Continuing the Leader family tradition at Country Meadows Retirement Communities and Ecumenical Retirement Community, the organizations are proud to announce members of the third generation moving into executive roles at the family-owned and operated organizations.
Dan Mills and his wife, Meredith Mills—granddaughter of organization founders former Pennsylvania Governor George M. Leader and his wife, Mary Jane Leader—were promoted to senior vice president & chief administrative officer and senior vice president & chief operating officer, respectively.
Meredith Mills
Meredith Mills, MHA, PCHA
Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Board Member of the George M. Leader Family Corporation board of directors
Meredith Mills has been promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer for Country Meadows Retirement Communities.
Prior to this role, Mills has held several positions at Country Meadows with increasing responsibilities since joining the organization in 2011. She worked in marketing and operations as both director and regional director of marketing at two campuses, executive director of the Lancaster campus and most recently, vice president of strategic planning.
In her new role she oversees all personal care and assisted living operations develops strategic partnerships with hospitals and healthcare organizations in the markets in which Country Meadows and sister non-profit organization, Ecumenical Retirement Community, provide senior living services. She identifies opportunities for better communication between these communities and hospitals and physicians to share internal data and clinical outcomes to coordinate the best care for residents. In addition to researching and analyzing changes in healthcare regulations and reimbursement, she looks for ways to improve communications and educate leaders of healthcare entities about Country Meadows’ services and how the organization fits into the healthcare continuum.
As the granddaughter of Country Meadows Retirement Communities founders, the late Pennsylvania Governor George M. Leader and his wife, Mary Jane, Mills was raised in senior care and is delighted to carry on her family’s mission to serve seniors.
According to Country Meadows President & CEO, Michael Leader, “I genuinely believe Meredith understands and values the legacy and commitment of the Leader family to provide quality care for seniors and offer purpose to residents and co-workers. Meredith takes on this role with energy and enthusiasm. Without question she has the tools and the ability to take us to a higher level of excellence as demonstrated with the healthcare alliances she has forged and the projects she has led. It’s especially rewarding to me that a member of the third generation of the Leader family again will be in this integral leadership position.”
Being able to positively impact lives is what Mills enjoys most about her career. “I came to work at Country Meadows because of my family’s involvement, but also because of the opportunity to do something meaningful that could impact lives positively,” she says. “Here I get to do creative and interesting work that benefits both seniors and our amazing co-workers who have dedicated their lives to making life better for our residents.”
Mills has a master’s degree in Health Administration from Penn State University and an undergraduate degree from Franklin and Marshall College. She also is a board member of the George M. Leader Family Corporation (GMLFC) board of directors, which oversees operations for Country Meadows Retirement Communities, Ecumenical Retirement Community and sister company Providence Place Retirement Communities.
She concludes, “I cannot express in words what an incredible honor it is to follow not only in the footsteps of my grandparents, parents and uncles, but also in the footsteps of so many of the Country Meadows and Ecumenical ‘family members who have committed many years to our mission to serve seniors.”
Dan Mills
Daniel Thomas Mills, MHA, PCHA
Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer
Dan Mills was promoted to senior vice president and chief administrative officer for Country Meadows Retirement Communities.
Prior to his current role, Mills held several positions at Country Meadows with increasing responsibilities. He joined the organization in 2011 working directly with residents in memory support and restorative services before being promoted to executive director for both the Mechanicsburg and Hershey campuses. His previous role was vice president of business development in which he evaluated both current and new business prospects, assessing opportunities to potentially open new campuses, purchase land, make acquisitions and/or develop new lines of business.
Mills loves working with older adults and building relationships with residents and their families. “The more you get to know a resident, the more rewarding it becomes,” he says. “It’s important to take time to chat and make a personal connection. It’s not only the best part of the job, but also allows you to really understand what is important to him or her.”
As senior vice president & chief administrative officer, Mills continues to oversee new business development, purchasing and supply chain management, capital projects, interior design and fleet management. Mills has enjoyed many successes at Country Meadows. As an example, by analyzing varied purchasing processes, he implemented a streamlined approach which has begun standardizing quality, reducing expenses and saving co-workers’ time.
Mills is married to Meredith Mills—granddaughter of Country Meadows founders Gov. George M. and Mary Jane Leader. He has a master’s degree in Health Administration from Penn State University and his undergraduate degree from Franklin and Marshall College. Prior to joining Country Meadows, he worked for Chubb & Son for six years as a specialist in Risk Management supporting independent insurance agents in the Northeast Region.
Mills is a member of Argentum, the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association, and the Pennsylvania Health Care Association. He volunteers with the United Way and Central PA Foodbank.
While working at the Hershey campus, Mills spent time with Country Meadows founder, Gov. Leader, who reminded him that “the greatest risk we can take, is taking none at all.” He is honored to serve in a leadership role for the family business. “Many family businesses never make it to the third generation; 70 percent fail to reach the second generation. One of the main reasons the Leader tradition has been successful is because family members truly believe in helping others and making a difference. That is part of our family legacy and it’s an honor to work alongside all of our amazing co-workers.”