Williamsburg, Va. – There’s a new but familiar face at Patriots Colony At Williamsburg.
Meg Lemley, Ph.D. has returned to Williamsburg’s premier continuing care retirement community as its new Executive Director, Riverside Health System announced this week.
“You could say it’s a lot like coming home,” Lemley said.
Lemley started with Riverside in 2005 as the Administrator of Sanders Retirement Community in Gloucester before transitioning into the Executive Director role at Patriots Colony, where she held this position from 2006 to 2010 when she left following a death in the family.
Lemley succeeds Ginger Knight, who retired earlier this summer following 23 years of dedicated service to Riverside, which included serving at the Executive Director of Warwick Forest, Riverside’s premier retirement community in Newport News, and as interim Executive Director at Patriots Colony while the health system conducted a nationwide search for the role.
Patriots Colony, a Riverside-owned retirement community, offers independent living, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation, nursing home and respite care for those 55 and older. Patriots Colony’s independent living residences are reserved for retired military officers of seven uniform services, civil servants, their spouses or widow(er)s. Its care residences like assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation, nursing home and respite service are open to all with no prior career eligibility required.
Thoroughly familiar with the operational and business needs of Patriots Colony as well as within the health system, Lemley is responsible for providing leadership, direction and administration of day-to-day operations associated with the Patriots Colony campus to increase visibility and engagement within the community.
She brings over 30 years of executive and administrative experience in the senior living continuum and is a licensed nursing home administrator and preceptor.
Lemley holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Ursinus College, a Master of Business Administration Degree from Western New England College and a Ph.D. in Healthcare Ethics from Duquesne University.
Lemley has felt called to serve older adults since undergraduate school following a summer spent cleaning homes for older adults living in Cape Cod.
“I remember saying to my advisor that I wanted to become a nursing home administrator and was told that no one wanted to do that,” Lemley said. “I did. I knew this was the path for me and just kept going.”
Working with older adults and in retirement community leadership, Lemley said, is always worthwhile.
Working with Riverside and at Patriots Colony, Lemley said, is always rewarding. “I enjoyed my time working as the Chief Operating Officer of four retirement communities in Pennsylvania, but was enthusiastic about returning to Patriots Colony,” Lemley said.
“Patriotism and pride are part of the culture here at Patriots Colony and throughout Riverside. I’m looking forward to showcasing who we are and what we stand for throughout the community.”
Since returning, Lemley has also been focused on getting reacquainted with the residents throughout the community and seeing firsthand the many improvements that have occurred in recent years.
In 2018 alone, Patriots Colony completed a series of extensive dining renovations that included building out three restaurants on site of the community and an outdoor eating terrace. It also opened three new buildings of independent living residences, called Presidents Pavilion, featuring 60 new apartments.
The addition of Presidents Pavilion brought the total independent living residences at Patriots Colony to 242 apartments and homes serving 400 residents.
“The community and residents will see a lot of me,” Lemley said with a smile. “I’m not a ‘stay-at-my-desk’ kind of person. I want to be out, talking with our team and our residents and developing relationships.”
Published: July 26, 2019