Brian Swinton

Brian C. Swinton has served as a Director of Avalon Health Care, Inc. since March 2007. Mr. Swinton has been a senior living industry pioneer and leader for more than 28 years. Starting in 1986, he headed the team that created Marriott’s Brighton Gardens, one of the nation’s most successful assisted living concepts, while at the same time he headed the sales and marketing efforts for the entire Marriott Senior Living Division — the nation’s leading provider of quality tier senior living at the time. He also spearheaded the successful Marriott Continuing Care Retirement Community prototype, Stratford Court, and was a key executive in the development of life care communities (i.e. The Fairfax, The Quadrangle, The Colonnades), senior condominiums (i.e. The Jefferson), and senior cooperatives (i.e. Maplewood) for Marriott.

Following a successful 7-year stint at Marriott, Mr. Swinton joined The Forum Group team as Senior Vice President in 1993 and again spearheaded the development of another assisted living mainstay, the cottage concept, through Hearthside (now Maple Ridge), and successfully headed the sales and marketing, product development and construction aspects of the company resulting in the corporation’s sale to Marriott in 1996.

Mr. Swinton next joined Sunrise in 1996 as Executive Vice President where he once again headed the sales and marketing efforts, as well as market feasibility, customer and employee satisfaction and product development. He also headed the innovative Sunrise concept, At Home Assisted Living, currently in major markets around the country. At Sunrise he had direct involvement with the development and marketing of more than 250 properties throughout the United Statesin 33 states, Canada and England, including more than 140 properties taken from initial identification and acquisition of the land, through construction and pre-marketing to essential stabilized occupancy.

He has served in various industry positions including Chairman of the National Council on Senior’s Housing (NCOSH), which is an affiliate of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). He also served as a Director and Vice President of the National Association of Senior Living Industries (NASLI), a forerunner to ALFA, and participated in dozens of conferences speaking on a variety of industry topics.

Mr. Swinton has been a lead instructor for the University of Maryland (Baltimore County) Erickson School of Aging Studies. He also served as the Vice Chairman of Australian Senior Living, an organization pioneering free-standing Assisted Living in Australia.

For the last ten years, Brian has been a private consultant to the industry with clients including Sunrise Senior Living, The Carlyle Group, Bickford Senior Living (The Eby Group), National HealthCare Corporation (NHC), West Development/Senior Living, West Foundation, Franklin Senior Living, Southern Manor Living Centers, Sun Health Senior Living, and Avalon Health Care.

Mr. Swinton holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with Distinction from Harvard Business School specializing in Marketing and Real Estate.

Mr. Swinton is married and has 6 children and 22 grandchildren.