A national expert in the field of senior-services operations will join WesleyLife later this summer as chief operating officer. Concluding an extensive search that resulted in several excellent candidates, Allison Pendroy has been named to the role.
Pendroy joins WesleyLife after more than 14 years with the Des Moines-based Life Care Services, where she served most recently as Senior Vice President/Life Plan Communities with accountability for 26 communities throughout the United States.
Pendroy began her career in senior living in finance and real estate, then grew her expertise in operations. Her previous titles with LCS included finance director-asset management and VP-director of asset management. Before her time there, she worked at Principal Real Estate Investors and in investments and analysis with Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
“Allison brings to us a rare combination of skills — ones that will help enhance our growth and development strategy as we work to broaden the scope and reach of our mission,” Rob Kretzinger, president and CEO of WesleyLife, said.
“Her expertise not only on the operations side of the house but in real estate and finance will be an obvious asset as we continue to grow, and her commitment to leading strategically and with positivity makes her a wonderful cultural addition as well.”
Over the past several years, WesleyLife — the region’s non-profit leader in health and well-being services for older adults —has expanded its reach into the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois and has enhanced its breadth of services and lifestyle offerings as well. The organization recently announced the addition of townhomes and single-family homes to its award-winning Johnston, Iowa, community, Brio.
That project comes on the heels of WesleyLife’s $25 million redevelopment of its flagship community in Des Moines, Wesley Acres, that included preservation of the landmark Chamberlain Mansion and the addition of a public-facing restaurant/pub, bed-and-breakfast, and other gathering spaces intended to serve members of the greater community.
Later this year, the organization also will open a new Meals on Wheels campus designed to increase service capacity from 1,000 to 3,000 meals a day. The campus will feature a hydroponic garden that will grow fruits and vegetables to enhance meal offerings, and a gathering space to encourage intergenerational connections.
Pendroy said she has long admired WesleyLife’s mission and is looking forward to impacting the senior-services landscape close to home. The Iowa native’s work with LCS has been primarily on a national scale.
“I think I bring to the table the ability to lead teams strategically with an aligned vision of what needs to be achieved; taking big ideas and breaking them down into smaller components, then measuring progress and outcomes,” Pendroy said. “I’m also a big believer in celebrating successes — and WesleyLife has plenty of reasons to celebrate. I look forward to getting started.”
Pendroy’s first day with WesleyLife will be July 24. She will office out of the organization’s headquarters in Johnston.
