GREENSBORO, N.C. (June 17, 2025) – Stephen P. Fleming, the co-CEO of North Carolina’s largest not-for-profit senior living organization, Kintura, and who helmed The Well-Spring Group since 2000, is stepping down after working 40 years in aging services, Kintura announced today.
Fleming will retire from Kintura at the end of this year. His departure will occur more than a year after The Well-Spring Group and Brightspire merged on Sept. 30, 2024, to create Kintura, bringing together a portfolio of five continuing care retirement – or “life plan” – communities throughout central North Carolina, as well as other services for older adults.
“Enough time has passed, now, to ensure the successful launch of Kintura, and the dust has settled,” Fleming said, calling his decision a “bittersweet” one. “And the time is right for me professionally and personally to make this change. I deeply believe in the important mission of serving the needs of older adults. It has been the honor of my life to create community among older adults, while ensuring that they have been cared for and had the opportunity to make the most of this part of their lives – as well as to support their loved ones during what is often a critical and challenging time.”
Upon Fleming’s departure, Co-CEO Timothy J. Webster will assume the full breadth of CEO responsibilities.
Longtime colleagues praised Fleming’s many impactful contributions.
“I have long admired his leadership ability and his sincere desire to make a difference in the lives of people who need assistance,” said Kathryn “Cookie” Billings, vice chair of Kintura’s board of directors, who first became acquainted with Fleming through 25 years as volunteers in the same Rotary Club. “He leads a life of service leadership and is recognized in many ways for his outstanding professional leadership. As I volunteered to serve on committees and the board of Well-Spring and now Kintura, I have continued to witness the well-respected leadership Steve provides. Now, as he prepares to retire from the CEO position, I know his nature is to continue providing guidance and caring wherever and whenever he may be needed.”
- Alan Tutterow, co-CFO at Kintura, has a 25-year professional connection with Fleming, having worked alongside him since Fleming joined Well-Spring. “Steve has been a visionary leader over his 40-year career and has guided our organization beyond the traditional footprint of a single-site retirement community. This includes the wide array of services we offer today — and, of course, the merger last year that created Kintura."
Fleming’s career in aging services was a distinguished one that included national prominence, in addition to multiple state leadership positions. He was recognized by the Triad Business Journal in 2017 as one of the “Most Admired CEOs in the Triad.”
From 2017-19, Fleming served as chair of LeadingAge, the national membership and advocacy organization that represents more than 5,000 nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-minded organizations in the field.
“Steve exemplifies the best of leadership in aging services,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge. “He is a bold, thoughtful and visionary advocate. His work has made an enormous difference at the national and state levels and in the lives of millions of families and older adults.”
Tom Akins, president and CEO of the North Carolina chapter of LeadingAge, agreed. “Steve has had a profound impact on my life and the lives of so many others in the country and throughout North Carolina. His ability to see the bigger picture, his empathy and his innate understanding of how to empower others have motivated people to excel. The field of aging has been fundamentally changed by Steve’ leadership, and that means the world is a better place because of him.”
A native of Mount Airy, N.C., Fleming earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by graduate studies at Appalachian State University, where he earned his master’s degree in business administration. He participated in a graduate fellowship in Strategic Planning and Financial Planning at Harvard University. Early in his career he worked at the former Presbyterian Homes and Friends Homes retirement communities in the greater Greensboro area – which, ironically, are now part of Kintura through either ownership or, in the case of the latter, management.
On July 10, 2000, Fleming started as president and CEO of Well-Spring Retirement Community. Under his leadership, the company expanded to encompass The Well-Spring Group, a full network of services for older adults. As such, Well-Spring grew its market and service reach to all older adults in Guilford County, regardless of income. This included PACE of the Triad (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), of which Kintura now remains the majority partner. PACE receives funding from Medicaid and Medicare and serves people over 55 who qualify medically for a nursing home but can still live at home with assistance.
In addition, the former Adult Center for Enrichment, which provides adult day services for older adults with dementia, group respite and caregiver support, was integrated into The Well-Spring Group. Later, this branch of the company rebranded its entire line of home- and community-based services as Well-Spring Solutions.
