In preparation for the new senior living community that will begin construction later this year in the Autumn Hall development off Eastwood Road, Liberty Senior Living has hired a director of marketing and development.

Jerry Cooper began in the new role earlier this month. He leads the sales and marketing of the new development as well as construction of another senior living community in Charlotte, which will be called Brightmore of South Charlotte.

The company currently owns and operates Brightmore of Wilmington, Kempton Assisted Living and assisted living facilities in Jacksonville and Whiteville, Cooper said.

Construction for the new Wilmington full-service retirement community – Carolina Bay – will begin by June 1, he said. It will offer independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing and will be larger than Brightmore of Wilmington, which has 134 units, according to the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s Book of Lists.

“Our goal is to begin accepting refundable, non-binding security deposits beginning April 1,” he said. Residents will be able to move into the rental units by Fall 2013.

“All of the rental apartments will be contained in one building with various dining venues and a multi-purpose room,” he said. Four to six large condos will be available for purchase in a separate building.

Cooper, who has about 25 years of marketing and development experience, will oversee the hiring and managing of sales staff and the development of all sales and marketing materials. He was the executive director of the North Carolina Assisted Living Association and vice president of professional affairs with the Assisted Living Federation of America.

“I’ve been on the board of directors for trade associations with people from Liberty in the past. I’ve known of Liberty for about 20 years,” he said. “I had an opportunity to work for the national group [in Roanoke, Va.], but I really wanted to come back to North Carolina.”

Liberty Senior Living is one of the Liberty Healthcare Companies, a family-owned business, led by principals Sandy and Ronnie McNeill. Liberty Healthcare Companies include a network of assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, home care and medical supply facilities that serves about 15,000 patients a year in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.