Susan DiMickele, a longtime National Church Residences executive, has been named president and CEO ahead of the retirement of outgoing leader Mark Ricketts.

DiMickele, who currently serves as senior vice president of senior living and senior services, will assume leadership of the Columbus, Ohio-based organization when Ricketts retires on June 30. She is now the fourth president and CEO in the organization’s history — and the first woman to lead National Church Residences. 

“Women make up more than 72% of our workforce, so it’s not a surprise to find such a qualified, seasoned missional leader within our own organization to lead us into the future,” National Church Residences Board of Directors Chairman Greg Overmyer told Senior Housing News in an email.

While currently serving 46,000 older adults, primarily in affordable senior housing, National Church Residences aims to boost that figure to 100,000, Overmyer said.

“Susan’s successes in leading our Senior Living and Senior Services Division will propel us toward that vision,” Overmyer added.

Prior to joining National Church Residences seven years ago, DiMickele was a partner with the Squire Patton Boggs law firm, where she co-led the global labor and employment practice group. DiMickele served as the organization’s first general counsel and established the legal department, recently leading an effort to diversity service offerings.

Outgoing CEO Ricketts forecasted a bright future for the organization, citing strong demand for senior living based on demographic trends.

“We project that our Senior Services Division will grow dramatically to help our seniors thrive anywhere seniors call home. We welcome everyone who shares our mission to join us in serving seniors,” Ricketts told Senior Housing News via email.

Nearing his retirement later this year, he called leading the organization the “honor of my life.”

“It excites me to see the next generation of leaders and all our employees – continue National Church Residences’ incredible mission of service,” Ricketts said.

No further leadership changes are expected for the organization in the near future, Overmyer noted.

In October 2022, National Church Residences promoted Brianna Mettler from vice president of senior services to her new role as vice president of health care operations, and Sean de Four and Jami Dewolf were added to the National Church Residences Board of Directors.

National Church Residences oversees 360 communities in 24 states, serving more than 46,000 older adults.