Belmont Village Senior Living Leaders Honored with 2026 TALA Hero Award for Senior Care Excellence

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Belmont Village Senior Living proudly announces Candice Stoner, Executive Director at Belmont Village West Lake Hills and Courtney Mueller, Memory Program Director at Belmont Village West University, have been recognized with the prestigious Texas Assisted Living Association (TALA) Hero Award. Presented this month at TALA’s 2026 Annual Conference and Industry Expo, the award recognizes individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, compassion, and leadership in serving senior living communities and their families across Texas.

This recognition reflects a lasting culture of excellence at Belmont Village communities, as over the past decade, 14 Belmont Village team members have received the TALA Hero Award, a testament to the organization’s deep commitment to developing exceptional leaders in senior care.

Candice Stoner, Executive Director of Belmont Village West Lake Hills, exemplifies servant leadership through her commitment to people, performance, and purpose. Since joining Belmont Village in 2014, she has advanced through key community leadership roles, ultimately becoming Executive Director in 2022. Her ability to inspire loyalty, drive performance and create meaningful impact embodies the very essence of an exceptional leader.

Also recognized is Courtney Mueller, Memory Program Director at Belmont Village West University, whose transformative leadership has redefined excellence in memory care. Her dedication to the program’s growth has earned top rankings within the community in both resident and associate satisfaction, reflecting her exceptional ability to inspire and elevate those around her.

“Candice and Courtney exemplify the very best of Belmont Village and the spirit of the TALA Hero Award,” said Doug Lessard, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Belmont Village Senior Living. “Their dedication to excellence, ability to inspire their teams, and deep commitment to residents and families set them apart as exceptional leaders. The impact they make is felt every day in the lives of those they serve, and we are incredibly proud to have them on our team.”

About Belmont Village

Founded in Houston in 1997, Belmont Village is an integrated developer, owner, and operator of high-quality senior living communities, with more than 4,700 employees and 5,000 units in total. Its 34 locations across the country and in Mexico City, provide award-winning assisted living and memory care programs and ongoing collaborations with Baptist Health South Florida, USC, UCLA, and more to continually improve their cognitive health and evidence-based enrichment programs. The company is a market leader in major markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, South Florida, San Diego, and Chicago. Renowned for distinctive design, high standards of life and safety, and reputation for leading edge, quality programming, Belmont Village is certified as a Great Place to Work®, has been ranked as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s 50 Best Workplaces for Aging Services since 2018, and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as Best in Senior Living. www.belmontvillage.com. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.