Catamount named Bernida Chapman as Vice President, Senior Living, establishing dedicated leadership for a market the company has served for over 15 years. In the role, Chapman will lead Catamount’s Senior Living strategy nationwide, partnering with owners and operators from early development and preconstruction through project execution.
The investment comes at a pivotal time for the industry. According to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, national senior housing occupancy has climbed for more than 20 consecutive quarters while new construction remains near record lows.
Catamount enters this next phase with an established track record, having delivered more than 40 projects across 11 states since 2010. That expertise has only deepened with the addition of Pinkard Construction, now a Catamount Constructors company, bringing a specialized senior living practice, longstanding industry relationships, and decades of experience delivering communities throughout Colorado.
Chapman brings a rare 360-degree perspective to the role, with more than two decades of experience spanning construction and development. She previously spent nine years leading construction and development for Spectrum Retirement Communities, a fully-integrated owner-operator-developer of senior housing. Her role provided a comprehensive view of the design, development, operations, and long-term ownership of senior living assets. Prior to Spectrum, Chapman worked in design-build construction at Opus. At Catamount, she has led senior living projects, and most recently, was instrumental in developing and launching ArchType®, Catamount’s pre-priced build-to-rent solution, which continues to grow as a core part of the company’s build-to-rent offering under dedicated leadership.
That combination of experience gives Chapman firsthand insight into the priorities of owners, operators, developers, and builders, and the ability to connect those perspectives throughout the life of a project.
“Bernida led ArchType® into one of the most compelling offerings in Build-to-Rent. She leaves it on a strong foundation for its next chapter of growth as we continue to invest in it for our clients,” said Jared Ford, President of Build-to-Rent and Multifamily at Catamount. “She’s taking on the senior living focus with the same rigor, and I’m confident in what she’ll build.”
“The best senior living projects come from truly understanding the business, not just the building. How these communities operate, what the tenants need, what makes it a strong community once the doors are open,” said James Benning, CEO of Catamount. “That kind of understanding is rare, and Bernida has it. She’s been the owner, the developer, and the builder in senior living, which almost no one in this industry can say. She understands these projects from every angle, and that’s what makes her invaluable to the owners and operators we partner with. With the strength of our portfolio and the expertise Pinkard brings to the table, we’re building this dedicated senior living vertical on a proven foundation, and Bernida is exactly the right leader to carry it forward.”
“Senior living has been an important part of my career as it sits at the intersection of real estate, operations, and purpose,” said Chapman. "Having worked on both the owner and contractor sides, I've seen how much value can be created when the entire team is aligned early and understands not only how to build the project, but how that community needs to perform long after construction is complete. I'm excited to bring together the experience across Catamount and Pinkard to help our clients navigate that process and deliver exceptional communities.”
Chapman will work across Catamount’s national footprint, partnering with the company’s regional Business Units and Pinkard’s Senior Living team to pursue and deliver projects for senior living owners, operators, and development partners nationwide.
Catamount is a 100% employee-owned company with 29 years of experience providing construction management and general contracting services nationwide. Ranked in Engineering News-Record’s ‘Top 400 National Contractors’ for eighteen consecutive years, Catamount provides contracting services to owners and developers, including general contracting, construction management, sustainable construction, design-build, cost estimating, conceptual budgeting, scheduling, and value engineering. Markets include Build-to-Rent, Commercial, Education, Government, Healthcare, Industrial, and Multifamily. Serving clients throughout the U.S., Catamount maintains offices in Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; San Antonio, TX; and Tampa, FL.
For more information about Catamount, visit www.catamountinc.com.
