Brenda Connelly headshot

Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2022 Women of Distinction honorees daily July 5 through Aug. 10. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.

A rare executive with a heart for service, a passion to do the right thing and a drive to deliver the best-quality outcomes to residents, their families and employees. That is how colleagues view Brenda Connelly.

Across Connelly’s many roles at The Springs Living, ranging from directory of community operations to chief quality officer, her peers agree that she shines the most when facing adversity.

Connelly has worked for the company since 2010 and before joining The Springs Living worked nine years in a skilled nursing facility where she was promoted to various management positions.

Her analytical approach to the finer details of operational quality has been instrumental in allowing her company to deliver excellent service to residents, colleagues said. Connelly has demonstrated leadership of the highest caliber since taking over the reins as The Springs Living’s chief operating officer for the company’s 18 communities in Oregon and Montana in August 2020, according to Lindsay Keefer, communications specialist at The Springs Living.

Thanks to the grace she carried herself with during the COVID-19 pandemic, Connelly met challenges head-on, leading the organization by maintaining extremely low infection rates. She also guided The Springs Living to successfully maintain occupancy rates above the national average and then to recover the majority of the occupancy loss due to the pandemic.

Not only administratively gifted, Connelly is not afraid to be on the frontlines. Co-workers point out that she helped prepare meals for residents and strapped on her personal protective equipment to perform caregiving duties during the pandemic. She also served on the Oregon Health Care Association’s pandemic response team, helping the organization assist long-term care facilities across Oregon.

Connelly also has served as regional chair of the North Dakota Long Term Care Association Directors of Nursing Association and recently was honored with the Special Service Award for 2021 at the Oregon Health Care Association conference.

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. The program’s Diamond sponsor is PointClickCare. Silver sponsors include OnShift and PharMerica, and the Bronze sponsor is Reliant Rehabilitation. Table sponsors included Dreamscape, Gojo/Purell and Sound Physicians.

Visit these web pages to see lists of the 2022 honorees: Rising StarsVeteran VIPsHall of HonorLifetime Achievement Award and Spirit Awards.