In 2017, The Well-Spring Group assumed management of The Village at Brookwood, at the time a Cone Health-owned life plan community in Burlington, N.C. Five years later, The Well-Spring Group acquired The Village at Brookwood.
When the former Presbyterian Homes, Inc. – which had rebranded as Brightspire – and The Well-Spring Group came together last September to form the new parent entity Kintura, it was considered an innovative “merger of equals.” Today, Kintura is the largest not-for-profit senior living organization in North Carolina and among the top 40 nationally. Kintura serves more than 3,100 residents and employs more than 2,100 team members; owns five life plan communities (Well-Spring in Greensboro, River Landing at Sandy Ridge in Colfax, Glenaire in Cary; The Village at Brookwood in Burlington and Scotia Village in Laurinburg); manages one life plan community (Friends Homes in Greensboro), offers home- and community-based services for older adults, in particular adult day and group respite programs for those with dementia; holds a partnership in two affordable housing communities in Raleigh (Milner Commons and Capital Towers); is the majority partner in PACE of the Triad, a focused program for all-inclusive care for the elderly serving Forsyth, Guilford, Rockingham, Stokes and Surry counties; and has a one-fifth ownership stake in Trinity Rehab, a therapy company based in Dunn, N.C.
FULL STATEMENT BY STEVE FLEMING
Friends, colleagues, residents and business partners:
I can hardly believe this myself, but 2026 will mark my 40th year of administrative service to older adults. As a young man fresh out of UNC-Chapel Hill, I can remember my reluctance at considering a position in aging services. Despite my early misgivings, it has been a near-perfect career path that has matched my skillsets with a passion for serving older adults.
Over these years, I have learned so much from those I served and served with. The many life experiences that have been relayed to me by residents have made me a better person, husband and father and, arguably, a better executive. Early – and now long-term – mentors helped mold me so that I could do more than I ever imagined. And God graced me with an amazingly loyal, dedicated and trusting life partner in my wife, Anne. With her I could do anything, as she has not only been the wind beneath my wings but also the partner behind the scenes, keeping everything at home in order when I was working and striving for more for our organization, residents, team members and, yes, our family.
So, it is appropriate that on the eve of my 40th year, and after completing a successful merger of equals to create the largest not-for-profit aging services provider in North Carolina, I announce my intention to step down from my role at Kintura on January 1, 2026. For me, this means moving away from executive duties at the provider level but not stepping away from the field which I’ve come to love and know well.
If I could only properly convey how bittersweet this moment truly is. I am, indeed, “ready” to enter this next chapter of life, as I am a firm believer that after 40 years a little change is good for many reasons. That said, leaving the role that has enabled me to serve residents – while serving alongside colleagues and developing deep bonds with all, including industry-related friends – will be extremely difficult.
While six months may seem like a rather lengthy runway, considering Kintura was founded on a co-CEO model and there is ready-made succession, announcing at this time is crucial for several reasons. One, we are in the midst of formulating the operating budget for next year; two, Kintura’s strategic plan is currently being crafted, and going forward the ultimate success of that plan will depend upon an efficient and streamlined management structure; and lastly – and completely selfishly on my part – I wanted to have ample opportunity to freely say “thank you” to so many for making my years as an aging services executive so rewarding.
Upon reflection, it’s been a wonderful and amazing career with great accomplishments and lasting memories. We’ve had more successes than failures, we’ve made more friends than enemies, we’ve developed lasting relationships, we’ve touched the lives of countless older adults and their families and we’ve grown as people and as leaders. Now, I set a course for a new adventure, one that builds on the past and, hopefully, helps shape the future – and one that personally slows the pace but keeps the fire stoked. I look forward to the remainder of our year together.
And on behalf of my entire family, I wish to extend our deep and sincere appreciation for your trust and belief in me as your leader. Besides being a husband, a dad and a grandfather, it has been the greatest joy of my life.
Steve Fleming
Co-CEO
Kintura