Clifton J. “Clif” Porter II, the current senior vice president of government relations for the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, will become the groups’ next president and CEO, it formally was announced this morning.

He will succeed Mark Parkinson, who in February announced his intention to retire on Jan. 15, 2025. AHCA/NCAL said that Porter’s new appointment will be effective this fall and will start in early 2025. When he assumes the role, he will be the first African American to fill the position at AHCA/NCAL, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

“As a lifelong advocate for our nation’s seniors, I am honored to take the helm of AHCA/NCAL at this pivotal moment in its history. Our recovery from the pandemic must continue if we are to deliver for our nation’s growing elderly population,” Porter said in a statement. “We must also remain steadfast in our quality improvement efforts while encouraging meaningful investments in our profession, so that we may strengthen our workforce and modernize our approaches. I look forward to working with our members, fellow stakeholders and our nation’s policymakers to further our mission of improving lives by delivering solutions for quality care.”

AHCA/NCAL represent more than 14,000 assisted living communities, nursing homes and facilities for those living with ​intellectual and developmental disabilities that collectively provide care and services to approximately five million people every year. LaShuan Bethea, a 2023 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Hall of Honor inductee, remains executive director of NCAL, a position she has held since September 2021.

Porter will lead the next chapter of AHCA/NCAL as senior living communities and nursing homes start to serve the country’s rapidly growing older adult population. He will oversee the organizations’ key strategic objectives related to the workforce and the regulatory environment. He also will manage the associations’ trade shows and events and member education, as well as other undertakings.

AHCA/NCAL said that when Parkinson announced his impending retirement, AHCA Board of Governors Chair Phil Scalo appointed a selection committee, which sought input from members and interviewed “scores” of candidates, and then Porter was selected. Executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles conducted the search.

“Clif brings a unique blend of front-line experience and lobbying acumen that makes him an ideal candidate to head AHCA/NCAL,” Scalo said in a statement. “We are delighted to see him take this next step, and we are confident AHCA/NCAL as well as the profession’s future will be bright under his leadership.”

Porter’s selection was announced privately to association members Monday afternoon via an email from Parkinson, although the association embargoed formal release of the news until early this morning.

“I fully believe that Clif is the right person to lead long-term care into the future,” Parkinson wrote in the email, calling Porter “a true leader” and describing him as “smart, strategic” and someone who “takes the time to listen.”

“He understands the issues that you face and can bring together the right people and strategies to win those issues,” Parkinson said. “Yes, he is one of the most influential lobbyists in D.C. On top of that he is one of us. I am confident he will lead the profession to future success and give you the ability to deliver high quality care.”

Porter was named to his current AHCA/NCAL position in fall 2013 and began working for the groups in January 2014. He leads the legislative agenda and advocacy efforts, and the organizations credit him with “securing billions in life-saving resources for the sector during the pandemic.”

A native of Washington, DC, Porter has worked in the long-term care field for 35 years, beginning as a nursing home volunteer and then in earnest in 1989 as an administrator-in-training at a skilled nursing facility. He went on to serve as an administrator of several SNFs in the 1990s. At HCR ManorCare (now ProMedica Senior Care), where he worked immediately prior to joining AHCA/NCAL, he rose to the position of regional vice president and then vice president of government relations, a role in which he served from 2004 to 2013.

Porter also was active on various boards from 2004 to 2013, among them the Health Facilities Association of Maryland and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Since December 2020, he has been a director on the Sabra Health Care REIT Board, where he serves on the audit and corporate responsibility and governance committees. He also serves as secretary of the board of the Washington Heads of Office Leadership Council and since 2018 has been on the board of Health Quality Innovators, where he is vice chair.

In 2024, Porter received a McKnight’s Pinnacle Award in the Industry Ally category, recognized for “revitalizing the association’s grassroots and advocacy efforts to ensure that federal regulators hear directly from sector employees through comments on proposed federal rules.” The award is presented by McKnight’s Senior Living and its sister media brands, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, which covers the nursing home industry, and McKnight’s Home Care. Parkinson, in his acceptance speech, thanked Porter as one of the leaders of his “incredible team.”

Porter also was named a McKnight’s 40-for-40 honoree, one of 40 “notable newsmakers” recognized in 2020, the 40th anniversary of the beginning of McKnight’s.

Among his other awards, Porter was named to The Hill’s 2024 list of Top 100 Lobbyists.

Porter holds a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare management from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He and his wife, Deborah, established the Porter Legacy Scholarship to support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in health services at VCU’s College of Health Professions.

Additionally, he attended Florida State University, working toward an MBA focusing on real estate.

Excelas’ Community Spotlight: Clifton Porter II

The second installment of Excelas’ Community Spotlight features Clifton Porter II, one of the country’s top advocates for senior living providers, tirelessly promoting policies that benefit residents and the dedicated caregivers called to care for them.

Honors for Advocacy on Behalf of the Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Profession

A sought-after speaker, podcast guest, volunteer, and philanthropist, it’s not surprising that recognition as The Hill’s Top Lobbyist 2023 and McKnight’s Pinnacle Industry Ally Award have recently been added to the accolades of Clif’s impressive career.

Over Three Decades in Long-Term Care

Clif has dedicated over 30 years to the long-term care industry, beginning in a small nursing home in Virginia where he saw firsthand the impact of caregivers on the emotional and physical well-being of the residents. His administrative career took him to HCR ManorCare where he advanced to regional director of operations and then to VP of the Government Relations Department. Implementing the organization’s political engagement strategy, Clif monitored state and federal legislation and coordinated grassroots efforts to advocate for the industry.

AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

This combination of administrative, operational management, and government policy experience made Clif the perfect fit for the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s Senior Vice President, Government Affairs. In this role, he has called for collaboration and meaningful measures to improve quality care, including vehemently opposing the minimum staffing requirements that will place undue burdens on facilities and potentially result in reduced services and closures. As an industry expert, Clif is frequently called upon to share his expertise speaking on critical issues and trends in long-term care.

Recently, Clif spoke at AHCA/NCAL’s Congressional Briefing about compliance and legal threats associated with the requirement for providers to update their facility assessments using new elements. He warned that the assessment could become a tool in litigation against providers.

“I believe fundamentally that this facility assessment is really about the trial bar…. Ultimately, when you write down what your plan is, that’s a piece of paper that you’re held accountable to. … This is a means to strengthen not only enforcement but to strengthen litigious activities to ultimately put us in a situation that’s going to make delivering care that much more difficult.”

Read the whole story

Porter Legacy Scholarship

Among the many examples of Clif’s commitment to giving back to the community, he and his wife Deborah established the Porter Legacy Scholarship at his alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University. This award is granted to undergraduate students in health services who demonstrate a commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Mr. Porter’s advocacy efforts for providers, caregivers, and residents will continue to shape the healthcare landscape in these turbulent times in long-term care.

Excelas’ Community Spotlight introduces some of our business associates to expand the healthcare community, build relationships, facilitate networking, and share valuable information with our subscribers.