Richard Hutchinson

Overview

Richard J. Hutchinson is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Senior Living and its affiliates. The Bonita Springs, Florida-based company that he co-founded more than 30 years ago has experienced rapid growth by shifting its strategy toward a highly scalable regional management model. Discovery Senior Living and its affiliated subsidiaries is one of the most trusted and the largest privately held senior housing operators in the U.S. Discovery currently ranks No. 2 on the operator list, second only to Brookdale Senior Living, and Hutchinson oversees a workforce of almost 25,000 employees.

In February 2026, Hutchinson was named Chair of the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) for the 2026-2027 term. During his 30-plus year career, he has negotiated and closed billions in equity and debt transactions, while establishing close relationships with many of the industries' key financiers, investors and operators.

Education & Military Background

He graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Leo College earning a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. Mr. Hutchinson served in the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1994 including a tour during Desert Storm. Hutchinson's military background has shaped his leadership style, and he likes to use military terms to describe select seniors housing operations, referring to the business assimilation team at Discovery as a "special ops" team.

Career History

• Florida Design Communities / WCI Communities developer (early career, before 1996)
• CFO, Aston Care Systems (1996-2006): Created strategic business plan and financing for the Aston Gardens portfolio, which grew to nearly 2,000 units and was sold to Sunrise Senior Living and GE Healthcare Financial Services for $450 million in 2006.
• Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Discovery Senior Living (founded 1991, ongoing)

What Hutchinson could bring to his current role at Discovery Senior Living: Hutchinson's three-decade track record of transforming regional senior housing platforms into industry-leading operators, combined with his sophisticated financial and capital markets expertise, positions him to continue driving Discovery's expansion and operational excellence. His military discipline, demonstrated innovation in business model development (including pioneering pay-for-performance sales cultures in seniors housing), and newly elevated platform as ASHA Chair enable him to shape industry standards around workforce development and resident experience while navigating complex regulatory and investor landscapes.