Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Cross Keys Village president/CEO announces retirement.

Vernon L. King, president/CEO of Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community since 2003, has announced his plans to retire effective June 30, according to a release from the community. Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community is a Church of the Brethren related retirement community in New Oxford, Pa. King informed the Cross Keys Board of Directors of his plans at its January meeting, and following the board’s acceptance of his letter, residents/villagers and community team members were informed.

“My thanks to Vernon for his almost nine years as president/CEO of dedicated Christian service to the residents and staff of Cross Keys Village,” said Board of Directors chair Brett A. Hoffacker. “Our organization has been blessed by his work to have a superior living experience for our residents, a fulfilling workplace for our staff and volunteers, a successful ministry in our district (Southern Pennsylvania District of the Church of the Brethren) and to be a good neighbor to our communities and churches in Adams and York counties. He has achieved all of these with distinction.”

During his nine years at Cross Keys, King led the community through major culture changes, including adoption of a broad-reaching wellness program for all who live, work, or volunteer on the campus, and a shift to person-centered, decentralized care in nursing. The overall administration was restructured last summer, and throughout his tenure, King worked to achieve more of a sense of team member ownership of the community and its mission.

On the bricks-and-mortar side, nursing, personal care, and residential living areas received major renovations or additions. The Harvey S. Kline Wellness Center and Harmony Ridge West Apartments, completed in 2009, were the major campus building additions. The “West Campus,” 100 acres of land acquired in the 1990s, was readied for development, and the first “Country Homes” were added there in 2005.

Throughout the period, Cross Keys maintained its position as one of the region’s most financially strong and secure continuing care retirement communities. It holds an “A-” credit rating from Standard and Poors, a distinction shared by only a handful of retirement communities in Pennsylvania.

“It has been an honor to lead the team serving residents, villagers, volunteers, Southern Pennsylvania District churches, and others who are part of this community,” King said. “I’ve also enjoyed returning to the area where my ancestors settled 250 years ago and reconnecting with my roots. Cross Keys has a great mission, and I hope I have helped us remain faithful to it.”

The Board of Directors has established a search committee to begin the process of selecting a new president/CEO and is contracting with a consultant to assist in that process. Cross Keys Village-The Brethren Home Community is one of the 10 largest stand-alone, nonprofit retirement communities in the country. Founded in 1908 on a farm in Huntsdale, near Carlisle, the community moved to Cross Keys in 1952 and has grown from a 44-resident “old folks home” on 19 acres to a 250-acre community with more than 900 individuals and couples in residence, served by 725 team members.

Source:2/8/2012 Newsline

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