Willie Novotny

Chief Executive Officer

Willie Novotny is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Meadowlark Hills, and Manhattan Retirement Foundation.  In fulfilling the charter of Manhattan Retirement Foundation’s charter – to provide facilities and services designed to meet the needs of seniors and their security, happiness and usefulness in living, Novotny’s responsibilities are to manage the existing resources of the organization to ensure that the services of today are innovative and exceptional in quality, and to analyze and predict the needs of seniors in the future, and to leverage the resources of the organization in order to meet them.

Prior to taking the helm as President and CEO, Novotny served for nine years as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer under the visionary leadership of Steve Shields that established and nationalized the Household Model as a recognized new and revolutionary service model for seniors otherwise living in nursing homes.

Novotny grew up in Pratt, Kansas and earned a  Bachelor of Science in Arts and Sciences with a Secondary Degree in Gerontology and Long Term Care Administration from Kansas State University in 1999.  He began his career in Long Term Care in 1995 working as a Certified Nursing Assistant.  He has been a Licensed Adult Care Home Administrator since 1994.

In addition to leading the strategy of Meadowlark Hills, Novotny spreads the message of Culture Change through education and consulting and has done work across the Midwest and East Coast with Action Pact and the Eden Alternative, and also teaches a course in Long Term Care Administration through Kansas State University.

Novotny currently serves at the state level as Chair-Elect of Leading Age – Kansas and at the national level as a Charter Board member of the Association of Households International.  Novotny previously served as a charter Board member of the Kansas Culture Change Coalition and is a member of the Kansas Adult Care Executives.  At the local level he has served as a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Riley County and still maintains a close relationship with that organization in ensuring organizational support.

Novotny lives in Manhattan and has a daughter Alayne, 10 and Matthew 5.

E-mail Willie