Wallick Senior Living Commemorates Veterans Day

Yesterday was the yearly holiday honoring America’s veterans for their patriotism and willingness to sacrifice and serve. Several senior living communities at Wallick celebrated this day and their own veterans.

The Ashford on Broad invited their veterans for a time full of dessert, champagne, and sharing their unforgettable stories with each other. The staff honored the veterans with a red rose and flag, gift bags with handmade ornaments that contained soldiers and flags, frames made for each veteran with their pictures to create an American Heroes wall to honor each veteran calling AOB their home.

An unveiling of a mural honoring the 15 veterans living at The Ashford at Sturbridge was how the community commemorated Veteran’s Day this year. The mural will be the focal point of the community, with scenes representing each branch of service and incorporating photographs of each veteran. These 14 men and one woman represent the Navy, Army, Airforce, and Marine Corps with service in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Teacher, Lexi Schmitt, created the Veterans Day mural. The American Legion of Hilliard led the community in the Pledge of Allegiance, and each veteran was presented with a certificate and flag pin honoring their service.

NBC4, a Columbus, OH television station, joined the Veteran’s Day festivities at The Ashford at Sturbridge.

These were two of many exciting and humbling events held throughout the country yesterday.

Wallick Celebrates The Crescent Grand Opening

On Thursday, many joined us in celebrating the grand opening of The Crescent at Oakleaf Village in Toledo-Sylvania, Ohio. The afternoon began with CEO, Amy Albery, giving the warm welcome.

Remarks were then said by several notable guests:

  • John Crandall, Sylvania Township Trustee
  • Mayor Craig Stough, City of Sylvania  
  • State Senator Theresa Gavarone, Senate District 2  
  • Stephanie Hess, SVP, Senior Living Operations, Wallick Communities 
  • Monsignor Michael Billian, gave the invocation 

Afterward, there was a ribbon-cutting, followed by tours, food, and welcoming the public on-site to commemorate the start and success of this community.

Thank you to all who were there to attend! For those who missed out but would like to watch, click here for a link to the celebration speeches.

The Crescent is an all-inclusive, independent living community with 54 units. Learn more about The Crescent here.

Mayor Rita Ali Tours Parkwood Commons

The mayor of Peoria, IL, Dr. Rita Ali, visited Parkwood Commons on October 6, one of Wallick Communities’ five affordable apartment communities in Peoria. Led by Jonathan Stonebraker, Wallick’s assistant regional vice president, Mayor Ali toured several apartment units and the community’s clubhouse, including a community room, on-site laundry facility, computer center, kitchenette, and management offices.

Currently, the State of Illinois lacks nearly 300,000 affordable rental homes. Parkwood Commons is one of the only affordable apartment communities for large families in Peoria, as the community offers 5-bedroom units. With Parkwood Commons’ rehabilitation, Wallick’s investment in the City of Peoria is now $70 million. It includes the recent restoration of 478 other apartment homes at Parkview Estates, Hurlburt House, Schlarman House, and Reservoir Estates.

Parkwood was built in the early 1970s, and until Wallick acquired the community, there had not been any physical updates or renovations since its construction. After nearly two years of work, Wallick completed its $19.4 million rehabilitation of Parkwood Commons in May of 2021.

Now, Parkwood has 100 total units spread across 50 buildings with two, three, four, and five-bedroom apartments. Significant rehab work was done in each apartment, including new plumbing; energy-efficient windows and doors; low-flow toilets, showerheads, and faucets; new kitchen cabinets and appliances; new light fixtures and ceiling fans in the living room and dining rooms; new water heaters; new hard-wired fire detection units in all areas; and new central HVAC.

Wallick Closes on Tenth Senior Living Community

Last Friday marked the closing of The Ashford of Beavercreek, a soon-to-be constructed senior living community in Beavercreek, Ohio.

This new development will have 22 private and shared memory care suites with 32 beds, and 82 studio, and one- and two-bedroom assisted and independent living suites for up to 120 residents.

