Experienced aging services executive will succeed renowned leader Roberto Muñiz

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Parker Health Group, a nationally recognized nonprofit provider of aging services, announced today that Mark Lenhard, MS, LNFA, has been named its next President & CEO. Lenhard is expected to join Parker in December 2026 and will succeed longtime President & CEO Roberto Muñiz, who will retire by the end of the year after nearly 28 years of leadership.

Lenhard currently serves as President & CEO of United Methodist Communities (UMC) and the UMC Foundation, providing strategic leadership for one of the region's most respected faith-based nonprofit aging services organizations. UMC's expansive network includes nine senior living communities, a home- and community-based services platform, a consulting arm, and a philanthropic foundation, all dedicated to helping older adults thrive.

Since joining UMC in 2022, Lenhard championed a period of innovation and growth. Under his leadership, UMC launched BEAM Consulting, which helps senior living organizations modernize their infrastructure and leverage technology, including artificial intelligence, to improve efficiency and service delivery. During his tenure, the organization also created Connexion Communities, a new subsidiary that expanded its senior care mission beyond New Jersey.

A transformational nonprofit healthcare and aging services executive, Lenhard brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across senior living, life plan communities, long-term care, post-acute care, and home- and community-based services. He has also served in numerous governance and leadership roles across healthcare, public policy, and faith-based organizations, including board chair, treasurer, and finance and risk management positions.

"Mark understands that successful leadership in aging services begins with mission, relationships, and a genuine commitment to the people we serve," said Muñiz. "Throughout this transition, I have emphasized that Parker's next CEO must be the right fit for our person-centered culture. After spending time with Mark, I am confident that he shares our values and respects the strong foundation we have built together. I look forward to supporting him as he prepares to lead Parker into its next chapter."

Lenhard is also an active national and regional leader. He serves on the boards of the Methodist Ministry Network and Caring Communities and is a featured speaker for LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware and other state and national audiences.

"Selecting Parker's next President & CEO has been the Board's most important responsibility this year," said Steven Landers, MD, MPH, Chair of Parker's Board of Trustees. "We were choosing the person who will be entrusted with carrying Parker's mission, values, and person-centered culture forward, and we attracted many extraordinary candidates. Mark's extensive aging services experience, collaborative leadership style, and track record of innovation distinguished him throughout the search. On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to welcome Mark to Parker as he begins this important new chapter."

"We are also profoundly grateful to Roberto for his visionary leadership and impressive accomplishments over nearly three decades," Landers continued. "He transformed Parker into a nationally respected leader in aging services while preserving the compassion, relationships, and human connection that define our culture. Roberto has built an exceptionally strong foundation for the future, and his active support throughout the transition will help ensure Mark begins his tenure with the knowledge, relationships, and confidence needed to succeed."

Parker's Board of Trustees conducted a comprehensive national search, guided by input from care partners, residents, program participants, family members, organizational leaders, and Trustees. The Board sought a highly qualified, person-centered leader who would protect Parker's culture, support its care partners, and share the organization's commitment to helping older adults live with dignity, purpose, and connection.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as Parker Health Group's next President & CEO," said Lenhard. "The organization's values resonate deeply with me, and I am excited to partner with Parker's care partners, residents, families, and Board of Trustees to build on its remarkable legacy. Together, we can create new opportunities for innovation, strengthen our impact, and continue enhancing the lives of those we serve."

The transition of its leadership is a significant event in Parker's storied history. Over the past 50 years, only two individuals have served at the helm of the organization as CEO.

Since joining Parker in 1998, Muñiz has led the organization through an extraordinary period of growth and transformation. Parker evolved from two nursing homes caring for approximately 110 residents into a comprehensive aging services organization serving more than 16,000 older adults and their families each year through residential, home-based, and community programs.

Under Muñiz's leadership, Parker pioneered person-centered models of care, expanded its continuum of services, and developed major healthcare and academic partnerships. These include the Parker Advanced Care Institute with VNA Health Group and the Parker Health Group Division of Geriatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Muñiz also recently completed a two-year term as Board Chair of LeadingAge, the national association representing more than 5,400 nonprofit aging services providers.

Parker emphasized that its mission, values, strategic priorities, and commitment to those it serves will remain at the center of the organization throughout the transition. Parker's leadership team and Board of Trustees will work closely with Lenhard as he begins meeting the Parker community and preparing to lead the organization into its next chapter.

For more information about Parker Health Group and its continuum of aging services, visit parkerlife.org.

About Parker Health Group, Inc.

Parker Health Group, Inc. is a not-for-profit, New Jersey-based aging services organization with nearly 120 years of experience that is committed to empowering older Americans. We are a diverse community of over 1,000 dedicated and passionate employees, caregivers, volunteers, thought leaders, researchers, educators, and partners. Our award-winning standards and approaches have made us a pioneer of inclusive aging services and long-term care residences, and a national thought leader on the conversation around aging in America. Founded in 1907, Parker has been challenging, changing, and expanding the idea of what it means to grow older in America, and how all of us can make aging part of life. For more information, visit parkerlife.org.

Media Contact:

Lee Dorry
Public Relations & Communications Manager
Parker Health Group
732-565-2425
423497@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Parker Health Group