Lasell Village President Anne Doyle is leaving after almost eight years, but her impact on the Village is long-lasting. Doyle is leaving at the end of October and will be missed by colleagues, residents, and friends at the Village.
“What I value most about the Village are the curious, engaged, caring people – residents, employees, students, faculty, partners, and more. This is a very special intergenerational campus.” said Doyle. “I will miss my friends and colleagues so much, but I also know that the caring culture and the close-knit bonds we have developed will continue.”
Doyle joined Lasell Village in 2015 after working in the health and senior care industry. She has formed strong connections with residents and a tight-knit community within the Village.
“When we think about senior living, I think we think about a business with a heart and
our jobs are to provide fulfilling and social learning environments for the full community, including the residents and staff,” said Doyle.
Doyle graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She then attended Stanford University, where she earned a Master of Business Administration. Her knowledge in business has led to an over thirty-year career in business management.
After she graduated, Doyle worked for former Governor Michael Dukakis, focusing on health care programs. She learned how the state was spending Medicaid, and how few options there were for older adults. Doyle took her curiosity for senior living options to Sweden, where she researched innovative housing and health care models for older adults as a Fulbright scholar.
“My grandmother had always lived with us, I had a lot of older friends, and I saw the opportunities for a lot of different ways to live and engage,” said Doyle.
Caroline Schastny, a Village resident on the Board of Trustees, and an ex-officio for the Student Government Association (SGA), was on the committee that hired Doyle in 2015. “She was definitely number one then, and she's continued to be number one ever since,” said Schastny.
Schastny says that her personality and business skills are what make Doyle stand out. “Anne is enthusiastic. I think she'd barely started working here when she knew everyone's name. She knows a lot about everyone and has a sort of compassion… She's a really influential leader among CCRC organizations.”
Among Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC), Lasell Village has been highly ranked within the state and nationally under Doyle's leadership. Village resident and former Chair of the Board of Trustees Margery Silver worked closely with Doyle during her time on the board. “Her management style is very democratic. She creates a management team that works closely together. I would describe her as someone who has a very rare combination of skills. She is an extremely good business person, but she is also a people person,” said Silver.
Doyle’s strong business skills led her to be placed on the Boston Globe’s list of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Educational Programming Specialist Nancy Snow worked previously as Doyle’s assistant at the Village for five years. “Anne was an absolutely awesome boss, she was very supportive of me and encouraged me to stretch my wings.”
Doyle’s favorite part of her job is the people. “We're built on a philosophy of caring about our society and it starts with how we treat each other,” said Doyle.
Benjamin Bailey, Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Capital Management, says that Doyle's leadership and curiosity have improved Lasell Village. “She's a great role model. Always enthusiastic and always willing to listen to new ideas. Her curiosity and willingness to try new things, really helped develop the Lasell Village brand.”
Doyle is on Lasell University’s Board of Trustees and believes the connection between the university and the Village is special. She values how the SGA includes villagers as ex-officios. “I give SGA huge credit for inviting residents to be members…The career panel came out of that collaboration, and I thought it was really wonderful,” said Doyle.
Though Doyle is leaving the village, she will continue to focus on senior care. “There continues to be too few options for older adults as they grow older, to really create a community around things that are engaging and fulfilling. What I would like my next career step to be is my contributing to expanding options for older adults.”
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