Facilitating a Better Life at Edenwald: Meet Ronald Scott.
Ronald Scott knows a thing or two about hospitality. He spent more than two decades working in facilities management for companies like Marriott and Hilton before joining Edenwald as vice president of facilities and special projects in October 2025.
Ronald sees both similarities and differences between the hospitality and senior living fields. The primary unifying aspect, he believes, is the critical importance of focusing on the people he serves. The objectives of that focus, however, are quite different. In hospitality, the goal is a return visit. In a senior living community, it’s making people feel cared for, comfortable, and secure in their own homes.
“In hospitality, you have one stay, one night to make a good impression, but here you have to think long term and be flexible,” Ronald says. “Residents here will tell me, ‘Hey, this is our home, and these are some of the things that we would like to see in our home.’ You can’t argue with that.”
Since joining the Edenwald team, Ronald has had his hands full. With the weather turning colder, Ronald is primarily indoors, exploring ways to increase energy efficiency within the community, including adjustments to light management. He has applied his energy and experience to the renovation of the cafeteria and dining hall in Stroh Hall, helping to convert it into a more open, modern restaurant-style café. He’s also involved in updating the Stroh Hall lounge area, where residents can kick back after a meal to watch television or get cozy in front of the fireplace.
A familiar first impression.
This is Ronald’s first exposure to a Life Plan Community, and as such, he has an interesting perspective on the culture at Edenwald. “Remember your freshman year in college,” he asks. “It’s like that, except instead of being freshmen, everyone here is a senior. And the ‘dorms’ are much nicer. But it’s a one-stop shop here; there’s food, entertainment, and happy hour at the pub—so it really is like a college campus, except for the loud music and the parties. Well, they have the parties, but not the loud music.”
That collegiate vibe is likely to intensify as Edenwald deepens its partnership with neighboring Goucher College, becoming Maryland’s premier college-enriched senior living community.
Naturally, Ronald is deeply engaged with the centerpiece of that evolution, the INSPIRE residences and amenities, an Edenwald expansion planned for construction on the Goucher College campus. He attends weekly architectural meetings to help shape the layout of the three INSPIRE towers, which will contain 125 natural light-infused residences and a range of state-of-the-art amenities.
“INSPIRE will be a one-stop shop, too,” Ronald says. “There will be a movie theater, classrooms, rooftop event space with a wraparound balcony, a market, a yoga studio, and some very nice apartments. They’ll have a café with an overlook and underground parking. It’s going to be phenomenal. The college students will be able to come over to work, assist, or otherwise participate in events here, because it’s right on campus.”
The prospect of intergenerational connections that can arise from INSPIRE is very exciting to Ronald. “It’s one thing to read a history book,” he says, “and it’s another to hear from somebody who was there. I’m a firm believer in each generation teaching the next generation. We all have stories to tell.”
Next stop: the great outdoors.
When the weather turns warm again in spring, Ronald has his sights set on outdoor improvements, especially upgrading some of the community’s patios. He foresees additional ponds, bird baths, park benches, and terraces. “My goal will be to provide better outdoor spaces,” he says. “So, when people come outside, they have places to just sit and relax and enjoy the fresh air.”
In time, the INSPIRE expansion will also play a role in this. “There will be something like a quad between the buildings, like a park if you will, and that will be a great opportunity for residents to come out and enjoy that space.”
His door is always open.
As they get to know him, Edenwald residents are increasingly stopping by Ronald’s office to share their thoughts and ideas. And that’s just fine with him. “One thing I try to do is empathize and identify with the residents. So, I encourage them, by all means, come in. What could I do to help you and make your living environment a little bit better? I’m here to make the situation better today than it was yesterday. And that’s something that I really live by.”
If you’d like to learn more about the Edenwald/Goucher College partnership and Edenwald’s INSPIRE expansion, call an Edenwald Residency Counselor at 410-339-6263.
Edenwald’s expansion project is subject to final approval by the Maryland Department of Aging.
