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Former Kendal CEO John Diffey Inducted into Continuing Care Hall of Fame

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John Diffey

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa.—John Diffey, former CEO of The Kendal Corporation, has been inducted into the Continuing Care Hall of Fame. As one of four inductees nominated into the Class of 2021, Diffey was recognized for his impact at Kendal and within the field of senior living.

Diffey dedicated over 40 years to the senior living field. He served as president and CEO of The Kendal Corporation from 1992 until his retirement in 2016 and was known as a champion of highly participative leadership and governance, diversity and inclusion and outcomes in measurement practices.

In addition to serving The Kendal Corporation in this role, John also was dedicated to improving the senior living field. He was highly involved in LeadingAge and participated in several committees. He also was a member of that organization’s board of directors, a co-founding chair of the leadership development program and president of the North Carolina chapter of LeadingAge. Due to his extensive involvement in LeadingAge, and his unique ability to rally resources in the service of others—as was the case in leading Kendal’s response to the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005—Diffey received the organization’s 2006 Award of Honor.

“It is with great pride that I accept this prestigious award,” said Diffey. “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve The Kendal Corporation and work in a field that touches the lives of and gives back to so many.”

At the ceremony, Diffey was introduced by The Kendal Corporation’s president and CEO Sean Kelly, who succeeded him; he spoke of Diffey’s vision and conspicuous commitment to Kendal’s values.

“The remarkable passion and commitment for transforming the experience of aging that John displayed during his tenure as CEO is still felt across the Kendal System today,” said Kelly. “I carry the lessons that he taught me and the values that he instilled in me during his time at Kendal through every action I take.”

The Continuing Care Hall of Fame was created in 2015 by A.V. Powell and Associates LLC to acknowledge influential individuals and organizations that have made meaningful contributions to continuing care retirement communities and continuing care at home programs. Honorees are inducted every two years by an advisory committee and are chosen based on specific qualities as outlined by the committee.

Bill Sims, Mary Alice Ryan and Larry Minnix were the others in the 2021 Hall of Fame. Lloyd Lewis, The Kendal Corporation’s first CEO, was inducted in the inaugural class to the Continuing Care Hall of Fame in 2015.

About Kendal

Founded on Quaker principles and guided by its values and practices, the operating Kendal affiliates provide independent living, assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing and rehabilitation care in eight states. Kendal-affiliated senior living communities are located in Hanover, New Hampshire; Ithaca and Sleepy Hollow, New York; Northampton and Easthampton, Massachusetts; Lexington, Virginia; metro Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Kennett Square, West Chester, and Newtown, Pennsylvania; and Oberlin and Granville, Ohio. Enso Village, a Zen-inspired Life Plan Community, currently is under development in Healdsburg, Calif. In Ohio and Massachusetts, Kendal at Home combines the security of a continuing care retirement community with the freedom and independence of living at home. For more information on The Kendal Corporation, visit kendal.org.