Introducing Mark Erickson: The Senior Housing Industry Expert

Summit Vista, the new Life Plan Community coming soon to the Salt Lake area, is bringing a revolutionary senior living option never before seen in Utah. Mark Erickson is the newly named managing director of Summit Vista, and is the expert in all things senior living.

“Summit Vista will give residents of Salt Lake an option to choose an active, independent living lifestyle where they can do more of the things they want, and less time doing things they have to do,” says Mark.

Mark began his senior living career at the age of 14 working on the construction site of a retirement community. He eventually moved to work in architecture and design, and has gained invaluable insight into the industry throughout his years of experience. One of the most important insights he’s learned is to listen.

“Listen to your customers,” Mark says. “They will tell you everything you need to know. We can build the buildings, we can hire good people, but it is our elders and our customers who build the community.”

Mark recently returned from spending several years in China where he developed and opened a retirement community. Currently, senior services in China are mostly government providers. While traditional western communities have opened there, none have been as successful as the community Mark and his team developed.

In the past, Mark has acted as a Managing Director for Fortress Investment Group, CEO of Erickson Retirement Communities, and as Executive Director for Oak Crest Village in Baltimore, MD.

“The fundamentals around successful aging are much more similar than you would have thought,” he says. “The fundamentals are the same whether you’re in China, the U.S., Baltimore, or Salt Lake City.”

Mark’s experience in bringing new retirement options to seniors in China has prepared him for the challenges of bringing a Life Plan Community to Salt Lake.

“Having done a start up in a foreign country where there are a lot of hurdles makes this project a little bit easier,” said Mark. “It was very challenging to move there and start up a business in a foreign country in an industry that didn’t really exist.”

Summit Vista is expected to become a $300 to $400 million project over the course of its entire development, and employ more than 1,200 people in the Salt Lake area, from wait staff and housekeeping, to nursing, landscaping, construction, maintenance, social work, engineering, and much more. The project will not only create jobs, but will also bring economic activity from staff, residents and their families.

“I’m most excited about starting with a blank slate in a new market,” says Mark. “When you start with blank, you’re forced to think about every decision you make, and let’s think about 10 years from now. What’s the future of senior living? We’re creating it.”

Mark currently lives in the Salt Lake area with his wife Gwen, and his three children Lucas, Ava, and Henry.

For more information on Summit Vista, call us today at (801) 895-2545 to speak to one of our knowledgeable retirement counselors.