BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. [January 27, 2021] – Discovery Senior Living has further bolstered its executive leadership team, appointing Gottfried Ernst as the company’s second Vice President of Operations. An experienced operations leader, Ernst joins Discovery Senior Living after serving as Vice President of Hospitality for True Connection Communities, a post he occupied since 2018.

The addition of Ernst brings to the Discovery Senior Living organization a 20+ year professional with a broad skill set across key functional areas like Food and Beverage, resident experience and wellness, facility maintenance and others. Throughout his career, Ernst has earned a reputation for innovation and designing cutting-edge programs that enhance the prospect and resident experience.

Born and raised in Austria, Ernst received a degree in Hospitality Management and Tourism from HLT Semmering and subsequently assumed management roles at 5-star hotels in Austria, Switzerland and the UK. He joined Brookdale Senior Living in 2001, and throughout a 15-year tenure, designed and deployed award-winning dining service programs across a nationwide network of more than 600 communities. Ernst also played a lead role in Brookdale’s successful systems integration of former Horizon Bay and Emeritus Senior Living communities.

Those prior experiences will be integral as Ernst joins the fast-growing Discovery enterprise, where he will help solve critical operations challenges including technology and systems integrations, local, state and federal regulatory compliance, budgeting and forecasting and managing operating costs. Ernst will also help steward the company’s proprietary “Experiential Living” operating model and maximize its impact across a fast-growing, multi-brand community portfolio.

“I am so proud to be joining this winning team that shares my passion for excellence,” said Ernst. “Discovery Senior Living is a company that looks to the future with innovation and fresh ideas that will significantly enhance our residents’ lives.”    

Now one of the nation’s 10 largest senior living providers, Discovery Senior Living currently owns and operates a portfolio of 67 communities in 15 states.

About Discovery Senior Living

Discovery Senior Living is a family of companies which includes: Discovery Management Group, Morada Senior Living, Discovery Development Group, Discovery Design Concepts, Discovery Marketing Group, and Discovery At Home, a Medicare-certified home healthcare company. With almost three decades of experience, the award-winning management group has been developing, building, marketing, and operating upscale senior-living communities across the United States. By integrating the company’s highly innovative and successful “Experiential Living” philosophy across its flourishing portfolio of almost 14,000 existing homes or homes under development, Discovery Senior Living has become a recognized industry leader in creating world-class, customized experiences at its communities.

 

Media Inquiries:

Heidi LaVanway, Vice President of Marketing

HLaVanway@DiscoveryMGT.com | 239.301.5330