John R. Elliot, ’70
Owner, American Medical Facilities Management, LLC (AMFM)
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
Charleston, West Virginia
“My guiding purpose is to provide care for others. With the values I learned from our family and Kent State, Fonda and I built the foundation of a health care company that does just that. Our brand of quality care has allowed us to touch thousands of lives, including more than 1,700 employees and 1,300 patients and their families on a daily basis.”
Mr. Elliot has dedicated himself and his career to improving the lives of others. From his family-owned business of skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities to his philanthropic endeavors within his communities, Mr. Elliot focuses on hard work and high standards in order to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
After graduating from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1970, Mr. Elliot started his career as the owner of an architectural firm primarily engaged in nursing home facility design. Soon he recognized a need for nursing home services throughout West Virginia, and he adjusted his professional focus from building and design to ownership.
Mr. Elliot and his wife Fonda, a registered nurse, founded AMFM in 1982. The company’s mission is providing excellence in quality care through an environment that enhances personal growth, individuality, dignity and respect. Over the next 35 years, they grew AMFM from a single center in Hinton, West Virginia, to 18 centers throughout the state.
With more than 1,700 employees and 1,300 patients at AMFM, Mr. Elliot has stayed true to his guiding purpose of providing care for others. In fact, AMFM centers have ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation for customer and workplace satisfaction since 2008. Mr. Elliot has even grown his entrepreneurial portfolio of care-based companies to include Lifetree Pharmacy, Lifetree Therapy Company and Lifetree Medical Services.
He continues to affect his communities positively, whether through his charitable foundation, volunteer service or generous gifts to his alma mater.
Mr. Elliot serves on the Board of Directors for City National Bank, a $4.1 billion financial institution headquartered in West Virginia. He also serves as Chairman of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and is on the Board of Directors for the Kent State University Foundation. He has also served in numerous other leadership roles within his community.
Originally from the east side of Cleveland, the son of a Scottish immigrant with a long family history and passion for building things, Mr. Elliot understands the importance of remembering his roots and time at Kent State. "For me, it is always important to remember where you came from, what made you who you are and the values instilled in you from family, friends and institutions such as Kent State," Mr. Elliot said.