Can the senior living industry provide both consistency and growth? We are certain it can.

The world has changed significantly since 1985. Back then, the internet was brand new, the first iPhone was still 20 years in the future, and we were still popping cassette tapes into our stereos. That was the world that our fathers, Richard Westin and Jesse Pittore, knew when they founded Agemark Senior Living. That year, they set out to create a new kind of approach to senior care. And that’s exactly what they did. 

They ensured that people-centric care was the core of everything the company did. It was more than a business model. It was one of the cornerstones of the company and community culture. Whether through personal interactions or leadership appointments, they led by example. Perhaps nowhere is this more clearly seen than in their choice and support of Marty Hug as CEO. 

Marty was at Agemark for 38 years, was named COO in 1997 and CEO in 2022. Under his care and leadership, the company and our communities nationwide flourished. He was a consistent presence and a true champion for a people-centric culture. And this June, after more than 30 years in executive leadership, he stepped into a new role. 

That may have caused some to wonder what is next for Agemark. As the new co-CEOs, we see two things on our horizon: Consistency and growth. Although those may sound different, they are really two sides of the same coin.

In business, especially a service-oriented, two-family business like ours, consistency is crucial. More than anything, that is what has made Agemark successful over the past 40 years. Goals and values have been consistent. And that is not changing. 

People-centric care always will be at the heart of what we do. That kind of care starts with our employees and flows through them to our residents and their families. It is realized in small, everyday moments that brighten people’s days. Everyone in this industry expects quality facilities. But we have found that is not what people really move in for, and it’s certainly not why they stay.

They stay because of how they feel inside the building. This goes beyond the quality of countertops and the presence of natural light. It is really about quality of life and the presence of purpose. It’s about the relationships residents have with each other and with the staff.

Both of us have personally experienced what it’s like living without those two things.

Early in our careers, we spent time in investment banking and corporate finance. This work provided a good income, but the purpose was lacking, and there was almost no emphasis on building meaningful personal relationships. In the end, both of us knew we needed a change. We were tired of working ourselves to the bone just to cash a check. And when we looked at our fathers, we knew things could be different. 

Both of us grew up in the family business. When we were kids, we spent time in corporate meetings and visited communities. But most importantly, we met residents. We got to know people whose lives were affected by the work. That made an impression on us and it was that, more than anything, that drew us back to Agemark more than 10 years ago. 

Even in the past 10 years, we’ve seen so many changes. The technology and healthcare sectors have continued to evolve at incredible speeds. We see this as an opportunity to grow and improve our services and communities. We believe what we offer is valuable and, in a lot of ways, unique. By valuable, we don’t just mean valuable from a business perspective. We believe — and have seen — how it makes people’s lives better.

It improves how people feel, about themselves and their relationships inside and outside the community. When people feel good about the last chapter of their lives, it makes them feel good about their whole lives, which helps them feel better about it eventually coming to an end. 

That’s why we’re currently exploring how to simultaneously improve our quality of service to existing residents and offer those services to even more people who need them? That was the heart behind our recent partnership with the National Health Investors, and we’ve already seen our approach validated through numerous US News and World Report awards.

For us, these are not “corporate” awards. They are honors earned daily by our employees and community staff members across the country, and they represent actual improvements in the lives of our residents. That is the most important thing, and it’s why we want to grow. 

Agemark has been more than a career for us. It has been a place for us to find purpose in helping others find theirs. Around the office, we talk about an inverted leadership pyramid. It might sound confusing, but the concept is quite simple: we, as leaders, exist to empower and support those we lead. That is what we learned from our fathers, it is what we saw Marty do, and it will always be the Agemark way. 

Forrest Westin and Michael Pittore are the co-CEOs of Agemark Senior Living, leading 28 communities in six states across the United States, most of which are US News & World Report award-winning communities. This article originally appeared in McKnights Senior Living, August 11, 2025.