Legacy Pointe at UCF Fills Key Leadership Position, Hires Dr. James Wells
April 29, 2019
OVIEDO, FL–Legacy Pointe at UCF, a senior living community currently in development in Oviedo, is excited to announce Dr. James Wells as its executive director. In his new position, Wells will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the entire senior living community, which will feature 32 villas of various sizes for independent living, 140 independent living apartment homes, and a variety of services and amenities.
As part of its lifecare agreement, the community will also provide a continuum of health care services and accommodations on-site, including 48 assisted living and memory care apartments, and 48 skilled nursing suites with a 3,500-square-foot rehab gym for its more than 300 residents.
Wells has more than 30 years of senior living experience, 17 years as a CEO, and has overseen operations at several retirement communities across the country. For four years, he served as president and CEO of Canterbury Court, a senior living community in Atlanta. Prior to that, he oversaw Arbor Glen and Navesink Harbor senior living communities in New Jersey as their president and CEO.
“Dr. Wells’ background and achievements in the senior living industry make him ideally suited to oversee Legacy Pointe,” said Bob Holmes, president of Legacy Pointe’s board of directors. “His passion for serving seniors and his extensive experience will be invaluable in ensuring the community remains the best retirement option for seniors in Orange County.”
More than 165,000 Orange County residents are already 65 or older, and that number is expected to grow substantially over the next 10 years with the aging of baby boomers.
Legacy Pointe at UCF will provide a maintenance-free lifestyle as a model for successful aging in the greater Orlando area, complete with lifecare to address changing care needs that may arise. Unique to the area, the community will have a partnership with the University of Central Florida (UCF), and will offer residents high-quality programs to inform, entertain, educate and advance the development of successful aging at the community.
“There’s a need for engaging new living options in the Orlando area because of the growing senior population and their changing outlook,” Wells noted. “Through our partnership with UCF, our residents will experience a unique and dynamic lifestyle developed with the deep knowledge of the university alongside partnerships with our residents, not just ‘providing for them.’ Our multigenerational campus will provide opportunities for continuing education and clinically informed cutting-edge medical practices to achieve resident-centered care. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to enhance the lives of 70-,80-and 90-plus-year-olds for years to come.”
The community will be located 1 mile from the UCF campus, just north of Old Lockwood and McCulloch roads in Oviedo. Along with continuing education courses, residents will be provided opportunities to embrace many facets of wellness, including educational courses, artistic expressions, physical fitness, intergenerational engagement and vocational continuation. These will be enhanced by an array of amenities, including a performing arts center, classroom spaces, fitness center and spa, a sun-and-shade heated outdoor pool, multiple dining venues, a game room, gardening areas, creative arts studio, and walking and cycling trails.
Wells, who received his bachelor’s degree in history and prelaw from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his doctorate in medical ethics from Princeton Seminary, believes his experience in the field will help his team and future residents understand the lifestyle and wellness options Legacy Pointe at UCF provides. Wells is no stranger to Florida, having lived here for more than 20 years, including stints on the Medical Humanities faculty of Shands Hospital and with the Orlando Regional Health Care system.
Construction of the community is anticipated to begin in fall 2019, with an opening date scheduled for 2021.
