ORANGE COUNTY, CA / AGILITYPR.NEWS / February 14, 2024 / The 87-unit upscale assisted living and memory care community in Orange County will welcome new residents in September.

Justin Telles, a former Marine special operations intelligence specialist, personal trainer and occupational therapist, is the new executive director of The Seville in San Clemente. The upscale, 87-unit assisted living and memory care community, located between Los Angeles and San Diego and managed by Momentum Senior Living, will welcome residents in September 2024.

Telles’ introduction to the senior living industry happened while pursuing his master’s in occupational therapy at the University of Southern California. He took an elective class on technological innovations in aging at The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, taught by Momentum’s CEO Josh Johnson and COO Jim Biggs.

“I wanted to work with older adults and help them through the aging process, injuries and rehabilitation,” Telles said. “Their class struck me that there’s a pressing need for innovative support and care for the many older adults entering the next phase of their lives. It altered my professional trajectory away from clinical care and into executive management, and I wanted to contribute in any way possible.”

After graduation, Biggs hired Telles as an exercise specialist for a Momentum-managed community in the San Fernando Valley. He worked his way up to director of assisted living and later served as interim executive director for a rental senior living community in North Chicago. In September 2023, Telles became executive director of The Seville.

While the community is under construction with Harbert South Bay Partners, Telles focuses on pre-opening operations, working with licensing organizations, building community relationships, and establishing protocols and standard operating procedures.

The two-story rental residence will provide care for seniors needing assistance with activities of daily living and those experiencing dementia-related memory disorders through shared events, experiences, tastes and technology.

“We recognize everyone has unique needs and preferences, so we’re taking a collaborative approach,” Telles said. “It's exciting because residents and their families will influence and help shape our community’s identity and services.”

Telles also looks forward to working with team members and healthcare professionals who are passionate about their work. “This role requires understanding problems, recognizing strengths and shortcomings, fostering teamwork and having a solutions-oriented mindset,” he said. “I love helping people develop their skills and seeing them grow to be the best version of themselves while we accomplish our collective and individual goals.”

Born in LA and raised in the Mojave Desert, Telles has a passion for travel. He and his wife have explored nearly 70 countries, including Bali, where they met while she was teaching elementary school and he was on a backpacking trip.

With the couple back in the U.S. and settled into San Clemente life with their new puppy, Telles feels fortunate for the opportunities he’s had. “So much of my success, well-being and where I am right now in life has come from the love and support from my family and the people I've met along the way,” he said.

And while Telles won't have the personal experience of caring for an aging parent — his mother died unexpectedly at age 53 — he’s grateful for the opportunities that come with his executive director position. 

“I looked forward to my mom getting older and being there with her during that whole phase of life. When that didn’t happen, I felt called to have that aging parent experience in a different way,” he said. “Being at The Seville allows me to have senior caregiving journeys with our residents and their families.”

For more information about The Seville, call 949.312.3360 or visit the-seville.com.