Sun Health has added new staff members to manage future growth and ongoing construction at its three continuing care retirement communities and other real estate holdings in the West Valley.
Paul Vanderveen has been named director of Real Estate Development. He will be responsible for master planning, entitlement and development of all Sun Health properties. He will also lead and direct site acquisition, site master planning, new product development, design, regulatory approval and infrastructure development.
Vanderveen will report directly to Sun Health Executive Vice President Joe La Rue and will collaborate with Sun Health senior leaders on related development projects. He also will work closely with Neal Smith, newly promoted construction superintendent of the Real Estate Development team.
Smith will focus on managing the performance of construction teams, tracking costs and schedules to keep projects on budget and on time, and mitigating risks through assessment of quality, scope, safety and regulatory requirements. Additionally, he will lead the transition of projects from construction to operations, and assist with start-ups, openings and stabilization. Smith also will report directly to La Rue and will work closely with senior leaders on projects. He previously served as director of Environmental Services at Grandview Terrace, a Sun Health community.
“It’s a pleasure bringing Paul on board and promoting Neal,” La Rue said. “Paul began managing one-off projects for us as a consultant. We kept giving him more work and he kept delivering excellent results, especially on our major construction projects at The Colonnade, and the repositioning projects at La Loma and Grandview Care Centers. It’s great to have him join Sun Health,” La Rue said.
Smith started his career with Sun Health 12 years ago as an entry-level tech. “Through hard work, determination and learning, Neal worked his way up to director of Environmental Services for Grandview, where he’s done great work improving services and cutting costs without cutting quality,” La Rue said. “I’m happy he’s been given this new opportunity.”
Smith’s position at Grandview has been filled by Ralph Fuller, who has an extensive background in managing environmental services in a resort, a hospital and most recently a care center. Fuller’s background in health care and knowledge of life-safety regulatory requirements specific to care centers are added bona fides.
About Sun Health
A long-standing champion for healthy living, nonprofit Sun Health is a community-based health care organization providing “pathways to population health” through philanthropy, senior living, community education and programs, and superior health care. Population health aims to improve the health of an entire population. Sun Health’s core services include:
- Philanthropy through Sun Health Foundation for local health care, community health programs and senior living.
- Senior living at Grandview Terrace (Sun City West), La Loma Village (Litchfield Park) and The Colonnade (Surprise).
- Community Health Programs including the Sun Health Center for Health & Wellbeing, Sun Health Care Transitions, Sun Health Memory Care Navigator, Sun Health Medication Management, Sun Health Community Education and Vial of Life/File of Life.
Learn more at www.SunHealth.org.
