Leaders from the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living, Argentum and LeadingAge have been named on The Hill’s “Top Lobbyists 2022” list, published Wednesday.

“This list honors the corporate lobbyists, hired guns, association leaders and grassroots activists who leveraged their expertise and connections to make a difference in the nation’s capital this year,” The Hill said in the announcement. “Lobbyists at corporations and trade groups made last-minute changes to key measures while also staving off legislation to crack down on tech giants and other industries.”

The Hill noted that not all of those on the list are registered lobbyists, “but they all demonstrated a track record of success in the halls of Congress and the administration during a critical year for policy.”

Among the more than 100 honorees in the Associations category were Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living, and James Balda, president and CEO of Argentum. Joe Franco, vice president of grassroots policy for LeadingAge, was named in the Grassroots category.

Parkinson told the McKnight’s Business Daily he is “humbled” to be included among the honorees.

“I consider these honors to be a reflection of our entire AHCA / NCAL membership — it takes thousands of us working together to make policymakers understand what’s happening on the ground and what solutions are needed to improve long-term care,” he said. “We will continue to make our voices heard and stand up for our residents, our staff and the future of this sector that is a critical component of the healthcare system.”

Balda echoed that he is honored to be named and credited Argentum’s public affairs team for urging lawmakers to consider a range of priorities for senior living communities as they recover from pandemic-created financial challenges.

“Our team at Argentum has really upped our game these past few years, bringing a consistent message about what senior living is, and how are incredible members and their staffs offer the most economical, high-quality, and consistent care for seniors looking to make their home in assisted living, memory care and other senior living settings,” Balda said.

Among Argentum’s efforts this past year, Balda said the association advocated for the SENIOR Act, helped secure federal and state COVID relief and assistance, advanced appropriations changes that will, for the first time, direct federal workforce development programs to train the direct care workforce and educated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that senior living communities must have their own unique guidelines “recognizing these communities are home to 2 million seniors.”

About Franco’s honor, LeadingAge spokesperson said, “Grassroots work is critical in helping to achieve our advocacy goals, and we’re proud of Joe’s part in that.”

Nancy LeaMond, the AARP’s executive vice president, and Robert Egge, the Alzheimer’s Association’s chief public policy officer, also were named in the Grassroots category of the list.