The 104-unit community will be a single building with a three-story assisted and independent living wing, and a single-story memory care wing. A shared center area will link the two, featuring seating areas, activity rooms, a fitness center, beauty salon and barbershop, art studio, formal and private dining rooms, and a grab-and-go bistro that will have a dual purpose as a pub for happy hours and informal resident socializing.

When fully occupied, The Ashford of Beavercreek will create up to 51 new, full-time jobs in Beavercreek that include nurses, personal care assistants, maintenance techs, housekeepers, cooks, and marketing and administrative staff.

Construction will begin in October 2021 and is expected to be completed by the spring of 2023.

Cornerstone Crossing Celebrates Grand Opening

Cornerstone Crossing Senior Apartments, a new affordable apartment community in Elsmere, Kentucky, had its grand opening on Monday.

Amy Albery was there to welcome everyone and was followed by remarks from a variety of project partners, including State Representative Adam Koenig, Senator Mitch McConnell’s Field Representative Megan Bankemper, Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), Fifth Third Bank, HOPE of Kentucky, St. Henry Parish, Kenton County Judge-Executive, and City of Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof. The event proceeded with a ribbon cutting ceremony and site tours.

Cornerstone Crossing serves seniors over 55 years old. There are 50 apartment homes: 25 one-bedroom and 25 two-bedroom. This project had a total of $9.2 million in development costs. Through the KHC, it received an allocation of 9% Housing Tax Credit.

Find more information about Cornerstone Crossing here: https://www.cornerstone-crossing.com/.

CEO Tom Feusse Retires After 15 Years

This letter was posted on behalf of CEO Tom Feusse. 

To our valued partners and friends: 

On September 1, 2021, I will retire from CEO of Wallick Communities. There’s no perfect time to step aside; however, now seems to be the right time. I will always cherish my relationship with Wallick and look forward to continuing as Chairman of Wallick’s Advisory Board and as a part-owner. 

My retirement comes on the cusp of a new beginning for Wallick. Seeing this day coming, Julie, Howard, and I came together and decided three years ago that Wallick needed someone to step up and step into this role. Someone who embraces our values, understands our business and industry, and will be here for the long-term to lead us with excellence through this transformative time. As we announced one year ago, that someone is Amy Albery. 

In Amy’s ten years at Wallick, she has led two of our five business units and held a leadership role within another. In the past year, she successfully led our property management, asset management, and support service teams through the pandemic in her current role as Chief Operating Officer. A proven leader with a compassionate mindset focused on doing well while doing good, Amy will now lead the 55-year-old Wallick Communities into the next chapter of its story.   

Now is an important time for Wallick. Our Senior Leadership team is strong. Our strategy, created from the bottom-up, prepares us for meaningful growth. Our mission to open doors to homes, opportunities, and hope means more to us now than it ever has. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved over the past 15 years. We’ve grown, not just in size, but in how we impact those we serve. We’ve proven that we can run a high-performing business and do good work. To accomplish such, we built a team of smart people with big hearts who enjoy working with one another.    

While we fondly remember the past, it’s our future that drives us. Wallick’s best days are ahead, and we cannot and will not miss a beat during this transition. We’re significantly expanding our impact, and we have all the right players in place to do just that. 

Thank you for your unwavering support, partnership, and friendship through the years. Our success couldn’t be achieved without you, and we want you here with us as we continue to soar to new heights. 

Wishing you all the best, 

 Tom 

The Ashford of Grove City Celebrates Grand Opening

Last Wednesday, August 18, The Ashford of Grove City (AGC) celebrated their grand opening. This was an all-day event with more than 60 people in attendance, including residents, business partners, Wallick associates, and several prominent figures:

  • Mayor Ike Stage: City of Grove City
  • Jason Knox: District Director for Central Ohio Office of US Senator Rob Portman
  • Ellen Short: Central Ohio Regional Representative Office of US Senator Sherrod Brown
  • Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann, Chabad Columbus

The morning began with speeches from these people listed above, as well as our own Amy Albery and Stephanie Hess. After the official ceremony and ribbon cutting, guests were welcome to tour the new building and meet the AGC team.

