Jason Childers has been named Chief Operating Officer at Merrill Gardens. Childers brings over 20 years to his new role, including the past five years as Senior Vice President at Merrill. 
Childers sets the strategy for the company’s assisted living, memory care and wellness programs as well as dining operations. He also leads the company’s acquisitions efforts and sets the strategic direction of business development initiatives. In addition, Childers oversees transitions of new communities into the portfolio, and he recently spearheaded the emergence of Truewood by Merrill, the company’s middle market brand that has been widely recognized as an industry leader.
Before joining Merrill Gardens in 2019 as Senior Vice President, Childers spent three years as Executive Vice President of Strategy at Blue Harbor Senior Living. Prior to that he was a founding principal at 2Ten Consulting, and he was with the Merrill companies as Senior Vice President with responsibility for branding, information technology initiatives, budgeting, and business analytics from 2013-2015. Childers experience also includes 11 years at Leisure Care Senior Living, rising from Market Research Analyst to Partner and Executive Vice President.
Childers was an inaugural member of the NIC Future Leaders Council and is currently a member of the Argentum COO Roundtable. He also serves as Chair of the Education Innovations, Marketing and Enrollment, and Curriculum subcommittees for the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living at Washington State University.
