Covenant Living Communities and Services has a new CEO in David Erickson. He’s already hit the ground running.

Before taking the reins as president and CEO, Erickson worked as the Skokie, Illinois-based organization’s general counsel for 16 years. Erickson’s selection, announced June 4, comes following the retirement of former Covenant top leader Terri Cunliffe earlier this spring.

Erickson’s top priority as CEO in the coming weeks and months will be filling the organization’s COO and senior vice president of philanthropy positions, alongside the now-vacant general counsel role.

From there, he said he will work in collaboration with the Covenant Living board to reaffirm the organization’s coming years in terms of planning.

“Once we have the new COO, we’ll embark on a tour of our communities for an introduction and to provide a personal touch with our residents and staff at each of the communities,” Erickson said. “This will allow us to once again share our strategic direction and to develop meaningful relationships with each community.”

Erickson said his experience as a general counsel will benefit him in his new top leadership role, as he has already been able to lead through various leadership changes within the organization.It also has allowed him to have a “broad impact” within the organization already in other ways.

Under Erickson’s leadership, Covenant will focus on three key areas: Employees, residents and maintaining financial strength after a recent A- from ratings agency Fitch.

“It is important as an organization that we continue to provide a meaningful voice to our residents and employees on decisions impacting them,” he said. “We want to be an organization that is one of the best places to live and work. We believe this can be achieved through building trust, transparency and voice while preserving our position of financial strength.”

Erickson said the organization is also seeking to grow by affiliating with or acquiring another community, or through expanding one of its 18 community campuses in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington.

“It falls exactly within our strategic aspiration which builds high levels of trust with our residents and employees,” he said. “This needs to be done in meaningful ways so that they feel heard and have influence, while we continue to maintain financial and operational integrity as an organization.”

As the company grows, it also will evolve in such ways as, bringing in new technology and advocating for the senior living industry in front of state and national regulators.

“Covenant Living has a solid reputation in the field of senior living and is positioned to continue being a leader in the field of senior living,” Erickson said in a press release. “I’m humbled and excited to be in my new role with a vision of maintaining exceptional services for our residents and a focus on the employee experience.”