Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. announced a leadership transition effective January 1, 2027, in a news release filed on October 27, 2026, naming Patrick Waite as President and Chief Executive Officer and David Eldersveld as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer.

Key Highlights

  • New CEO: Patrick Waite has been promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2027.
  • Expanded role: David Eldersveld has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer, effective January 1, 2027.
  • Outgoing CEO's new role: Marguerite Nader, who served as Chief Executive Officer for the past 13 years according to the filing, has been elected Executive Vice Chair of the Board of Directors.
  • Board expansion: The size of the Board of Directors will be increased by one director on January 1, 2027, and Waite will be elected to fill the vacancy.
  • Additional promotion: Brett Hattel will be promoted to Executive Vice President, Operations, effective January 1, 2027.
  • Multi-year plan: The filing describes the transition as "part of the Company's multi-year succession plan led by our Board of Directors."

Leadership Transition Details at Equity LifeStyle Properties

According to the filing, Patrick Waite has held senior leadership roles at Equity LifeStyle Properties (NYSE:ELS) since 2013, most recently serving as President and Chief Operating Officer following a decade as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The filing notes he also has manufactured housing experience from prior roles at American Residential Communities, Riverside Communities and Continental Communities.

David Eldersveld has held senior leadership roles at ELS since 2015, the filing states, currently serving as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, with oversight of asset management, human resources, the law department and risk management. In his expanded role, the filing indicates he will also assume oversight of operations, which will be led by Brett Hattel in the newly created Executive Vice President, Operations position.

Marguerite Nader, transitioning to Executive Vice Chair of the Board, is quoted in the filing stating: "I have tremendous confidence in this succession plan and in Patrick's leadership." Chairman Thomas Heneghan is quoted crediting Nader's "13 years" as CEO and noting that "ELS has a longstanding tradition of leaders benefiting from the guidance and mentorship of their predecessors." The company described itself in the filing as "a fully integrated owner of lifestyle-oriented properties" owning or holding an interest in 453 properties with 173,623 sites as of September 30, 2026, headquartered in Chicago.

What Was Disclosed

The filing announced executive leadership changes effective January 1, 2027, including a new CEO, an expanded COO role, a new operations leadership appointment, and a Board expansion to seat the incoming CEO as a director.