# Anita Holt

> Anita Holt is a retired nonprofit senior-living executive who led The Forest at Duke from 2015 into 2026 after earlier executive posts at Linden Ponds and Saint Joseph of the Pines. A Pittsburgh native with a Master of Public Health from Boston University and an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University, she built her leadership around purposeful aging, staff development, civic connection and the unfashionable executive skill of knowing when to step aside. She remains connected to the field through the LeadingAge North Carolina Foundation and North Carolina's Continuing Care Advisory Committee.

- **Role:** Retired executive and trustee, LeadingAge North Carolina Foundation
- **Organizations:** The Forest at Duke, LeadingAge North Carolina, LeadingAge North Carolina Foundation, North Carolina Department of Insurance Continuing Care Advisory Committee, Saint Joseph of the Pines, Linden Ponds
- **From:** Pittsburgh, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Master of Public Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Undergraduate degree, Northeastern University
- **Known for:** Led The Forest at Duke for more than a decade, beginning in January 2015., Received the 2018 Vistage Leadership Award for Raleigh-Durham and the Research Triangle., Appointed in 2024 to North Carolina's Continuing Care Advisory Committee.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2011** — Served as executive director of Linden Ponds in Hingham, Massachusetts.
- **2011** — Appointed president and CEO of Saint Joseph of the Pines in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
- **2015** — Joined The Forest at Duke as president and CEO in January.
- **2016** — Earned a North Carolina Nursing Home Administrator license and began service on the LeadingAge North Carolina board.
- **2018** — Received a Vistage Leadership Award for the Raleigh-Durham and Research Triangle region.
- **2021** — Presented The Forest at Duke's expansion case to Durham City Council and helped connect a Durham Tech scholarship endowment with internships and employment opportunities.
- **2023** — Helped bring The Forest at Duke's Small House model into public view, with nine ten-person households across two buildings.
- **2024** — Appointed to the North Carolina Department of Insurance Continuing Care Advisory Committee and served as chair-elect of LeadingAge North Carolina.
- **2025** — Spoke at national LeadingAge programs on strategic change in life plan communities and the role of skilled nursing in the continuum.
- **2026** — Retired from The Forest at Duke and continued as a trustee of the LeadingAge North Carolina Foundation.

## Achievements

- Led The Forest at Duke for more than a decade, beginning in January 2015.
- Received the 2018 Vistage Leadership Award for Raleigh-Durham and the Research Triangle.
- Appointed in 2024 to North Carolina's Continuing Care Advisory Committee.
- Helped establish a $100,000 multi-year commitment from The Forest at Duke to the Dr. Phail Wynn Jr. scholarship endowment at Durham Tech.
- Advanced The Forest at Duke's Small House project, organized as nine ten-person households across two buildings.
- Served in board leadership with LeadingAge North Carolina, including treasurer, chair-elect and chair roles.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Current leadership and regulatory listings identify Gregory Garrett as The Forest at Duke's CEO and Holt as a former director; LeadingAge North Carolina lists her as retired and serving as a foundation trustee.
- **2025-04** — Appeared on a LeadingAge Leadership Summit panel about strategic pathways for life plan communities.
- **2025-03** — Joined The Forest at Duke's leadership and board retreat with LeadingAge North Carolina leaders.
- **2024-04** — Began service on the North Carolina Department of Insurance Continuing Care Advisory Committee.

## Links

- Website: https://forestduke.org/home/anita-holt/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-holt-2a617517

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/anita-holt
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27