Juniper Communities Names Second Cohort of Future Leaders for LEVEL UP! Academy

[Bloomfield, NJ] - Juniper Communities, a leading owner and operator of senior living communities, has announced the second cohort of associates selected for its LEVEL UP! Academy, a two-year leadership development program designed to prepare high-performing team members for expanded leadership roles across the organization.

Launched in 2024, LEVEL UP! Academy combines immersive training, mentoring, and applied learning to strengthen leadership capability, accountability, and culture throughout Juniper’s communities.

“Leadership requires more than talent. It requires learning, perspective, and the wisdom to apply both in service of others,” said Lynne Katzmann, Founder and CEO of Juniper Communities. “LEVEL UP! Academy is an intentional investment in our people who demonstrate both performance excellence and the potential to lead with purpose.”

Participants are nominated by their community leadership and Juniper’s Executive Leadership Team and engage in an initial conference-style immersion followed by monthly learning sessions, mentoring, small-group projects, and self-paced coursework. Each Future Leader is paired with a mentor and supported by Juniper subject matter experts. Capstone projects reinforce the training experience.

Dining Directors and Connections Directors are strongly represented in this year’s cohort, underscoring Juniper’s view that dining and engagement are central to the senior living experience. Associates in these positions play a critical role in fostering connection, wellness and belonging for residents, while also influencing team culture and operational excellence.

“Dining and engagement teams shape how residents experience community every day,” Katzmann added. “These associates are deeply connected to residents and building level teams, making them essential drivers of satisfaction, retention, and culture.”

The program also emphasizes Juniper’s servant leadership culture, which prioritizes listening, collaboration, and solution-oriented doers whose actions are rooted in the needs and desires of the individuals they serve.

LEVEL UP! Academy supports Juniper’s long-term talent strategy by building internal bench strength and preparing the next generation of leaders to sustain growth, innovation, and excellence across the organization.

This year’s cohort of 14 includes associates from the dining, connections, sales and marketing, and business departments.

About Juniper Communities

Juniper Communities, a leader in quality, value, and innovation, owns and operatessenior living communities in Colorado, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, andTexas that emphasize the well-being, interaction and security of those who callJuniper home. Our approach to housing and care offers community members theopportunity to live a full life, regardless of age or health. Juniper’s innovativeConnect4Life program has been proven to improve resident care by decreasinghospitalizations, re-hospitalizations, and urgent care visits, while offering potentialcost savings to public programs such as Medicare. To learn more about the manyways Juniper Communities innovates in support of the communities’ residents,visit www.junipercommunities.com.