On March 10, Ecumen, a Shoreview-based nonprofit senior care and housing provider, announced a transition in leadership, with Cyrus Batheja taking over as president and CEO. Shelly Kendrick, who had been president and CEO since 2019, announced her retirement in September.

“Cyrus brings to Ecumen deep experience in health care, which first began at the bedside in senior living,” said Marcia Kull, chair of Ecumen’s board of trustees, in a press release. “His experience, strategic vision, and deep commitment to Ecumen’s mission-driven work are perfectly suited to guide us in this rapidly changing health care landscape.”

Ecumen develops and operates senior living communities with health care services, doing business in four areas: senior care and senior housing, market-rate housing, affordable housing, and home- and community-based services. Beyond 39 locations in Minnesota, Ecumen has communities in Wisconsin.

“[Ecumen]has a wonderful legacy of creating meaningful outcomes for communities around the state of Minnesota but also beyond,” says Batheja, who begins as president and CEO on Monday.

According to the nonprofit, its programs in total benefited 34,792 individuals in 2024. Its communities of senior housing provide for 4,678 total residents—1,539 assisted living, 1,168 independent living, 1,169 affordable housing, 704 memory care, and 98 long-term care. More than 960 patients received hospice care from Ecumen in 2024, as well.

Ecumen’s operating revenue has grown an average of 12.5% each year since fiscal year 2022, from close to $143 million to about $211 million in fiscal year 2025. (That annual rate of growth dipped to 1.2% in fiscal year 2025, from 28.7% in fiscal year 2024.)

“We’re absolutely on a path for growth within the industry, and I’m excited about that,” says Batheja.

Nursing was the backdrop of Batheja’s life before the start of his own nursing career. His mother was a registered nurse, as well. Both mother and son graduated from Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota.

“I used to spend my teens going to college with my mom as she was going through the nursing program,” Batheja recalls. “When I had the opportunity, there was never a question in my mind that that was going to be the path I would take.”

Throughout his experience as a registered nurse, Batheja observed challenges facing long-term care that he sought to address by purchasing a single-family home with his wife in Carver County. The couple licensed the home as Batheja Supportive Living Services, an adult foster care provider that they still maintain.

“We primarily cater to vulnerable adults and had a lot of fun being able to provide health care in the way that we felt it should be done and really having that autonomy and control over the delivery of care,” Batheja says.

Batheja has since also held senior leadership positions at UnitedHealth Group and Optum, a subsidiary of the former. In an interview with TCB, Batheja discussed how he plans to incorporate his leadership experience and vision for senior care at Ecumen.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

What was it that drew you to Ecumen?

I think that the care that’s being provided to the residents, the housing that’s being provided, is second to none.

But the big one for me is the fact that it is right in the community that lifted both my mother and I up. I spent a lot of time learning about needs in other states—building models, scaling health systems for people around the country—but I really felt like this was an opportunity to bring all of that learning home and provide that to folks within our community and within our region. It aligned really nicely with my understanding of care delivery and the work that I had done there in affordable housing, as well.

And then, importantly: being able to support the continued development of the nursing profession. Nursing has been instrumental to myself and my family. I stood on the board of visitors for the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, the [board of] Normandale Community College Foundation. I’m a regent at Augsburg University.

Throughout the course of the multiple leadership roles you have undertaken, how would you describe your leadership strategy and your leadership style?

My leadership style is a servant-leadership style. I’m simply here to help the people providing care to be able to do their life’s best work. How do I remove barriers? My style is to listen, to learn, and then to serve. I think that describes it pretty well.

Along those same lines, you have held leadership roles in for-profits before. Ecumen, of course, is a nonprofit. What is the difference between leading those types of organizations?

I think the biggest difference is a real focus around the mission rather than profitability, thinking about ways in which we can be the strongest community contributor possible.

[That is] not to say that the for-profit side of things isn’t thinking about things that way. But I just feel like there’s a stronger focus there [on profit].

Ecumen, being one of the oldest senior living and senior service providers in the country, has done a marvelous job in focusing on community development. That was, one, the real draw for me in joining the organization, but two, it is really the power behind what it is we do—living that mission rather than living to profit.

What is your vision for the future of Ecumen?

Short-term, my vision is really to provide support and stability to the organization as we go through the CEO transition, contributing to the communities and doing a lot of listening and learning.

[My] long-term vision is really to be a leading provider for senior housing, dignified housing, and providing services that I’d be proud to live in and that I’d be grateful to receive. It’s a bold vision, but it’s one that I think—based on our past questions and conversation—we will be able to achieve, and I’m excited about having the opportunity.