Hospitality alumnus Duke Mahr took a surprising career turn toward senior living
Duke Mahr (BSBA 2021)
From cooking at age 15 to holding numerous hotel jobs, Duke Mahr (BSBA 2021), has the professional hotel and restaurant experience of someone twice his age. It only makes sense that he took a risk and jumped into an uncommon sector of the hospitality industry: senior living.
The summer before his senior year, Mahr was set to start a coveted position as the housekeeping supervisor at the Ritz Carlton Denver. But when the pandemic hit, he was left to find alternatives. A Fritz Knoebel alumna asked if he’d be interested in running the housekeeping department in a new luxury senior living community, but he was hesitant.
“I wasn’t sure it was for me,” said Mahr. “I only had one experience in senior living with my grandpa living in memory care and it was really eye-opening.”
When the folks at Modena Cherry Creek Senior Living told Mahr their goal was to be the Ritz Carlton of senior living, he decided to give it a shot.
One world pandemic, two years and three promotions later, Mahr has seen a new side of hospitality. “A lot of [my knowledge] was pretty transferable, which was surprising,” he said.
Modena, the flagship of the larger management group called Solera, takes a unique approach to senior living. “We are asking, would I want someone I love to live here? Would I want to live here?” said Mahr.
Solera’s motto is: Live exceptional. Every day. They have a full-time concierge desk, culinary offerings that aim to compete with top-quality restaurants and work to foster a hospitality-driven culture.
After opening the housekeeping and engineering department at Modena, Mahr soon became the property’s operations supervisor. “I got more responsibility as I committed myself,” he said.
Mahr was promoted again, moving to a newly acquired property in Parker, Colorado, where he worked as the interim business director. He oversaw human resources, finance, accounts receivable and accounts payable, amongst other responsibilities. He was also attending DU full time.
“It was phenomenal to get into that role,” said Mahr. “I learned so much.”
Solera asked him to stay in the position after the interim period. However, Mahr chose to switch to an hourly role and train the next business director so he could focus on school and enjoy his senior year.
Now, he’s on his way to Texas to work as the business office director for the new property Solera is opening up in Austin, Texas.
“Senior living is a growing branch of hospitality that people are recognizing,” explained Mahr. He’s looking forward to being on the opening team and helping set the standard for hospitality within senior living. “We’re going to have the best care backed with the best service possible.”
Mahr found something different in this sector of hospitality. “I’m able to serve veterans and families,” he said. “Being able to connect with them every day, I am getting a fulfillment that I wasn’t getting from hotels and restaurants.”
There’s another kind of fulfillment Mahr finds in hospitality. “I have a very strong passion for immigrants and immigrant rights in the hospitality industry,” he said. Before taking on his role at Solera, he worked for a nonprofit in Denver that provides services to immigrants and their families during and after being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.
“There are immigrants and refugees and migrants everywhere in the [senior living and hospitality] industry,” said Mahr. “You have to be thankful because if not, the corporations that exist would not be who they are today.” This recognition and passion drives so much of his work.
Overall, Mahr’s experience in senior living has changed him. “I’ve learned a lot about dignity and how to treat others with dignity,” he said.
Fritz Knoebel’s vision is: Be bold. Do good. Change lives. Duke Mahr’s work is a powerful example of this sentiment.