Peconic Landing, CEO Robert Syron toast to top wellness honors

Peconic Landing, and its president and CEO, Robert J. Syron, celebrated earning top wellness honors on Feb. 16, with the applause of proud colleagues and residents filling the community center ballroom.

The Greenport retirement community, one of Southold Town’s largest employers, was named one of the top five senior living communities for wellness in North America for the second straight year. Mr. Syron was also named one of the top five wellness executives.

Mr. Syron, who loves a good bowtie, was also gifted a special Peconic Landing one.

“Each of you has played a role in making Peconic Landing one of the top five communities for wellness in North America,” said board of trustees chair Eileen McGuire. “That is an extraordinary achievement. I could not be more proud to be part of this, of an organization that keeps wellness in the forefront, day in and day out.”

Both honors were received from the International Council on Active Aging, which works with senior living communities in 47 countries. The Peconic Landing community serves residents age 62 and older and holds a Fitch Ratings investment-grade rating.

“It’s safe to say that if anyone has inspired innovations and excellence in senior living, it’s Bob,” chief operating officer Greg Garrett said of Mr. Syron. “Under Bob’s leadership, Peconic Landing has been ahead of the curve, embracing cutting-edge technologies, expanding wellness opportunities and improving the quality of life for both members and team members.”

Mr. Syron, of East Marion, has been with Peconic Landing since 2003. He’s consulted all over the country and worked for two much larger national companies. To him, though, he’s never seen anything like Peconic Landing.

Each morning — including Saturdays and Sundays — he drives into work, “and I thank God for the opportunity to serve these folks.”

While his name is on the award, Mr. Syron feels it’s not just his, and that there are even people who deserve it more than he does. He said Peconic Landing is a “flat organization” and that members, team members and board members all work together to make it a special place.

“They’re my mission, and honestly, they give back to us every day in many different ways,” he said. “We want people to live well as long as they can. It’s about successful longevity; we want people to be independent as long as possible.”

He recalled a moment when he went to hit a bucket of golf balls with a 102-year-old resident some time ago. Once they finished, he asked Mr. Syron, “We don’t have time for a second?”

Dr. Mike DeVito, 85, has been living at Peconic Landing with his wife, Carol, for the last six years. He also co-chairs the community’s Successful Living Committee. He is very fond not only of Peconic Landing, but also of Mr. Syron himself.

He compares Mr. Syron to a boxer, because “like a good boxer, he takes the hits.”

“If you’re invisible, you’re unintelligible. He is visible,” said Mr. DeVito. “That’s why he knows what our needs are, what our interests are, and he has vision. It’s his day, and it’s great living here because of top management.”

Successful Living Committee co-chair Dr. Jan Harting-McChesney said she feels Mr. Syron himself represents the concept of wellness. 

She pointed out that a key aspect of what makes Mr. Syron so effective is that people are seen. When people walk down the hallway, they make eye contact, and they remember everyone’s name, she said.

“It has taken me over 12 years to get him to finally, finally use my first name, but only with a title in front of it; it still has to be proper,” she joked. “We have a leader who leads by example. We’re a tiny little place out on the east end of the North Fork of Long Island, an independent little place, and we’re in the top five.”

Mr. Syron has a saying to describe how Peconic Landing is always evolving: the train will never get to the station.