ARTICLE
PAHSA is excited to announce an important and joyful milestone for our organization. Following Cindy Ray’s announcement last spring of her plans to retire after 14 years of faithful service as PAHSA’s Executive Director, the Board of Directors began a careful and prayerful search for the next leader to guide our shared work. That process has now reached a wonderful conclusion. With great enthusiasm, the PAHSA Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Susanne Shaw as PAHSA’s next Executive Director. Susanne brings a wealth of experience in the senior living field, along with deep expertise in communications, public relations, and marketing. For more than 11 years, she served as Communications and Public Relations Manager at Southminster Retirement Community in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she helped strengthen community engagement and tell the story of mission-driven senior living. Earlier in her career, she worked on the vendor side of the industry as an Advertising Sales Manager for a touchscreen communications platform serving senior living communities. Susanne's professional journey also reflects creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, including developing a homeowner–service provider matching platform and publishing custom home magazines in the Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, GA, markets. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Virginia. In a letter to PAHSA members and friends, PAHSA Board Chair, Franklin Fant wrote, "Susanne stood out from other candidates for the position for a number of reasons. Coming from the senior living industry, she understands what our members do. We believe she is well-equipped for success in member engagement, member recruitment, programming, and sponsor recruitment. Susanne also shares an appreciation for the way faith informs the work of PAHSA members. She will be a great asset for PAHSA as we preserve the best of our culture while thoughtfully adapting and growing in response to the evolving senior living environment." The Board is confident that Susanne will be a tremendous asset to PAHSA as we honor the best of our culture while embracing new opportunities in a changing senior living landscape. Susanne will be employed by PAHSA member Forefront Living and will serve PAHSA through a management contract between Forefront Living and PAHSA. She will work remotely from Summerville, South Carolina. Her first day will be Monday, January 26, allowing her to join members at the PAHSA Fundraising Summit in Orlando (January 28–30). Following the Summit, Susanne will work closely with Cindy Ray through the 2026 Spring Conference, The Gathering, in Indianapolis (March 24–26), ensuring a thoughtful and seamless leadership transition. Cindy’s final day with PAHSA will be April 3. The Board extends heartfelt thanks to the members of the Search Committee — Franklin Fant of Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina;Dan Davis of Presbyterian Senior Living, Bobbi Jo Haden of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, Scott Polzin of Forefront Living, and Tim Webster of Kintura — for their time, wisdom, and dedication throughout this process. Special appreciation is also shared with Scott Polzin and Forefront Living, which will support the Executive Director role through a management agreement with PAHSA. In addition, we offer deep gratitude to Presbyterian Homes & Services, which generously provided management and operational support to PAHSA for more than 20 years — an extraordinary gift that helped shape who we are today. As we celebrate Cindy's remarkable legacy and look ahead with anticipation, we are filled with gratitude and hope. PAHSA has been truly blessed to find Susanne Shaw, and we cannot wait for members to meet her and experience her leadership. We look forward with excitement to the ways her gifts will strengthen and advance the mission we share.
PAHSA is excited to announce an important and joyful milestone for our organization. Following Cindy Ray’s announcement last spring of her plans to retire after 14 years of faithful service as PAHSA’s Executive Director, the Board of Directors began a careful and prayerful search for the next leader to guide our shared work. That process has now reached a wonderful conclusion.
With great enthusiasm, the PAHSA Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Susanne Shaw as PAHSA’s next Executive Director.
Susanne brings a wealth of experience in the senior living field, along with deep expertise in communications, public relations, and marketing. For more than 11 years, she served as Communications and Public Relations Manager at Southminster Retirement Community in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she helped strengthen community engagement and tell the story of mission-driven senior living. Earlier in her career, she worked on the vendor side of the industry as an Advertising Sales Manager for a touchscreen communications platform serving senior living communities.
Susanne's professional journey also reflects creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, including developing a homeowner–service provider matching platform and publishing custom home magazines in the Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, GA, markets. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Virginia.
In a letter to PAHSA members and friends, PAHSA Board Chair, Franklin Fant wrote, "Susanne stood out from other candidates for the position for a number of reasons. Coming from the senior living industry, she understands what our members do. We believe she is well-equipped for success in member engagement, member recruitment, programming, and sponsor recruitment. Susanne also shares an appreciation for the way faith informs the work of PAHSA members. She will be a great asset for PAHSA as we preserve the best of our culture while thoughtfully adapting and growing in response to the evolving senior living environment."
The Board is confident that Susanne will be a tremendous asset to PAHSA as we honor the best of our culture while embracing new opportunities in a changing senior living landscape.
Susanne will be employed by PAHSA member Forefront Living and will serve PAHSA through a management contract between Forefront Living and PAHSA. She will work remotely from Summerville, South Carolina. Her first day will be Monday, January 26, allowing her to join members at the PAHSA Fundraising Summit in Orlando (January 28–30). Following the Summit, Susanne will work closely with Cindy Ray through the 2026 Spring Conference, The Gathering, in Indianapolis (March 24–26), ensuring a thoughtful and seamless leadership transition. Cindy’s final day with PAHSA will be April 3.
The Board extends heartfelt thanks to the members of the Search Committee — Franklin Fant of Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina;Dan Davis of Presbyterian Senior Living, Bobbi Jo Haden of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, Scott Polzin of Forefront Living, and Tim Webster of Kintura — for their time, wisdom, and dedication throughout this process.
Special appreciation is also shared with Scott Polzin and Forefront Living, which will support the Executive Director role through a management agreement with PAHSA. In addition, we offer deep gratitude to Presbyterian Homes & Services, which generously provided management and operational support to PAHSA for more than 20 years — an extraordinary gift that helped shape who we are today.
As we celebrate Cindy's remarkable legacy and look ahead with anticipation, we are filled with gratitude and hope. PAHSA has been truly blessed to find Susanne Shaw, and we cannot wait for members to meet her and experience her leadership. We look forward with excitement to the ways her gifts will strengthen and advance the mission we share.