In the afternoon, the public was welcome to enjoy live music, hors d’oeuvres, dessert, and a tap truck. The AGC team continually offered tours, and the HR team provided information about job opportunities.

The Ashford of Grove City has 150 units and is Wallick’s fourth affordable assisted living community. With independent living and memory care units as well, AGC is our only community with all three levels of care in the same building.

Click here to watch the live recording of the morning portion.

Wallick Awarded Funds for Two New Communities

Wallick Communities received two separate awards to fund Summergrove Apartments in Bowling Green, OH and Oak View at Siler City in Siler City, North Carolina.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency awarded Wallick Communities $3,000,000 (2021 Bond Gap Financing Award) in Ohio Housing Trust Funds to finance the construction of Summergrove Apartments, which will provide a high-quality, safe housing option for the local workforce within Wood County. Summergrove will have one, two, and three-bedroom apartments – a total of 96 units.

Additionally, the North Carolina Housing Finance Authority awarded Wallick Communities $9.7 million in 9% tax credits to finance the construction of Oak View at Siler City Apartments, Wallick’s first community in the state of North Carolina. To help fund the project further, Wallick also won the RFP issued by Chatham County, NC for land to develop affordable housing in Siler City. Oak View will be a multifamily community with a total of 72 units with one, two, and three-bedroom options.

Thank you to OHFA, NCHFA, and our partners for their unwavering support in the development of these pivotal communities.

Vote for Parkwood Commons for the AHF Readers’ Choice Award

Parkwood Commons, one of Wallick’s affordable housing developments, is a finalist for the Affordable Housing Finance’s (AHF) Readers’ Choice Awards. The development has the opportunity to win in the categories of Best Preservation and Best Overall Development. This year’s Awards have 36 finalists out of 123 entries. You can read about all the finalists here.

Before Wallick, the development in Peoria, Illinois was at almost 50 years without a major investment and near to closing. Now, the property has a waiting list, revealing the clear need for affordable housing in the area. Parkwood Commons is a 100-unit property consisting of 50 buildings with two- to five-bedroom units. Learn more here.

Help Parkwood Commons win by voting! Winners are voted on by the AHF magazine and newsletter subscribers. It is free to subscribe to the AHF magazine or its e-newsletter, which is required to vote. People must subscribe here by August 2 and can vote until August 20.

Developer Rescues Struggling Illinois Project

Dr. Douglas Scharre to Host Memory Loss Seminar at The Grove Columbus

The Grove at Oakleaf Village Memory Care Community is hosting a memory loss seminar. This seminar is aimed to dig deeper into the topic of memory loss, the importance of early detection, research, and more. We will be learning from Dr. Douglas Scharre, who is a cognitive and memory expert from the Ohio State University.

What: Everything You Wanted to Know About Memory Loss but Forgot to Ask

When: Wednesday, July 14, 2021. The event is from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Where: The Grove at Oakleaf Village Memory Care Community – 5546 Karl Road, Columbus, OH 43229

Registration Link: www.wallick.com/memory

We hope to see you there!

Wallick Communities Announces Ownership Change

WALLICK COMMUNITIES ANNOUNCES OWNERSHIP CHANGE
Family-Owned Company Transitioning to Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Wallick Communities Co-Owners and Principals Howard Wallick, Julie Wallick and Tom Feusse today announced the company’s ownership transfer to its more than 1,100 associates through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Wallick is the largest developer, owner and operator of affordable housing in the state of Ohio.

The ESOP is a new retirement benefit. Associates will earn Wallick stock and become part-owners of the company. Wallick’s co-owners considered multiple options for ownership transition while preserving the company’s culture, sense of family and independence. An ESOP helps secure the company’s future and growth while remaining a locally-owned and operated business.

