Sixteen veteran long-term care leaders were announced Wednesday as winners in the Veteran VIPs class of the 2024 McKnight’s Women of Distinction program.
The fourth annual class of Veteran VIPs include top professionals in skilled nursing, senior living and home care. They will be honored, along with WOD program Rising Stars and Hall of Honoree inductees at a gala banquet May 14 in Chicago.
The Veteran VIP category honors women who have more than 15 years of experience and have made an impact on the senior living, skilled nursing or home care fields, typically at a level lower than vice president or its equivalent.
“The contributions of these seasoned professionals are valued greatly by their skilled nursing, senior living and home care employers, and we are pleased to honor them,” said McKnight’s Editorial Director, Vice President and Associate Publisher John O’Connor in making the announcement.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction awards program is a joint effort of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and sister media brands McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care.
The 2024 Veteran VIP class consists of:
Teresa Edge, Regional Clinical Executive, Bedrock Care, Royersford, PA
Cathy Farmer, Director of Clinical Services, Goodwin House Alexandria, Alexandria, VA
Jacklyn Gardner, Director, Operations Management, LCS, Des Moines, IA
Diane Johnson, Regional Director of Operations, LiveWell Centers, North Wales, PA
Miriam Levi, Assistant Administrator, The New Jewish Home, Mamaroneck, NY
Angel Loyd, Regional Manager, Bridges Health, Oklahoma City
Nancy Maina, Senior Health Services Director, Brightview Senior Living – Brightview Severna Park, Severna Park, MD
Morgan Mulvany, Administrator, Odin Health and Rehab Center, Odin, IL
Myra Punla, Director of Nursing, HumanGood Piedmont Gardens, Oakland, CA
Shellie Rachal, Regional Vice President of Operations for the Southern Region, Elara Caring, Dallas
Maureen Rizzo, Senior Executive Director, Generations Senior Living, Strongsville, OH
Cameo Rogers, Corporate Life Enrichment Manager, Immanual, Omaha, NE
Heather Turner, Executive Director, Timber Ridge at Talus, LCS, Issaquah, WA
Jacqueline Vance, Senior Director of Innovation and Education, Mission Health Communities, Tampa, FL
Cheryl Wallen, Director of LifeMinistries, Givens Communities, Asheville, NC
Elizabeth Wheatley, RN, Vice President of Resident Care, Benchmark Senior Living, Waltham, MA
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction awards program was judged by a national, independent panel of judges.
Fifteen Rising Stars awards were announced Tuesday, recognizing women who are either aged fewer than 40 years or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the senior living, skilled nursing or home care fields.
More announcements coming
Hall of Honor inductees will be announced Thursday. The category recognizes women who are at a level equivalent to vice president or higher and who have had a significant effect on their organization or industry.
Organizers also will name a Lifetime Achievement Award winner and recipients of the Spirit Award in the coming weeks.
All of this year’s honorees will be celebrated Tuesday, May 14, at an in-person cocktail reception, dinner and awards presentation at the JW Marriott in Chicago. The presentation of awards will be preceded by the 5th annual McKnight’s Women of Distinction Forum, which will offer educational sessions featuring industry thought leaders. All events are open to the entire long-term care industry, family members and friends of winners, and other stakeholders.
For more information or to register for either of the events, visit https://www.mcknightswomenofdistinction.com/. Any questions about the events can be sent to Anna Naumoski, senior event manager at the parent company of the McKnight’s brands, Haymarket Media, at [email protected].
Keep up to date with McKnight’s Women of Distinction news and past articles at this mcknights.com tab. See a list of previously honored women at mcknightswomenofdistinction.com (click on “Past Honorees” at the top of the page).
Healthcare Services Group is the Platinum sponsor of this year’s event. PointClickCare is the Gold sponsor. PharMerica is the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors include HER Stories, Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, ShiftKey and Sentrics.
