What you are about to read may seem like an infomercial, it’s not . . .

Very often, my friends ask me what it is I do for a living and how it is that I have become the publisher of one of the country’s largest newspapers? “Didn’t you go to work for a retirement community?”

Great question. The answer? John Erickson.

Usually, when you work for Mr. Erickson you wear multiple hats. John’s constant innovation and his company’s exponential growth have created unforeseeable opportunities for those of use who are lucky enough to work for him (www.Erickson.com/Careers/). Now before you accuse me of brownnosing take a look at the record:

1. Creates a new category in housing: full-service retirement communities.

In 1983, Mr. Erickson starts Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, Maryland. Charlestown becomes a laboratory for this incredible social engineer. He builds his retirement communities bigger than anyone else has ever built before. The scale allows an incredible, full-service lifestyle to be affordable for middle-income retirees for the first time in history. “Experts” warn John that his communities are too big to work. Instead, they turn out to be the most dynamic, affordable communities in the country AND they offer more services and amenities than anyone else has ever provided. Erickson communities are now serving people in Baltimore, Detroit, New York/New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Kansas City. Soon they will be in every major market in the country.

Like Southwest Airlines, when an Erickson communities comes to town all the other competitors have to improve their game or face losing business. Erickson’s presence in a market improves the services, amenities, and values those active 55+ communities, assisted living and nursing care facilities, and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) offer. This is a real value to society and those markets. Watch what happens when Erickson arrives in Phoenix, Charlotte, and Columbus.

2. Creates The Erickson Tribune and Retirement Living TV to serve America’s most underserved media audience.

As with most innovations he creates, the idea for creating a new newspaper and TV network originates with the people who live at Erickson communities (population 19,000+). John listened to the growing levels of discontent about the media brewing among his residents. The majority of people over the age of 60 consider what is on today’s newsstand — and on the TV — unadulterated junk! After listening, John decided to act by providing meaningful media. Once again, the “experts” tell him it can’t be done.

Today The Erickson Tribune’s circulation is the 3^rd biggest of any monthly in the country; topping 6 million (AARP’s publication is #1). In addition, Retirement Living Television now reaches over 28 million households. Both operate with the simple mantra of Inform * Inspire * Involve.

3. Creates first supplemental insurance (www.Erickson.com/insurance), designed exclusively for people who live at retirement communities as a model for the federal government.

The federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) studied Erickson’s health care delivery model intently. Recognizing its efficacy, the agency awarded the company a demonstration project so that it can learn how Erickson’s health care system garners strong outcomes and high satisfaction at costs that are far lower than Medicare typically pays for someone’s care.

This has major implications for our country, John believes he can save our country billions in wasted Medicare/Medicaid dollars and he is beginning to collect the evidence!

Again and again, Erickson provides national, state, and local government leaders and their staffs with the information they need to guide policy decisions. Having focused on working with retirees for more than 25 years, the company has built up a significant storehouse of information on the age group, which it shares with others.

4. Creates school to educate tomorrow’s leaders on aging studies and policy.

Chad Boult, a renowned professor of geriatrics at Johns Hopkins University, was recently asked by The New Yorker what can be done to ensure that there are enough geriatricians for the coming demographic flood. His response is an indication of our lack of preparation in this area as a country:

‘‘‘ Nothing ,’ he said. ‘ It’s too late. ’” “Creating geriatricians takes years,” continues writer Atul Gawande, “and we already have far too few. This year, just three hundred doctors will complete geriatrics training, not nearly enough to replace the geriatricians going into retirement, let alone meet the needs of the next decade.”

The New Yorker , 30 April 2007

Recognizing the upcoming shortage in geriatricians, health care professionals, service workers, and leaders that truly understand the implications of our aging population, John made a $5 million commitment to The University of Maryland, Baltimore County to establish a school with the primary purpose of preparing people for careers in aging services. This grant was matched by the state of Maryland and there are now 100 students in the undergraduate program and a robust professional development program.

In addition to preparing professionals, The Erickson School also houses the Center for Aging Studies, which conducts applied research that can be used to improve the provision of services to retirees. The Erickson School also has an objective to serve as the bridge between the academic community, the National Institutes of Health, Social Security, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

I could go on and on. I haven’t even mentioned things like The Erickson Foundation. As I said, the overwhelming evidence speaks for itself. That being said, Mr. Erickson can’t tackle this challenge alone. Do you have any examples of others striving to meet this challenge? What in particular worries you about this coming age wave?

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