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WELCOME TO THE 2023 McKnight's WOMEN OF DISTINCTION PROGRAM
McKnight's Long-Term Care News, McKnight's Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are proud to honor the women across the skilled nursing, senior living and home care industries who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to their communities, facilities, and agencies, all while making a significant impact on their organization and on the lives of the individuals they serve.
Building on the success of the McKnight’s Women of Distinction program’s previous years, we’re pleased to invite honorees, friends, family and industry colleagues alike to join us in Chicago on May 22 to celebrate the 2023 class of Rising Stars, Hall of Honor recipients, Veteran VIPs and Spirit Award winners at the official Women of Distinction dinner and awards ceremony.
Before the ceremony, build on your skills and learn from the best of the best by attending the McKnight's Women of Distinction forum. Open to anyone working in the senior living, skilled nursing and home care spaces, the forum will feature two sessions focused on strong leadership and lessons from the C-Suite.
COUNTDOWN TO THE CELEBRATION
2023 Honorees
RISING STARS
Amanda Brooks, Senior Executive Director, Retirement Unlimited, Inc. (Paul Spring Retirement Community), Alexandria VA
Katie Davis, Administrator, Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society (Good Samaritan Society – Albert Lea), Albert Lea MN
Emily Erickson, Executive Vice President of Clinical Services, Retirement Unlimited, Inc, Roanoke, VA
Katie Gallenstein, Market Leader, Help at Home, Chicago
Jennifer George, MPA, Executive Director, WelbeHealth / Pacific PACE, Pasadena, CA
Carly Loewus, Campus Administrator, Clement Manor, Greenfield WI
Destiny Sisk, Executive Director, Touchmark (Touchmark on West Century), Bismarck ND
Hannah Sizemore, Administrator, Barbourville Health & Rehabilitation Center, Barbourville KY
Rhonda St. Onge, Executive Director, Brookdale Senior Living (Brookdale Trillium Crossing), Columbus OH
Sharell Shippen, Director of Spirituality, HumanGood, Duarte CA
Desirae Toomey, Administrator, Home- and Community-Based Services, Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society (Sanford Home Health), Sioux Falls SD
Rose Trevino, Director of Operations, Help at Home, Chicago
Amanda Young, Executive Director, The Wesley at Home, Towson MD
Izabella Wells, Director of Nursing, Hilltop Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Charleston, IL
Taylor Zelnio, Director of Resident Services, Crest Healthcare, Skokie, IL
VETERAN VIP'S
Ilene Arroyo, Senior Director of Human Resources, The New Jewish Home, New York City
Juliet Fountain, Administrator and Executive Director, Harrison Senior Living (Harrison House of Snow Hill and and John B. Parsons Assisted Living), Snow Hill MD
Sophia Guel-Valenzuela, Director, Strategy and Special Projects, WelbeHealth PACE, Walnut, CA
Sarah Laloyan, Senior Vice President of Coterie and Signature, Atria, Louisville, KY
Monica McAfee, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, John Knox Village of Florida, Pompano Beach FL
Gina Mizzoni, Traditional Care Director, Benchmark Senior Living, Waltham, MA
Rebecca Murray, Administrator, Bridges Health (The Ambassador Skilled Nursing and Therapy), Tulsa, OK
Robin Nelson, Director of Nursing, Maplewood of Cheshire County, Westmoreland NH
Vicki Nordby, Nurse Consultant, Marquis Companies, Milwaukie OR
Jackie Pappalardi, Executive Director Foundation for Quality Care, New York State Health Facilities Association / New York State Center for Assisted Living, Albany, NY
Brenda Perkins, Divisional Resident Engagement Manager – East, Brookdale Senior Living, Brentwood TN
Judy Plantinga, Executive Director, Trilogy Health Services (Cedar Creek Health Campus), Louisville, KY
Sheree Lee Spencer, Director of Nursing, Champion Care (The Bay at Eastview), Antigo, WI
Carol Williams, CEO/Administrator, Hallmark Healthcare of Pekin, Pekin, IL
Stacy Yosko, Director of Resident Services, Harrison Senior Living (Harrison House Chester County), Coatesville PA
HALL OF HONOR
LaShuan Bethea, Executive Director, National Center for Assisted Living, Washington, DC
Amy Bucher, Director of Operations, Marquis Companies, Milwaukie, OR
Andrea Devoti, Executive Vice President, National Association for Home Care & Hospice, Washington, D.C.
