Howard Chandler selected to serve as executive director of Peabody Home effective February 22
Meg Miller has announced that she plans to retire from her role as executive director of the Peabody Home in February 2021. Her successor will be Howard Chandler, who has been approved by the Board of Directors and will begin his position on February 22. Miller has worked at the Peabody Home for 22 years as the administrator and has been an integral part of the new phase of growth and expansion of the more than 80-year-old nursing home by securing a substantial loan to more than double the capacity of the facility.
Miller is moving into retirement to spend more quality time with her family and loved ones. She will be available to help with the transition to the new executive director, who is a former colleague and is highly respected in New Hampshire’s nursing home community.
“I am so grateful for the work our staff has done to help maintain the excellent care and level of service that the Peabody Home has been known for since its inception in the early 1940s and to our fantastic and dedicated Board of Directors for their guidance and support. This is an amazing and caring team that I know will help shepherd the Peabody Home into this exciting new phase of expansion,” Miller said. “I am delighted that the board has selected Howard Chandler as the incoming executive director and it’s a good time for this leadership transition. Knowing him well, I am confident that Howard will be a great leader for Peabody.”
Howard Chandler has served as the administrator of the Mountain View Community in Ossipee, New Hampshire since 2012. Chandler, of Laconia, started on a temporary interim basis and became the permanent director of November 1 of that year. Prior to serving as administrator to Mountain View Community, Chandler held leadership positions at Taylor Community in Laconia and Meredith Bay Colony Club in Meredith and helped guide these facilities through a similar growth pathway that the Peabody Home is embarking on.
“We are eternally grateful for the dedication and compassion that Meg has brought to the Peabody Home day in and day out for many years. She has been an inspiring leader and I wish her and her family the very best in this next chapter for them. We are very excited that Howard Chandler will be joining us as the next executive director. He is one of the most talented and respected individuals in the industry, has great leadership skills and an impeccable reputation, and we are very fortunate to have him,” said John Benham, a long-time board member and Chair of the Building Committee, who was highly involved in the search.
Peabody Home put shovels in the ground at a recent virtual groundbreaking ceremony to formally kick off the construction process that will result in this significant expansion of facilities and services. The larger, brand-new facility will provide more capacity for assisted living and memory care and add in new high-quality independent living options for a full continuum of care. Funding totaling $26 million was approved through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program in November. On December 22, all loan paperwork was finalized, allowing construction to start.
Construction of the new 63,632 square foot facility will be done in two primary phases. The first phase will be the construction of the assisted living and memory care facility. Upon completion, residents and staff from the current facility, which dates back to 1942, will be moved to the new building. Phase one is expected to be completed in late 2021.
Once completed, the “new Peabody Home” will more than double capacity from the current 37 residents and will include 13 memory care apartments, 45 assisted living apartments and 16 independent living apartments. It will feature more common space and take advantage of its unique views of the Winnipesaukee River, which bends around a point where the facility is located.
For more information, contact Admission and Marketing Director Marylee Gorham at 603-934-3718 or mgorham@peabodyhome.org.
