Meet Matt Neville, Emerson Lakes' Executive Director

Emerson Lakes, an Erickson Senior Living community under construction in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., has named Matt Neville as executive director!

Neville, who most recently served as executive director at Highland Springs, an Erickson Senior Living community in North Dallas, Tex., is especially well-suited for the job.

"In his 21 years with the company, Matt has consistently demonstrated an ability to develop high-performing teams and deliver results, especially with resident satisfaction and employee engagement," says Chris Emmett, executive vice president of community operations for Erickson Senior Living. "Emerson Lakes is in great hands."

With the community slated to open in early 2027, Neville is excited to help create a warm, welcoming culture.

"I'm looking forward to this next chapter," he says. "I'm honored to help build a friendly, vibrant community for seniors to call home."

Getting his start

While Neville has served as a community leader for many years, he got his start crunching numbers during his first senior living job in community finance.

"But I was in search of something special--a place with values I could personally align with and love talking about every day," recalls Neville, who found exactly what he was looking for at Erickson Senior Living.

He joined the team at Wind Crest, an Erickson Senior Living community in Highlands Ranch, Colo., as it was preparing to open. Because of his dedication and hard work, he quickly ascended to regional finance director, overseeing eight of the company's communities.

Curious about the operations side of the business, he accepted the role of general services director at Wind Crest. "It was a real blessing for me to transition from finance to operations," he says. "I gained so much insight into how Erickson supports residents on a day-to-day basis."

His success in the role led to an associate executive director position at Highland Springs, where he was later promoted to executive director.

"There's no better job out there! It's really the most fulfilling job in senior living," he says. "I'm so thrilled I was able to serve residents in that capacity at Highland Springs, and now, I'm able to do the same at Emerson Lakes."

Sharing successes

Having served the community for the last 16 years, Highland Springs holds a special place in Neville's heart, but he's ready to begin this next chapter.

During his time at Highland Springs, Neville helped support the opening of eight new residence buildings and the on-site continuing care neighborhood, which offers assisted living, memory care, and rehabilitation services. Thanks to his leadership, Highland Springs also consistently ranked among the company's top-performing communities in terms of resident satisfaction.

He's excited to bring his proven formula to Emerson Lakes.

"We've created something very special at Highland Springs," he notes. "My goal is to share these successes with Emerson Lakes so residents can enjoy the same vibrant, worry-free lifestyle."

He adds, "There's something special about starting from ground zero and knowing that you are shaping a community into a warm, friendly environment that residents will call home. There's no better reward than working together to create something that will stand the test of time."

Preparing for launch

Emerson Lakes' first residence building and clubhouse are slated to open in early 2027, but Neville is already hard at work building out a team that will bring the community to life.

"There's a lot of excitement around it," he says. "We're looking for dedicated leaders across the company's nationwide network of communities to bring the best of Erickson Senior Living to the Lakewood Ranch area. I'm looking forward to welcoming the staff members who will help us make Emerson Lakes a premier continuing care retirement community in Florida."

Neville is also eager to welcome the community's first residents and start building meaningful relationships with them.

"I enjoy creating personal connections with residents," says Neville. "They're the reason I love what I do."

A vibrant area

When he's not busy working on Emerson Lakes' plans, Neville enjoys playing golf and pickleball with his wife, Denita.

"Dallas prepared us well for Florida's weather," he says, with a laugh. "We both like the outdoors and fitness activities. Being in a vibrant area like Lakewood Ranch fits our lifestyle."

He adds, "Finding trails to explore on our Harley Davidson touring motorcycle is also on my to-do list!"

To learn more about independent senior living at Emerson Lakes, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and much more.

By Linda Esterson