St. Anne's Retirement Community Names New President and CEO

St. Anne’s Retirement Community Names New President and CEO

St. Anne’s Retirement Community has named its replacement for President and CEO Mary Turnbaugh, who is set to retire at the end of June . Melissa Frownfelter, most recently the interim President and CEO of Spiritrust based out of York, PA, will assume the role effective July 1. Her selection comes after a nationwide search that began last fall.

“A pool of more than 100 applicants was narrowed down to the top three individuals,” Sr. Fran Schumer, ASC, Chair of the Search Committee said, then those three candidates were invited to St. Anne’s to meet with resident groups, senior leadership, and a search team made up of members of the Board of Trustees.

Melissa was with Spiritrust as COO when she joined in January 2022. She was appointed to interim CEO by the board and led the organization from November 2023 to present. The organization operated six Continuing Care Retirement Communities in Pennsylvania.

Prior to Spiritrust, Melissa was Vice President of Operations with Pleasant View Communities in Manheim, Pennsylvania. She was with the organization from 2012 until 2021.

“In Melissa Frownfelter we have found the ideal candidate who brings a wealth of experience in managing communities like St. Anne’s in senior living, healthcare, developing innovative programs and in outreach to the surrounding area,” Matt Patterson, Chairperson of St. Anne’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “We are delighted that she will be building on St. Anne’s strengths and leading us forward in all of those areas.”

St. Anne’s is a faith-based, not-for-profit Continuing Care Retirement Community on 62 acres in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Since 1928, they have served the community with compassionate care and a warm, welcoming environment. Sponsored by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, the community is centered around Catholic values while welcoming all individuals regardless of any faith orientation.

The most recent expansion includes two luxury apartment buildings that opened in the last several years and offer four different floor plans with open concept living and balconies, as well as the construction of new homes on the campus. Healthcare services are recognized for excellence locally, regionally, as well as being consistently rated as a 5-Star facility from CMS.

Ms. Turnbaugh said in a statement she is “excited and optimistic about the future” with Ms. Frownfelter at the helm. She also stated “Melissa will provide the leadership St. Anne’s requires to be successful in an increasingly challenging environment”.

Ms. Turnbaugh has served as President and CEO since 2004.