Changes at Geer Include Nania Departure

NORTH CANAAN — Anthony Nania, who has led Geer Corporation through years of expansion, was removed from his post as Geer president last month.

While the decision was made by the Geer Board of Directors, Nania said he had already decided this would be his last year at Geer. He and his wife, Lynn, had already been thinking of moving out of the area.

"Lynn and I have talked for a long time about going to a warmer place, although it’s certainly been warm enough here lately," Nania said in a phone interview this week. "I have been looking for a leadership position with a nonprofit in warmer parts of the country."

The Nanias were residents of North Canaan until building a new home recently in Falls Village.

Tony Nania, a retired attorney, served on the Geer Board of Directors for 23 years. He was president of the corporation for 17 years.

"Geer has undergone an extraordinary transformation in the past 10 years," Nania wrote in a letter to The Journal [for full text of the letter, see page B2], "expanding from an existing 120-bed skilled-care nursing home into a five-corporation, 65-acre regional center whose campus now includes four levels of senior living, a full-service YMCA, class and meeting rooms for the community college, adult education and volunteer and self-help groups, public banquet facilities, outpatient physical therapy, retail pharmacy, public radio station and local-access cable TV studio."

In his letter, Nania also addresses rumors of financial improprieties at Geer.

Nania initially requested that Geer issue no statement about his departure, which he saw as unremarkable. He decided to do so himself this week in order to clarify the reason for his leaving.

Geer and Nania have offered the same explanation for his departure: a difference of opinion on how to manage Geer, which includes the nursing home and rehabilitation center, Beckley House apartments, Geer Village assisted living and the adult day center.

Nania was a part-time president until 2000, when the construction of Beckley House and Geer Village prompted the need for full-time oversight.

He remained full time during the litigation that followed construction of Geer Village. Delays and questionable workmanship on the part of the contractor cost Geer several million dollars. Geer withheld final payment. Congress Construction sued for those funds.

Hardest on Geer was not being able to refinance high-interest construction loans while the matter was hashed out in court. The case was settled in October and terms were undisclosed at the contractor's request.

Rates at Geer Village were raised last spring, partially in response to the financial difficulties.But they remained well below the average rate for senior housing, Geer Administrator and Chief Operating Officer John Horstman told The Journal at the time.

Horstman said this week that temporary refinancing is in place while permanent refinancing through HUD is established.

"Financially, we are much better off than we were a year ago, and HUD’s very nice terms will be very beneficial."

Board member Perry Gardner confirmed that the corporation’s finances are in good shape.

"Like any business, it requires streering and adjustments as we go along," Gardner said. "I think we’re fine. We’ve just gone through all the difficulties that any business goes through when it grows significantly. We’ve been working and managing and are not far from the plan we had before we broke ground."

As to management, Horstman said the directors have taken on a more active role, and he has taken on more responsibility to pick up the slack since Nania’s departure.

"We are going forward and we expect the transition to be seamless," Horstman said. "The issue was no more than a disagreement on how Geer should be managed, and often who was in charge. The board plans to take their time to think about how Geer should be managed in the future."

While Nania was ambitious about expansion, Horstman said he and the board are more of a mind to continue to offer high-quality care and facilities, and to foster morale among a staff that he calls extremely professional and caring.

Plans to expand and improve the nursing home and rehabilitation center have long been on the drawing board. A need to tie that facility financially with Geer Village delayed work.

Horstman said he is hopeful that project can get back on track within the next two years.