Shelley Esden, President and CEO, Sonata Senior Living, Orlando, FL
Genevieve Gipson, RN, MEd, Director and Founder, National Network of Career Nursing Assistants, Norton, OH
Kirsten Goulde, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Oakmont Management Group, Irvine, CA
Collette Gray, President & CEO, Integral Senior Living and Solstice Senior Living, Carlsbad, CA
Holly Harmon, Senior Vice President, Quality, Regulatory and Clinical Services, American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, Washington, DC
Donna Kelsey, CEO, American Senior Communities, Indianapolis
Cindy Longfellow, Vice President, Business Development, Sales and Marketing, Juniper Communities, Bloomfield, NJ
Patricia Lutzky, Senior Vice President of Independent Living, Peconic Landing, Greenport, NY
Kelly MacNeill-Cooney, President, National Association of Rehab Providers & Agencies, Washington, DC
Aimee Middleton, Vice President, Operations, Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, Sioux Falls, SD
Kimberly Nystrom, President of Skilled Home Health, Elara Caring, Dallas
April Payne, Chief Quality and Regulatory Affairs Officer and Executive Director, Virginia Health Care Association/Virginia Center for Assisted Living, Richmond, VA
Lori Porter, CEO and co-founder, National Association of Health Care Assistants, Carl Junction, MO
Tina Sandri, CEO, Forest Hills of DC, Washington, DC
Jill Sorenson, Senior Vice President/Senior Director of Operations, LCS, Des Moines, IA
Rayvelle Stallings, MD, DABFM, Senior Vice President, Physician Services and Corporate Medical Officer, PruittHealth, Norcross, GA
Shelly Sun, CEO, BrightStar Care, Gurnee, IL
SPIRIT WINNERS
Mary Franklin, Executive Director, Cypress Cove, Fort Myers, FL
Necia Jeske, Director of Nursing, The Bay at Suring Health and Rehabilitation, Suring, WI (A Champion Care facility)
Nadeen Moore, Area Nurse Manager, Florida, Brookdale Senior Living
Kendra Roberts, Vice President, Operations, Affordable Housing, HumanGood, Duarte, CA
Natalie Spencer, Director of Nursing, Sanatoga Center (Genesis), Pottstown, PA
Janie Whipple, Connections Coordinator, Benchmark Senior Living - Academy Point at Mystic, Mystic, CT
EVENT INFORMATION
EVENT DATE
DATE: Monday, May 22, 2023
TIME: *agenda below
(FORUM) 1:00 pm-4:30 pm
(AWARDS CEREMONY) 6:00 pm-9:00 pm
VENUE: JW Marriott Chicago
151 W Adams Street, Chicago, IL
EVENT FEES & ATTIRE
Individual Ticket to Forum & Awards Ceremony: $320
Table of 10 to Forum & Awards Ceremony: $3,200
Individual Ticket to FORUM ONLY : $99
Dress Code: Cocktail Attire
WOD ALL-TIME ROSTER
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Patricia Will 2022
Mary Ousley 2021
Wendy Simpson 2020
Lynne Katzmann 2019
HALL OF HONOR
Lori Alford 2019
Eleanor Alvarez 2020
Mitze Amoroso 2022
Brenda Bacon 2019
Lucinda “Cindy” Baier 2020
Leigh Ann Barney 2021
Samira Beckwith 2020
Winsome Bent 2019
Maribeth Bersani 2020
Akia Blandon 2020
Crystal Bowens 2019
Robin Bradley 2021
Joanne Braeunle 2020
Carol Burnell 2020
Beth Burnham Mace 2020
Vassar Byrd 2020
Pilar Carvajal 2019
Denise Chadwick Wright 2021
Teresa Chopoorian 2021
Lisi Coleman 2022
Brenda Connelly 2022
Patti Cullen 2022
Terri Cunliffe 2021
Leslie Cunningham Campbell 2019
April Diaz 2022
Jamie Dlatt 2019
Kim Estes Elliott 2019