“When Jack Wallick founded the company in 1966, he could not have imagined the company would grow to open doors to homes, opportunity and hope across 200-plus communities in six states, with more than 1,100 associates,” said Wallick CEO Amy Albery. “Moving to employee-ownership preserves Jack’s values and vision for the company, while enabling our associates to benefit from our success. We know that our associates already think and act like owners, putting residents first through genuine care, genuine character and genuine collaboration.”

“Additionally, employee ownership is a significant advantage as we continue to recruit and retain top talent. We believe employee ownership provides an opportunity for associates to benefit directly from the company’s growth and momentum that they are helping to create.”

According to the National Center for Employee Ownership, there are approximately 7,000 ESOP companies in the U.S., and 28 million employees participating in employee ownership plans. Data from the ESOP Center at Kent State University finds there are 286 ESOP companies in Ohio, which ranks the state in the top 10 nationally for the total number of ESOPs.

Wallick Communities (wallick.com) serves the affordable housing and senior living markets and operates five business divisions: Development, Construction, Asset Management, Affordable Housing Operations, and Senior Living Operations. With more than 1,100 associates, the company currently manages more than 200 affordable and senior communities across the Midwest, having developed and built more than 400 communities throughout its history. Wallick is Ohio’s largest developer, owner and operator of affordable housing. For over 55 years, the family business has adhered to its founder Jack Wallick’s ideals of integrity and consistent quality. Led by CEO Amy Albery and guided by its Board of Directors, Wallick is an employee-owned company.

Oakleaf Village of Sylvania and The Grove Voted Best in Toledo

Mature Living News’ annual Readers’ Choice Awards has announced Oakleaf Village and The Grove in Sylvania, OH are the winners of three categories: Best Senior Living Community, Best Assisted Living, Best Memory Care.  

The Grove Sylvania opened five years ago, winning the Memory Care category each year since. Oakleaf Village of Sylvania has also won Readers’ Choice categories in the past.

Readers of the magazine are the judges, voting for the best of the Toledo, OH area. The favorites are recognized, from the best take-out restaurant to best radio personality and everything in-between, which included these three categories our communities won.  

Senior communities offer upscale amenities to attract tenants

COVID-19 vaccinations transforming lives at The Ashford of Mt. Washington

Sarah Malone promoted to CFO

Wallick Communities is pleased to promote Sarah Malone to Chief Financial Officer, where she will oversee all company finance activities and acquisitions. Asset Management will continue to report to Sarah in her new role as we work to secure her successor.

Sarah joined Wallick in 2018 to lead Asset Management, ensure our communities perform well financially, and play a central role in driving business growth through acquisitions. Sarah is not only in charge of ensuring our property portfolio generates a return on investment, but she also sees to it that our communities are operated per our vision to provide safe, affordable homes to families and seniors.

Before starting at Wallick, Sarah spent ten years at the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing (OCCH), as a leader in fund management. Sarah oversaw the day-to-day activities of LIHTC asset underwriting in this position, including the approval process, construction management, and closing. She also worked closely with investors on proprietary fund investments.

Sarah is currently a board member for the YWCA of Columbus, a nonprofit with a mission to eliminate racism and empower women through dialog, education, and practical resources. She received a bachelor’s in business administration and marketing from Ashland University, followed by an MBA from Capital University.

Congratulations, Sarah.

COO Amy Albery recognized as one of Affordable Housing’s Leading Women

Vote for The Ashford of Grove City for Best of the ‘Bus today!

The Ashford of Grove City (AGC) was nominated to win the “best senior living community” category of the Best of the ‘Bus 2021 contest.

Vote for AGC here, today! (See Q17). Opened in January, AGC is Wallick’s newest senior living community located in Grove City, OH that features independent living, assisted living, and memory care.

Best of the ‘Bus is put on by CityScene magazine and awards Ohio’s Best Ice Cream, Best Carry-out, Best TV Binge, and more – a total of 52 categories. CityScene, Columbus’ only locally and independently owned arts and entertainment magazine in Central Ohio, continues to share Columbus’ people, stories, and events after more than 20 years.

Skip to Q17 or cast your vote for all 52 categories. Either way, we hope that we can count on your vote!