regional Vice President of Operations for Lifespace Communities, overseeing multiple communities across Texas. Prior to that, he served as a Licensed Health Care Administrator, Executive Director, Senior Executive Director, and Director of Operations, leading high-performing teams and delivering operational excellence across the continuum of care. In his words, "I am most looking forward to serving at Wallick Communities where values are more than words—they are lived out daily. It is an honor to be part of a mission-driven organization with such a rich legacy and a bold vision for the future." Welcome Abraham!!
Celebrating Excellence: Q1 2025 Promotions Across Our Divisions As we turn the page into Q2, we’re shining a light on the associates who earned promotions last quarter. We celebrate these team members for their stellar performances, achievements and embodiment of our core values, which have resulted in well-deserved advancements across the company. Below, you’ll find a list of internal promotions: Affordable Housing Operations: Jarrod Daniels New Position: Regional Facilities Manager Previous Position: Maintenance Tech Stephanie Justice New Position: Sr. Community Manager Previous Position: Community Manager Senior Living Operations: Kareen Hamilton New Position: Director of Nursing Previous Position: Assistant Director of Nursing Agnes Turay New Position: Director of Nursing Previous Position: Assistant Director of Nursing Maria Jones New Position: Business Office Manager Previous Position: Receptionist Corporate: Cyndi Byers New Position: Sr. Payroll Specialist Previous Position: Payroll Specialist
Remembering Dave Hendy: An Inspiring Legacy to Housing and Hope Earlier this week, we lost our friend and former colleague, Dave Hendy. Dave was deeply committed to advancing access to safe, secure and affordable housing. His impact on the industry was profound, touching not only the lives of the residents he served but also the many collaborators who had the privilege of working alongside him. A leader in every sense, Dave’s career was defined by his enduring dedication to making a difference. In 1967, Dave served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Saigon, Vietnam, where he achieved the rank of 1st lieutenant. Beginning in 1969, he spent a decade building a successful career in the Greater Cincinnati and Springfield area. He started at Procter & Gamble, followed by roles at Arcose Home Builders and The Kissell Company, a commercial mortgage origination firm. Beyond his professional achievements, Dave was a man of character, discipline and the utmost integrity. He enjoyed golf, reading, walking and spending time with his family. As we honor Dave’s memory, we remain inspired by his dedication to the countless lives in the communities he helped shape.
Columbus Business First Cover Story: Breathwork, CrossFit Keep Wallick CEO Amy Albery Grounded
