Marvell Adams Jr.

Marvell Adams Jr. is Founder & CEO of W Lawson, a company committed to creating communities of inclusion and belonging for older adults and all they love. In carrying out its mission, W Lawson establishes synergies between the wants and needs of older adults seeking supportive community living with those of historically marginalized groups seeking an inclusive environment.

Marvell has demonstrated a commitment to serving older adults since high school when he completed a biology report on Alzheimer’s disease and was tragically fascinated by what he learned. Marvell continued his pursuits at College of Charleston in South Carolina earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science followed by his Master of Health & Aging Administration from University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. While at Chapel Hill, Marvell was a part of the final cohort of students to complete Dr. James Allen’s foundational courses on nursing home administration and long-term care before he retired.

Marvell went onto complete the renowned administrator-in-training program at Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester, NY, the 13th to do so, where he gained further inspiration from Carter and Frank Williams, both pioneers in geriatric medicine and person-directed care. Throughout his 20+ year career, Marvell has committed to serving older adults in roles such as licensed nursing home administrator, executive director, CEO, corporate COO and currently, Founder & CEO of W Lawson.

Marvell’s experience spans many complex and challenging operating environments including highly regulated residential care leadership and primary, acute, post-acute care process improvement within the $4 billion University of Rochester and URMC System; CEO of a large, highly diverse, life plan community and corporate COO within the $300 million Kendal System; and dozens of accreditation visits as a 13-year veteran surveyor for CARF International. Marvell is also a highly trained dementia skills practitioner and coach with in-depth experience understanding, teaching, and including the perspectives and needs of persons living with dementia.  Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility are a central theme in all aspects of Marvell’s work with a tireless devotion to creating equity in aging.

Marvell has committed his career to leading not for profit organizations and serving on the boards of well-known and respected aging services entities like LeadingAge (Director), Pioneer Network (Chair), The Green House Project/CFI (Treasurer) and Communities of Inclusion & Belonging, Inc. (Chair). This commitment to service has led to several awards, honors, and recognitions like LeadingAge NY Administrator of the Year, Forty Under 40, Duke University Leadership in Aging Scholar, Theodore Stern Cup Award for Collegiate Service and LeadingAge Academy Coach, to name a few. Additionally, Marvell has continually contributed to the next generation of aging services professionals through lectures to hundreds of students, as well as preceptor, mentor and sponsor to early careerists and professionals.

Marvell has a very full and delightful family life in Baltimore, MD where he resides with his spouse and three children.