Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2024 Women of Distinction honorees daily from July 1 to Aug. 13. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.
Whether she’s trying innovative ideas or workshopping ways to improve existing processes, Jaclyn Gardner always is looking for new ways to improve and promote her slice of senior living.
Gardner started working at her current company, the LCS Family of Companies, in 2009, but her career in senior living began in 2001. After graduating with a degree in health administration, she began working at CaraVita as a business office manager. Eventually during her time there, Gardner rose up to become an assistant administrator and then an executive director. In that latter role, she exceeded occupancy targets each year, achieved excellent resident satisfaction ratings, and led the company through three different changes in management, colleagues noted.
Gardner has been an executive director at LCS for the past 15 years, and she spearheaded the opening of the Des Moines, IA, community where she works. She has earned multiple deficiency-free surveys and has maintained occupancy levels consistently greater than 90%, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within LCS, Gardner has received awards from the company for excellence in sales performance, safety efforts and, divisionally, for having the top-performing community. She also serves on the company’s Decision Rights Taskforce and its Health and Wellness Committee.
Outside of work, Garnder has been on the board of the Assisted Living Association of Alabama since 2014, having served as its secretary/treasurer, vice chair as well as board chair from 2018 to 2020.
More about Gardner:
- Gardner got her start in senior living with an internship during her time at Auburn University, and she is a proud member of its alumni association.
- She helped create the LCS Chef of the Year competition in 2019. It has since grown to include camera crews, watch parties and celebrity chef guests.
- As an LCS Women in Leadership mentor, Gardner helps inspire and educate young professionals.
The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care. Healthcare Services Group was the Platinum sponsor of this year’s McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum. PointClickCare was the Gold sponsor, and PharMerica was the Silver sponsor. Other sponsors included Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Easyshifts, Hireology, Reliant Rehabilitation, ShiftKey and Sentrics.
Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2024 and previous years.