Mary “Molly” Forrest 2020
Nathalie Francois 2021
Tana Gall 2021
Kimberly Green-Yates 2019
Susan Grigg 2022
Demetress Harrell 2022
Stephanie Harris 2019
Lynn Hood 2021
Nancy Hooks 2021
Carol Hulgan 2020
Jennifer Kennedy 2022
Mary Knapp 2020
Bonnie Laiderman 2022
Mary Leary 2020
Andrea Leebron-Clay 2019
Luz Libeskind 2022
Rita Mabli 2020
Barb Masella 2019
Deborah Meade 2020
Cassie Mistretta 2022
Cynthia Morton 2020
Joylin Nation 2022
Wendy Nowokunski 2020
Alla Onitskansky 2019
Connie Ortega 2020
Tammy Jo Painter 2019
Mary Sue Patchett 2021
Katherine “Katie” Potter 2020
Melissa Powell 2021
JoAnne Reifsnyder 2020
Tammy Retalic 2020
DeLaine Rice-White 2022
Meera Riner 2021
Jolene Roberts 2019
Kathryn Roberts 2019
Barb Rode 2022
Mary Alice Ryan 2020
Amy Schectman 2022
Wendy Schrag 2022
Gail Sheridan 2021
Carol Silver Elliott 2022
Katie Smith Sloan 2019
Melissa Sorensen 2021
Nicole Steck-Waitt 2021
Robyn Stone 2021
Lizzy Straus 2019
Kim Te Brugge 2021
Sara Terry 2022
Kimberly Townsend 2020
Bryanna Wegner 2022
Patricia Will 2021
VETERAN VIP'S
Christiana Bonsu 2021
Charlene Boyd 2021
Johnnie Brooks 2021
Amanda Brown 2021
Jean Bryan 2021
Traci Bullens 2021
Elizabeth Dauch 2022
Karen Devaney 2022
Joan Devine 2022
Estela Divino 2021
Barbara Galindo 2021
Juliet Holt Klinger 2022
Susan Levy 2022
Lindsay Martin 2022
Isha Mathis 2022
Mary Jean McKeveny 2022
Sandra Mundy 2022
Nemse Paguntalan 2021
Janice Pate 2021
Debra Reed 2022
Tina Reed 2022
Sandy Skerda 2021
Jamie Smiley 2021
Gail Spencer 2021
Cheryl Welch 2021
Tracy Zamora 2021
RISING STARS
Kara Abdala 2021
Holly Artkamp Romie 2022
Jiane Bassi 2021
Sarah Bateman 2022
Sarah Belmont 2019
Dina Besirevic 2020
Hayley Boutte 2020
Jaime Brady 2021
Vanessa Brookes 2019
Patricia Bush 2022
Morgan C.B. Miles 2022
Kate Catizone 2020
Robyn Childs 2020
Shilpi Choni 2020
Jennifer Cisneros 2019
Hemwattie “Hemi” Clough 2021
Kari Dick 2019
Erin Donaldson 2019
Josiane Dusabe 2021
Debora Erksa 2019
Amanda Elliott 2021
Jodi Eyigor 2021
Michelle Feng 2021
Elizabeth Ann Fetner 2022
Felichia Fields 2019
Anne-Marie Fitz 2022
Berenice Galvez-Soto 2019
Scarlet Star Gardner 2019
Jessica Garvin 2019
Erika Gennari 2020
Bre Grubbs 2019
Audra Gutierrez-Ritari 2020
Kristin Harris 2021
Marissa Harth 2021
Alicia Hartnett 2020
Jodi Hill 2020
Heather Hudson 2020
Raven Jackson 2020
Katie Jayne 2019
Marissa Kalama 2021
Kendra King-Smith 2021
Natalie Law 2019
Meg (Margaret) Lutze 2019
Mandy Lynch 2020
Jennifer Mack 2020
Jennifer Maina 2019
Majid Tabassum 2019
Pamela Maloney 2020
Stephanie Maupin 2022
Marcy McNeal 2021
Ahkira McPherson 2020
Jamie Merill 2022
Rachel Monger 2019
Kelly Ornberg 2020
Jana Pauldin 2021
Stephanie Popp 2020
Renee Porter 2021
Jaclyn Pritchett 2020
Sarah Randolph 2020
Kristy Ruppe Craddock 2019
Tina Sadarangani 2021
Rebecca Scott Rawn 2019
Crystal Shelby 2022
Magen Shelton 2022
Julia Shiner 2022
Amy Silva-Magalhaes 2020
Christina Ulbricht 2019
Melanie Washington 2020
Shannon Watson 2020
Theresa Watts 2022
Victoria Wenick 2022
Nadia Williams 2021
Trista Wilson 2022
Kristina Wright 2022
Shamin Wu 2019
McKNIGHT'S SPIRIT AWARD
Christina Harris 2022
Nancy McCune 2022
Cassie Morris 2022
Barbara Richards 2022
Lena Robinson 2022
Rosita Taylor 2022
Lynn Weidner 2022
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